Written by Alyssa Schubert

On Sept. 23, Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer, released their 5 th Studio Album, entitled
5SOS5, complete with 19 new tracks.
The members of the band, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, Michael Clifford, and Ashton Irwin
have been making music together for the past eleven years, and it shows in their latest edition of
their discography.
I have been listening to 5SOS’ music since I was in high school, and as a junior in college now, I
feel as though their music has grown up right along with me. The lyrics are more mature, along
with their vocals, and they pair up flawlessly to deliver authentic messages of heartbreak, twin
flames, and best friends.
In the beginning of the year, the band released their lead single, “Complete Mess”, which was
quickly followed by “Take My Hand”, doubling as the name for their summer world tour. While
“Complete Mess” highlights tranquility with one’s soulmate, “Take My Hand” focuses on
reflection and healing, especially for the front man, Luke Hemmings. It is known throughout the
fandom that Hemmings was in a controlling and emotionally abusive relationship in his later teen
years, and the song emphasizes that, painting his growth through lyrics like “lustful eyes full
with love now.”
On the other side of the singles comes “Me, Myself, and I” and “Blender” which both represent
the negatives of a relationship. “Me, Myself, and I” tells a story of arrogance and that lead to
losing a partner. “Blender”, on the other hand, speaks of a toxic relationship, one in which
neither member can force themselves to let go. The upbeat chorus goes against the words being
sung, which are “Now we’re stressed and depressed and we’re going ‘round again/ in an
emotional blender.”
Many songs on the album have that similar vibe, such as fan favorite “Bad Omens” which is
approached in a similar way, but in a much different sound. This track also calls attention to a
destructive relationship, writing the narrative of one person falling out of love with the other,
however, one half keeps trying to hold on, despite all the signs that they should not.
“Moodswings” also fits into this category, displaying the lines “I know my mood’s been swining
all day/ weaponized words can’t get in the way.” There is a common thread of lack of
communication and trust, but also an abundant amount of passion. To me, this exemplifies the
band’s dynamic by writing about every facet of love, even the ones that are not ideal.
“Bleach” is my personal favorite on the album, and highlights heartbreak as one of those facets
of being in a relationship. Not only are the vocals graceful, but the lyrics also convey the
emotion perfectly. The chorus “Bleaching my hair just to get away/ I’m washing it out ‘til I’ve
figured out/ living with you” is reminiscent of changing one’s appearance to try to get over their
heartbreak. The moral of the song is that changing how you look does not change who you are,
no matter how hard you try to bleach out all of your past colors.

Hemmings’ fiancé, Sierra Deaton, lends her soft vocals to the romantic ballad “Older”, a song
that speaks of marriage and the longing to be able to stay in one moment forever. It matches up
exquisitely with “Best Friends”, a fast-paced song that has the band pouring love out to each
other and their fans. Both reflect on happiness spent with loved ones and how that is the sweetest
part of life.
While not all the songs are as dance worthy as the albums closer, “TEARS!” or as emotional as
“Easy for You to Say,” each track creates its own vibe and vision. I, for one, am awestruck with
how this album turned out; this band that I have been listening to for ages is all grown-up now
and their new music reflects that.
The best part of this album is the diversity on it, how you can be listening to an emotional ballad
like “Redline” or “Emotions” one minute and immediately flip over to a high-energy, windows
down type of song like “Caramel” or “Carousel.” Each song bleeds into the next, binding
together the deeply personal yet quintessential soundtrack for the new era of 5 Seconds of
Summer.

Photo credits from: https://genius.com/albums/5-seconds-of-summer/5sos5