Caught in the Middle (Paramore song)

"Caught in the Middle" is a song by American rock band Paramore. It was released on June 26, 2018 through Fueled by Ramen as the fifth and final single off their fifth studio album After Laughter (2017).^[1] The track was co-written by lead vocalist Hayley Williams and guitarist Taylor York, and recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.^[2]

"Caught in the Middle"
Single by Paramore
from the album After Laughter
Released	June 26, 2018 (2018-06-26)
Studio	RCA Studio B (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre	Pop rock new wave synth-pop ska reggae
Length	3:32
Label	Fueled by Ramen
Songwriter(s)	Hayley Williams Taylor York
Producer(s)	Justin Meldal-Johnsen Taylor York
Paramore singles chronology
"Rose-Colored Boy" (2018) "Caught in the Middle" (2018) "This Is Why" (2022)
Music video
"Caught in the Middle" on YouTube

Composition

The genre of "Caught in the Middle" has been described as pop rock,^[3] new wave,^[4] synth-pop,^[5] ska^[6] and reggae.^[7] It contains bouncing drums and bass from band members York and Farro, and has been compared sonically to the early work of American rock band No Doubt.^[6][8]

Music video

The music video for "Caught in the Middle" was released on June 26, 2018, and was directed by Computer Team, who worked with the band on previous videos from After Laughter.^[9] The video features the band dancing on oranges, and trying to evade various other fruits.^[10] This video was intentionally made in VHS-quality.^[11] The visuals are an homage to A-ha's music video for "Take On Me".^[12]

As of October 2022, the music video for "Caught in the Middle" has over 9 million views on YouTube.^[13]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[14]

• Kevin "K-Bo" Boettger – assistant engineer
• Dave Cooley – mastering engineer
• Carlos de la Garza – mixer, engineer
• Zac Farro – drums, bells, keyboards, percussion, background vocals
• Justin Meldal-Johnsen – producer, engineer, bass guitar, keyboards, programming
• Mike Schuppan – engineer, additional mixer
• Hayley Williams – vocals, keyboards, percussion, background vocals
• Taylor York – producer, additional mixer, engineer, guitar, keyboards, marimba, percussion, programming, background vocals

References

1. Hussein, Wandera (2018-06-26). "Paramore shares fruit-filled video for "Caught in the Middle"". The Fader. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
2. Collar, Matt. "After Laughter – Paramore". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
3. "Watch Paramore Play An After Laughter Mini-Concert On GMA". Stereogum. 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
4. Casey Leming For The Sentinel (2017-10-18). "Review: Paramore takes Tour Two to the Tower | The Sentinel - Local Scene". cumberlink.com. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
5. "Paramore's 'Caught in the Middle' video has the band dancing on fruit and playing drums on a raft – Leo Sigh". leosigh.com. 26 June 2018.
6. "Paramore - 'After Laughter' Review - NME". NME. 12 May 2017.
7. Snapes, Laura (January 18, 2018). "Paramore, 02 Arena, review: a night of honesty, musicianship and intense pop euphoria". Telegraph. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
8. "Paramore Usher In A New Era Of Pop-Punk With 'After Laughter'". Retrieved 2019-02-09.
9. Blistein, John (26 June 2018). "Watch Paramore Evade Giant Fruit in Wild 'Caught in the Middle' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
10. "Watch Paramore Try To Outrun Giant Fruit In Their Wild New Video". MMVAs. Mtv.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-10.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
11. Murphy, Sarah (2018-06-26). "Paramore "Caught in the Middle" (video)". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
12. Zimmerman, Lee (26 June 2018). "Watch Hayley Williams and Co. Run from Large Fruit in "Caught in the Middle" Video :: Music :: News :: Paramore :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
13. Paramore (June 26, 2018). "Paramore: Caught In The Middle [OFFICIAL VIDEO]". YouTube. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
14. After Laughter (Media notes). Paramore. Fueled by Ramen. 2017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)