Hayley Williams has defended Fontaines D.C.’s ‘Dopamine Chamber’ against criticism from some “guys on the internet”, saying that they can’t accept that the band are “multi-faceted and stylistically versatile”.
The Dublin rock giants released their fifth album last week (Friday October 16) – marking the follow-up to 2024’s acclaimed and Mercury-nominated ‘Romance’.
Already, the album has had a huge wave of praise from fans and critics alike, particularly for tracks including the lead single ‘Marianne’, eerie track ‘Tongue’, and cinematic collab with Rosalía, ‘Where Is Gone?’. Not all fans have been enthusiastic, however, and there has been a small handful of people online who have voiced that they prefer Fontaines’ earlier material instead.
Now, Hayley Williams has voiced her love of ‘Dopamine Chamber’ and said that those who are throwing some backlash towards the record simply accept that the band are “multi-faceted and stylistically versatile”.
Taking to Substack to share her thoughts on music she is enjoying at the moment, the Paramore singer shared: “New Fontaines is so good if you’re not one of those guys on the internet who can’t conceptualise that great bands are made of people who are multi-faceted and stylistically versatile.”
“Wish I wrote some of these choruses, wish I wrote any of this poetry,” she said, adding that her favourite songs on the LP were ‘Demolition’ and Happy For You’.
Family business right here pic.twitter.com/BvC29h4h6D
— Brit. ❀ (@simmerdownbrit) October 20, 2026
Referencing her upcoming support slot at their huge run of outdoor shows in summer 2027, Williams wrote: “Cannot wait to open for them so much next year at Laneway and Slane.”
Other artists who got a shoutout on the Substack entry included Remi Wolf, Troye Sivan, Tinashe, and Step 2 This.
“So much new music right now, I’m very happy. So much that isn’t quite as popular or big name-d as most of these I highlighted,” she concluded. “Maybe I’ll do another post later with some smaller bands and artists I’m digging at the moment.”
‘Dopamine Chamber’ was given a five-star review from NME, which praised it as a “dark but exhilarating reflection of end times”.
Frontman Grian Chatten has also opened up about how it was a “career high” to work with Rosalía on the record, and the band played an intimate gig at London’s Roundhouse last week, which raised money for mental health charity CALM.
Since the record dropped, Chatten has also hinted at a new solo album on the way, and said that once Fontaines have played their huge upcoming shows, “the best place [they] can go from here is away for a while”.
Their upcoming tour will see them play some huge concerts in the UK and Ireland, including two nights at Slane Castle and a double-header at Manchester’s Heaton Park. Alongside Williams, support also comes from Little Simz and Viagra Boys.
They recently announced new concerts in Italy and Germany as part of their 2027 trek, as well as dates in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Last week, it was confirmed that Fontaines D.C. will headline Primavera Sound in Barcelona next June.
