I Need a Dance Partner" (from Don't Worry, It's Only a Game) was written by Mike Posner and released as the album's fifth and final single. The song was released to UK radio on August 13, 2009, and a full remix featuring both Kanye West and Lil Wayne is included on a CD single. The video was shot by Rich Lee. "Candy" was written by Kanye West and originally from his fifth studio album Late Registration (2005). It was performed by Kanye at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards and debuted as the official closing track from Late Registration. The song peaked at #25 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The band members described the decision to release "Falling" as the first single, saying they would not have put their own music on a CD if they were told they had to choose between "Falling" and a new album release, instead saying they were excited that their new music would be heard by fans. Reception "Falling" received generally favorable reviews by music critics. Billboard gave the song a positive review, saying "While most of their previous music was built around complex lyrics and dark tones, their new sound fits right in with today's youth culture. The lyrics are direct and blunt, without trying to hard to be something they're not. But the simplicity of the vocals also makes it easier to dance along. And it's this fun factor that shows a new side of Paramore. "You see my eyes and my smile, you see my weakness / It's a little fall, but I don't need a dance partner", Hayley Williams sings in the opening verse. And it's true, sometimes those little falls make all the difference. In fact, you've got to admit that Hayley (and the rest of the band) have never looked more carefree." Rolling Stone gave the song 4 stars saying "It's the most musically playful songs the band's written in ages. "It's still us," Williams insists. "We're not that crazy of a band. But we're moving at a more urgent pace." However, the review also said "But if you're willing to listen to 'Misery Business' again, you'll notice some interesting things. The song's hook is so similar to the hook in 'Pressure,' and its tempo is so similar to the tempo of "The Only Exception" that it doesn't seem all that unusual. And why does 'I'm broken now' keep popping up? It's like a song about being stuck in a rut or in pain or something. Does Paramore even know who they are, or are they just mouthing words? Is there anything on this album that hasn't already been done a thousand times in other albums and movies? These are questions for the fans, but, in the meantime, who knows? They might surprise us. There's a lot of potential in this band, and they're certainly not doing a bad job on their debut. There's nothing that's groundbreaking, but, it's the perfect album to kick off this fall season. And Paramore have just taken the 'Weirdest Band in History' title from Interpol (who are, for their own reasons, weird to begin with). You have to give them points for trying." Release On October 28, 2008, "Misery Business" was made available for download on Myspace. The song was the "most added" song to US Alternative and Alternative Songs radio according to a Nielsen BDS chart airplay-monitoring report for the week of February 14. It debuted on Billboard Radio Songs chart at #49, on the April 17, 2009 issue date, and rose to a peak position at #37 on April 24. As of February 2010, the song has sold over 300,000 copies in the United States. It was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. "That's What You Get" is a "familiar, heavy-breathing, post-guitar-strumming track", and its lyrics reflect the feelings of teenagers after a certain age. The album's lead single, "Misery Business", was released in the United States on March 10, 2009. The single was available only as a digital download. "The Only Exception" is a song with an R&B sound that talks about the high expectations of the world to the singer and she is scared to step out of her comfort zone. In September 2007, it was sent to Australian radio stations as a test. In October 2007, a song titled "Love Turns to Hate" was released in Japan on the band's limited edition 'J' album. An official remix of the song features rappers Common and Mos Def and was released on iTunes in 2009. Paramore also appeared in the music video for the single "Pardon Me", performing the song as the B-side. The music video for the song aired as a World AIDS Day campaign by MTV, hosted by Linkin Park, as part of MTV's "Hunger Relief – Special Delivery". In March 2009, Paramore stated that they would perform songs from the album on Warped Tour 2009. According to Hayley Williams, they also might collaborate with a third band on the tour. In January 2010, it was revealed that the group had written two more songs with Kanye West, entitled "Candy" and "Mama Said". Both songs were confirmed to be part of the then-upcoming fifth album. "Candy" was released as a single and the music video was filmed in Los Angeles in late February 2010. Paramore recently released "Riot Girl" as their new single. The music video, created by Joseph Kahn, is the band's first to be featured on their YouTube account, as well as their first filmed in HD. The single was officially released on August 28, 2010. The lyrics to this track are written from the perspective of a character who identifies herself as a "riot girl." The music video debuted on YouTube on September 23, 2010. Paramore performed the song live at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. In September 2013, Williams tweeted that the album would not be getting reissued. However, in February 2017, Paramore's frontwoman Hayley Williams confirmed that a deluxe version of the album was in production. The deluxe version is titled After Laughter and will feature 3 brand new tracks. Reception Commercial The album debuted at #1 in Canada, with first week sales of 26,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In its second week it sold 4,900 more copies, bringing its total to 30,000 copies. In the United States, the album sold 65,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200. In Australia, it also charted at #3, with sales of 12,920 copies. Critical After Laughter received generally favorable reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 74, based on 32 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews." Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that "the album has a light tone and a lighter beat that is tempered by moments of genuine beauty and wonder" and the band "seems to have a lot more fun here than on the band's previous record, 2007's Riot!." According to Blender, "Despite the fact that Hayley's vocals sound noticeably weaker than they once did, they're better than ever. [...] Paramore know how to make a comeback album a lot of people will actually want to hear. After Laughter isn't just a comeback, it's a total triumph." The Guardian praised the lyrics to the first song on the album "Misery Business", saying that it contains "a killer hook that seems to defy all rules of pop nastiness", but felt that "Misery Business" sounded too similar to "Pressure" and "Brick by Boring Brick" from Riot!. The BBC praised "Ain't It Fun" as "utterly brilliant" and said it was a contender for song of the year. NME said that "All the big three of pop are in there: the chorus, the chorus (again), the soaring verse—soaring in such a way that reminds us we're actually doing it right this time." Rolling Stone said that "Hayley's vocals have never sounded stronger and Paramore's sound has never sounded better, with the whole thing sounding more like the band is having as much fun as their faithful fans". The New York Times said, "Like any power-pop band worth its salt, Paramore is not afraid of repeating some of the same gestures: for example, Hayley Williams' lyrics are typically blunt, if often self-contradictory, like 'Don't want to feel what I feel' or 'No more hate in my heart.' But Ms. Williams can't deny her own charms: The production, which recalls the jangly harmonies of Fleetwood Mac, gives her some lovely, reverb-drenched singing moments." Accolades The album was voted best album of the year at UK's Best 100 Music Festivals Awards for 2009. The album won Paramore the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the American Music Awards of 2009, and the British Sound Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. The album also won Best International Album