5SOS5: A Band’s Ten-Year Evolution
"File:5 Seconds Of Summer (5SOS).jpg" by 5SOS is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
On Sept. 23, Australian pop rock group 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) released 5SOS5, their fifth studio album. Most widely known for their 2014 viral hit, “She Looks So Perfect” as well as other radio-sweeping songs like “She’s Kinda Hot” and “Youngblood,” the band just recently celebrated their ten-year anniversary. Consisting of lead vocalist Luke Hemmings, guitarist Michael Clifford, bassist Calum Hood and drummer Ashton Irwin, the band’s release of this album was a highly anticipated one after an over two-year hiatus since their last quarantine album, CALM.
Five albums, countless awards, ten years of music – 5SOS have journeyed through a surplus of eras since their teen pop-punk days of the 2010s. While their music has matured and improved throughout the years, this most recent album elevates the group to a new level. The 5SOS5 era began in March of this year, with lead single “COMPLETE MESS” pioneering psychedelic, experimental sound and imagery that would bleed into the rest of the album. Written solely by the four members and produced by Clifford alone, this track paved the way for more unique, imaginative songs that would later encompass 5SOS5. “Take My Hand,” “Me Myself & I,” “BLENDER” and “Older” were all singles to follow, each song having a different energy to it that made themselves recognizable as works of this band’s but also fresh and intriguing for unfamiliar listeners.
Highlights from the full album include “Bad Omens,” a heartbreaking, choral rock song about ignoring red flags in relationships; “You Don’t Go To Parties,” a catchy pop tune illustrating hopeless longing; “Best Friends,” an anthemic ode to loved ones and “Moodswings,” a rising, vulnerable ballad acknowledging the pain of self-inflicted isolation. “[The] [d]ifferent songs capture different kinds of people,” Irwin reflects in an interview with Variety.
The 19-track album showcases every side of the band as both artists and individuals. The album writing process began for the group on an unexpected, therapeutic journey to Joshua Tree, California, in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. There, the four were able to experiment with new sounds and production techniques that piqued their interest. When asked about how this sonic evolution progressed, frontman Hemmings tells Variety, “When the band started, we were 16; you’re basically trying to figure out who you are. Maybe [5SOS5]’s closer to where we’ll end up, but honestly, in another couple of years, it could be totally different.” In the same interview, Clifford calls 5SOS5 the “perfect representation of the band’s identity.” While their origins have extraordinary meaning to the band members, their gratitude for those beginning eras allowed them to grow into a version of themselves that is proudly showcased in this new record.
5SOS5 is available now on all streaming platforms. The band is set to finish the final leg of their “Take My Hand” world tour in their homeland of Australia later this year.