Featured Article Summary #140

“Running Out of Time” is a song by the American rock band Paramore, released on May 23, 2023 by Atlantic Records as the fourth single from their 2023 album This Is Why. The band wrote it early during the album’s production, with Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro as writers, and Carlos de la Garza as producer. Paramore first performed the song at the Grand Ole Opry on February 7, 2023, and later played it on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on February 14. Critics describe it as pop-rock and dance-rock, focusing on managing time and dealing with anxieties about death, aging, and losing friends; Williams connected it to her own punctuality struggles and her friendship with Taylor Swift. The song and its reception were strong, charting in several places and appearing on Billboard’s year-end Alternative Airplay list. A music video directed by Ivanna Borin came out on February 16, featuring Williams entering an Alice in Wonderland-themed world to face those worries, and it was praised for its detailed fashion choices. After Paramore released their 2017 album After Laughter and shortened their world tour, the band went on hiatus for the first time since forming in 2004, focusing on mental health and individual projects. Hayley Williams said the band’s next album would be guitar-driven, and Paramore later started recording it in late 2021, releasing This Is Why in February 2023. “Running Out of Time” was premiered at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on February 7, then released as part of the album on February 10. The song was written by Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro, with Williams saying she wanted to write about everyday things while still capturing the real-world worries people feel, and it later received an alternative radio release in May 2023 and a remix as part of a remix album in October 2023. “Running Out of Time” is described as a pop-rock, dance-rock track built around an off-beat, bluesy guitar riff that moves into a verse with syncopated rhythms and blue notes in the bridge. The lyrics focus on time management anxiety, repeatedly using the excuse “I ran out of time” to explain missed everyday responsibilities, while critics connect it to broader modern worries like aging, death, and social awkwardness. Williams has said it reflects her own struggles with time management, her intentions and character, and was partly inspired by a friendship with Taylor Swift that made her feel her life was “not together.” “Running Out of Time” received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising its humorous, snarky tone and lyrics about being late, as well as its mix of musical elements. Reviewers highlighted how the vocals and production balance different styles, making the song catchy and fun, while some described it as essentially “nothing” in the best way. Commercially, the song performed moderately well, peaking at number 18 in New Zealand and number 74 on the UK Singles Chart. In the US it reached number 18 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and did well on Rock Airplay, ranking 43rd on Billboard’s 2023 year-end Alternative Airplay chart. The music video for “Running Out of Time,” directed by Ivanna Borin and released on February 16, 2023, shows Williams being pulled from a recording studio into an Alice in Wonderland-style world where the instruments come alive and move toward her. She and the band, through surreal and distorted settings that match the song’s themes, eventually run on a track in outer space back to the studio. The video includes outfits from designer Vivienne Westwood and was shortlisted for the best international rock video at the 2023 UK Music Video Awards.