Hard-Fi comment on similarities between ‘Hard To Beat’ and Paramore’s ‘C’est Comme Ca’

19 February, 2023

Richard Archer and Hayley Williams

Hard-Fi have responded to comments on similarities between their 2006 single ‘Hard To Beat’ and Paramore‘s recent hit ‘C’est Comme Ca’.

Some fans thought the opening chord progressions of the two songs sounded notably similar when ‘C’est Comme Ca’ was first released last month.

Now, the Staines indie rockers have addressed the similarities themselves, albeit rather ambiguously. A fan tweeted them suggesting that they should sue Paramore – “the song flopped so y’all wouldn’t get that much money but still”, which they then quote tweeted with a single embarrassed emoji.

NME has reached out to Paramore’s reps for comment.

Paramore’s frontwoman Hayley Williams had previously credited Yard Act and Dry Cleaning as inspiration for the track, which she has also said is about “trying to get un-addicted to a survival narrative”.

“The idea of imminent doom is less catastrophic to me than not knowing anything about the future or my part in it,” she said in a press release. “The guys and I are all in much more stable places in our lives than ever before. And somehow that is harder for me to adjust to.”

Williams spoke in more detail about the track’s inspiration in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. “‘C’est Comme Ca’ [came], I would say, midway to the beginning half, it was definitely before we had hit a stride… it’s just this really great track and we had a really good time getting back into a little bit of dance punk vibes. I had been listening to a lot of Dry Cleaning and Yard Act and just artists that talk a lot over great, cool, music. So I guess I was just feeling poetic and feeling a bit critical of myself and fused all that stuff.

“I was really stoked to get this music because a lot of times with Paramore, unless we’re all in the room at the same time working on stuff together, I feel like a lot of what I do is top lining and I love doing that. It’s so freeing. Especially after doing the solo records where I was just always on top of every single moment.”

‘C’est Comme Ca’ is the third single from Paramore’s sixth album ‘This Is Why’, which was released on February 10. In a five-star review, NME wrote: “Paramore are reaching to where, finally, their music has wanted to get to for the best part of the past decade. Rather than try to top their peerless anthems, the band have instead uncovered a new warmth on ‘This Is Why’, and the effect is triumphant indeed.”

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