Teenagers

Album: Jennifer's Body soundtrack (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This angst-filled number was written by Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams for the Megan Fox-starring dark comedy Jennifer's Body. It was the first song she released as a solo artist.

    The movie came out in 2009 but the song was written in 2008, when Paramore was in flux; Williams and the band's guitarist, Josh Farro, had broken up, and she felt some hostility from her bandmates. This made her anxious about the film's use of this song. She explained to Spin magazine: "It's just something I did for fun. It actually got picked for the soundtrack a long time ago. Since that was right in the middle of the strain and tension that our band was going through, I was, like, there's no way. Somehow the movie wasn't finished yet a year and a half later, and they came back to me about it, and our band was in a completely different situation, feeling great, with a new record to show for it. So I was, like, why not?"

    Williams added that she had concerns that doing a solo song would fuel the rumors about Paramore breaking up. She said: "The last thing we want is to be putting out a record and have our fans think that one of us has a different focus. I have no intention of making some solo song that I did on a soundtrack my priority. Still, I feel really good about it, because this is one thing that I completed by myself and that someone got a hold of and enjoyed."
  • The song landed on the Jennifer's Body soundtrack but wasn't released anywhere else. It was the first song Williams released as a solo artist, and her last until 2020, when she released her debut solo album, Petals For Armor. The Jennifer's Body soundtrack also includes "Kiss With A Fist" by Florence + the Machine and "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash.
  • According to Williams , Paramore got an offer to write and perform the end credits song for Jennifer's Body, but her bandmate Josh Farro wouldn't allow it for religious or ethical reasons - the film is about a high school student kills and eats her classmates. Williams broke this news in 2025 when she was a guest on Popcast.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Muhammad Ali: His Musical Legacy and the Songs he Inspired

Muhammad Ali: His Musical Legacy and the Songs he InspiredSong Writing

Before he was the champ, Ali released an album called I Am The Greatest!, but his musical influence is best heard in the songs he inspired.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.

Devo

DevoSongwriter Interviews

Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Evolution Of The Prince Symbol

Evolution Of The Prince SymbolSong Writing

The evolution of the symbol that was Prince's name from 1993-2000.