Originally a pop-rock standout from Paramore’s 2017 album After Laughter, “Rose-Colored Boy” gets a fresh reinvention in the hands of Los Angeles indie rock duo CROSSTOWN. Recorded in living rooms and a summer camp cabin, this version wears its homemade origins proudly, while radiating the polish and punk of a high-energy dance anthem. The track is as much a celebration of creative freedom as it is a nod to its source material, providing that reinvention is part of the DIY ethos.

CROSSTOWN trades Paramore’s jittery guitars and sharp-edged grooves for pulsating electronic beats and glossy synths. The production leans into electropop – rhythmic bassline thump like heartbeats under neon lights, while layers of synths shimmer with a playful, almost nostalgia vitality. The vocals balance intimacy and power, carrying just enough grit to honor the song’s emotional undercurrent while soaring in the choruses to invite catharsis. Though the recording was born in DIY spaces, the track bursts with club-ready confidence, echoing influences from Lady Gaga’s early “recession pop,” MGMT’s dreamy psychedelia, and the sugary punch of late-2000s Katy Perry.

The lyrics remain true to the original; an anthem for those who feel weighed down by optimism culture, for anyone tired of being told to “look on the bright side” when the world feels unrelenting. Where Paramore’s version emphasized defiance through sharp post-punk edges, CROSSTOWN reimagines the rebellion as release: instead of snarling, you dance it out. The words hit differently over an electronic beat, transforming the exhaustion of forced positivity into a communal, high-octane outlet.

“Rose-Colored Boy” by CROSSTOWN speaks to multiple audiences at once: Paramore fans eager for a fresh take, indie listeners who appreciate DIY ethics, and dance-pop fans looking for a track that’s both catchy and cathartic. It’s a cover that doesn’t simply replicate but translates, reshaping frustration into celebration, and turning a cult favorite into a potential party staple.

With their rendition of “Rose-Colored Boy,” CROSSTOWN proves that the DIY approach can birth something as bold and expansive as any big-studio production. It’s a track that captures the tension between longing for light and resisting false positivity, but does so with a beat that makes your body move before your brain catches up. At once homage and reinvention, it’s the kind of cover that earns its own identity – a summer anthem with heart, grit, and glitter in equal measure.

14591