Riot! Cover Art

Lore & Background

The album was titled *Riot!* because during the writing process, Williams explained, their "thoughts and emotions were coming out so fast that we couldn't control them," comparing it to a riot. The cover art captures this chaotic, high-energy spirit. The album was recorded from January to April 2007 at the House of Loud and Bennett Studios. During production, Paramore held an online contest titled "The Last Song You'll Ever Sing," where fans submitted videos on YouTube for the opportunity to sing backing vocals on the track "Born for This." The winner was Mary Bonney of McLean, Virginia. The album's lead single, "Misery Business," reached top-thirty and forty positions in the US and is considered the band's breakthrough hit, credited with introducing the band to a mainstream audience.

In Their Own Story

The cover art for *Riot!* was revealed on April 20, 2007, a week after "Misery Business" was made available for streaming on April 13. The album was released through Fueled by Ramen on June 12, following the debut of "Misery Business" on the radio. The album was re-released in late 2007 as an MVI (music video interactive) CD/DVD, which includes the ability to remix "Crushcrushcrush" and "Misery Business" using the program U-MYX and includes music videos as well as live videos, lyrics and digital liner notes.

Reader's Guide

The cover art for *Riot!* features the band members in a gritty, urban setting, reflecting the album's high-energy pop-punk sound. Williams classified *Riot!* as "raw energy," which she considered development of their debut album. The album's visual theme aligns with its musical content, which Ian Cohen of MTV Hive described as "classic alt-rock with a distinctly Fueled By Ramen edge." Cam Lindsay at Exclaim! characterized it as "high-energy/high-emotion pop-punk." The cover art's aesthetic matches the album's critical reception, which praised its sound and catchiness, and noted its "crossover potential."

Did You Know?

• The album title *Riot!* came from Williams' description of the writing process: 'our thoughts and emotions were coming out so fast that we couldn't control them.'
• The album was recorded from January to April 2007 at the House of Loud and Bennett Studios in New Jersey.
• Paramore held an online contest called 'The Last Song You'll Ever Sing' where fans submitted YouTube videos for a chance to sing backing vocals on 'Born for This'; the winner was Mary Bonney of McLean, Virginia.
• The album's lead single 'Misery Business' is considered the band's breakthrough hit, credited with introducing them to a mainstream audience.
• The album was certified triple-platinum in the United States on April 20, 2021, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).