Lyrically, "Hard Times" is about the feeling of going through hard times, and being useless in achieving one's goals. According to DIY, "Hard Times" follows the "bombastic footsteps" of previous singles "Still Into You" and "Ain't It Fun", featuring a "huge chorus and sugary vocals". Eddie Fu at Consequence of Sound agrees, noting that it expands on the pop rock sound of those songs by "further incorporating 1980's new wave". According to Billboard writer Lindsey Byrnes, it is a pop rock song that features a tribal beat, and is reminiscent of 1980's new wave. Likewise, Tom Breihan of Stereogum described it as "stiff funkiness of prime '80s new wave". Daniel Kreps at Rolling Stone characterized the song as "bubbly synth-pop". At The Guardian, the drums were compared to that of Lionel Richie, while the breakdown was described as "Daft Punk-style". In an interview with iHeartRadio, Williams states "This is a really big step for us as a band, and it's definitely a new sound. We're really proud of it. I feel like it really reflects exactly who we are right now in real time, and hopefully people will be into it." It has also been described as a disco song.
Critical reception
The song received positive reviews from music critics. Joe Coscarelli at The New York Times praised the song, stating that Hayley Williams "remains the focus, and her nimble melodies and sneakily huge pop hooks are as crisp and magnetic as ever, unbeholden to genre walls." Brad Nelson of Pitchfork wrote positively of the song, calling it a "return to the vintage rhythms that informed 'Ain't It Fun,' but the new song unfolds in a context less obviously connected to rock and even further amputated from emo". Jordan Sargent from Spin named it as one of Paramore's best singles to date, adding that "It's also an interesting experiment, even if you don't care for Paramore's music." Will Richards of DIY praised the song, saying that the band "never had as much fun as they're having right now," further stating that the chorus "instantly sticks in your brain like bubblegum". Billboard compared the song to Talking Heads and Blondie, stating "With the infectious quality of 'Hard Times' inspiring a jump-on-the-bed and use a hairbrush as a microphone type of vibe, Paramore's new chapter is a testament to what can happen not only when you weather the storm, but when you let yourself dance in the rain as well". Writing for The Inquirer, Joseph R. Atilano opines that the song is "a very solid track and is something that long time Paramore fans will surely enjoy listening to over and over again" but criticizes its short length, and mentions that Williams' vocals could be louder in some areas. The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop annual critics' poll to find the best music of 2017 ranked "Hard Times" at number 11.
Music video
The video was uploaded to Fueled by Ramen's YouTube channel on April 19, 2017. It was directed by Andrew Joffe and shot at Optimist Studios over two days in March 2017. According to Joffe, the band wanted to "embody some kind of '80s vibe" and made use of "the kind of hand-drawn rotoscoping animation effects made famous in a-ha's 'Take On Me' and deploys a color palette straight out of Weird Science and Square Pegs". NPR's Lars Gotrich described the video as containing "early MTV-style effects, loud pastels and a performance space seemingly constructed out of an old Nickelodeon set". The animation effects were done by Portland-based creative studio, Computer Team.
