5 Seconds of Summer, also known as 5SOS, the edgier boyband counterpart to One Direction, take their sixth studio album as an attempt to dive into relatable, real-life experiences, along with tying in their unique tales as pop star caricatures. “She Looks So Perfect” singers experiment with new sounds and reclaim their name as a boyband with the ability to create art with depth and an experimental sound. Here’s a glimpse of an initial listen to all 12 tracks.
The title track, “Everyone’s A Star!” begins with a voice pressuring the singer to portray the story that the artists immediately enter the recording booth and never mess up. It introduces the theme of pressure and perfection the boys have consistently faced in their lives. This track successfully foreshadows future themes of a numbness and reconciliation of life before and after an intense spotlight at a young age. I enjoyed this track because it intrigues their target audience of former boyband fans that want to dive into the world these boys had to face.
Any average concertgoer can immediately picture themselves in the stadium of their tour when “NOT OK” begins to blare over the speakers. I can already picture this being the iconic intro song to their tour. The lyrics flirt with an attachment to the dark side of the entertainment industry, teasing listeners to “bite the apple baby,” alluding to the evilness that stirs at the end of Genesis. The bridge of this fist-pumping bop is reminiscent of Gorillaz’ song “Feel Good Inc.” and this influence rings true through the rest of the album. The repeated “yelps” drive listener adrenaline and make you want to jump up and dance.
Switching the mood up, here comes “Telephone Busy.” This groove is perfect for confidently strolling down the street on a brisk morning in a stylish outfit. This song feels quite experimental to their earlier work. The moaning, repetitive “oh why”s backing up the track perfectly portray the desperation of the singer towards their lover. The bassline is funky and insinuates on the beat head nods.
Fourth on the album is a personal favorite — “Boyband.” The clicking and flashing cameras immediately throw the listener into the perspective of being part of one of the peak boy bands of the early 2010’s, when fangirl culture was at its peak and objectification and exhaustion of the boys were at their lowest. The lyrics dive into personal insecurities around the pressure to conform to the looks and beauty standards of their expectant fans. They voice the general critique for their bubblegum pop-punk genre that makes them lesser to “real” music listeners (the irritated metal heads mentioned). The muffled voices and hammering of “make that monkey dance” bring the listener into the sheer pressure behind the glitz and glamor of boy bands.
“No. 1 Obsession” comes next and features beating drums carrying listeners into an upbeat ballad reminiscent of previous work on their album “CALM.” Their lilting high pitch in the chorus brings a fresh new sound to the listeners apart from other songs already showcased on this sound-breaking album.
5SOS slows down halfway through the album with the emotional heartbreak ballad, “I’m Scared I’ll Never Sleep Again.” Beginning with an intro of a muffled microphone voice with intermittent breaks into a straight talking verse full of regret and friendly reminder of Australian accents. It comes to a close with the vocals echoing out from a seemingly large, empty cavern, creatively recreating the heart wrenching feeling of being utterly alone in your bed after losing a lover, a true reflection of loneliness and heartbreak in your later years.
Continuing with the emotions of the last track comes, “istillfeelthesame” — a lyrical narrative about going numb while still pining towards your lover. The quick, urgent upbeats of the tempo combined with a monotone delivery of the song title reflects the consistency of the singer pleading this promise to their lover. It winds down with the background music coming to a slow, leaving the listener reveling in a feeling of melancholy as they process their lover losing affection towards them.
Haunting vocals weave their way through the chorus of this song of the next track, “Ghost,” as our artists face the tiresome fact of going back to the same person from a breakup whilst under the influence. They face their fears of being perceived in the public eye by reminiscing on a stranger yelling “Jesus can save him” amid his intoxicated rockstar fallout, facing fears of reflecting on your identity, your exes and your mistakes. The song reaches impending doom as it builds and swells with beats before its outro chorus of wails and reflection of their inner haunts.
One of the few songs on this album that I believe was lacking in substance and uniqueness is “Sick of Myself.” The repeated “nothing else”s are in a headache-inducing high pitch, and it attempts to incorporate a southern sound that does not compliment the band well.
Finally, listeners can rejoice that we are pulled out of the extended album lull into another upbeat hit about the critiques from the public towards the lustful behaviors of man — “Evolve.” It reflects on the touchy topic of the ability of wealthy popstars to do what they please with their power and fame. There’s a vibrating baseline that carries the listener through this track.
The true addictive part of this song is within the “I wanna” that describe the primitive instincts of men and their reflection on the maturity expected from these pop stars after their “crazy” youthful years. If you look at this song from an ironic lens the lyricism can be appreciated but otherwise if it’s an excuse for crummy “boys will be boys” behaviors the song can create a sour taste in your mouth.
Another song that did not bring a lot to the table is “The Rocks.” It is reminiscent of their earlier boyband days. It begins with steady prominent drum beats and upbeat guitar plucks, but lyrically lacks and is definitively forgettable.
The album ends on a short and sweet outro titled “Jawbreaker.” The vocals and music signals the conclusion to this epic, experimental party of an album: a more synthesized, futuristic vibe. It encapsulates everything from this album, the ballads, the experimental sounds; all of their background vocals coming together as one harmonistic sound of a band, the end of a positive light. It is an immaculate summary of where these boys stand in their life, and an appreciation for their ability to stick together through their classic boy band days and still be able to create something amazing today.
I really appreciated the band’s ability to continue to produce a new sound after being forced into the boyband mold for so many years. The boys clearly still have a zest and enthusiasm to create something new together. I appreciated the topics touched on, but I wished they dived more into the boyband personal narratives because some of the personal breakup songs felt a little bland.
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Featured Image Courtesy of Republic Records
