Review
You can almost hear the exhale at the start of 5SOS5 — that quiet moment when a band decides to stop worrying about what they used to be and finally lean into who they’ve become. This is the most inward-facing record 5 Seconds of Summer have made, shedding the last traces of pop-punk adolescence for something more atmospheric, mood-driven, and emotionally deliberate. Synths pulse like steady heartbeats, guitars shimmer instead of roar, and the vocals carry a softness that feels more like confession than performance. It’s the sound of a group comfortable enough to sit in the dark for a while and actually look around.
What’s striking is how cohesive the album feels. Tracks like “Complete Mess,” “Bad Omens,” and “Easy for You to Say” drift between melancholy and serenity, giving the whole project a dreamy weight. The band digs into themes of burnout, self-doubt, fractured relationships, and the strange warmth of growing up alongside the same three people for over a decade. Even the more upbeat cuts keep a reflective undertone, like they’re chasing joy with an awareness of how fragile it can be. There’s no posturing here — just four musicians unafraid to feel every feeling out loud.
By the end, 5SOS5 plays like a quiet victory lap. Not the kind powered by noise or swagger, but the kind you earn after surviving the messier parts of fame, friendship, and identity. It’s the band at their most mature, most emotionally fluent, and maybe even their most interesting. A record made not to prove anything — just to be honest. - Nora
