Album Review: 5 Seconds of Summer - 'Everyone's A Star!'
More than a decade after they burst onto the music scene, 5 Seconds of Summer are back – not with a comeback per se – but an album that finally feels like it belongs entirely to them.
The band have grown from local high school friends into one of the biggest bands of the 21st century – finally coming to accept the ‘boyband’ label branded on them by the industry, leaning into it with a sense of irony and self-assurance.
However, the ‘Everyone’s A Star!’ album juxtaposes this ‘boyband’ ideology completely as the music is more of the pop-punk genre that the band have always wanted to identify with – conceived as both a sonic leap forward and a reassertion of their identity. The album draws inspiration from artists like N.E.R.D, Gorillaz, and The Prodigy – all whilst embracing the energy that has always made them 5 Seconds of Summer.
5SOS is made up of Luke Hemings on rhythm guitar, Michael Clifford on lead guitar, Calum Hood on bass guitar and Ashton Irwin on drums - together, their chemistry and shared history remain the heartbeat of the band, grounding this new chapter in the authenticity that fans have always connected to.
The title track, ‘Everyone’s A Star!’ comes across very much as escaping the grapples of the industry and being able to finally produce what they want – it’s something totally different from when they first broke onto the music scene, delivering hits like She Looks So Perfect and Amnesia.
It’s emphatic, bold, and self-aware. The album as a whole leans into electro and dance texture, something of a fresh experiment for the band, but one that still retains their rock-driven roots - it’s a new sound for the band which marks their evolution.
When ‘Boyband’ dropped on October 16, the hype was immediate - it’s a track that showcases the history of 5SOS, displaying the expectations placed on them. It pokes fun at their image, whilst simultaneously proving how far they’ve come from it.
They are no longer the teenage darlings that would open for One Direction. They have grown up and are able to command their own creative direction – reclaiming their identity.
‘Everyone’s A Star!’ is 5 Seconds of Summer’s most self-assured album to date. It contrasts who the band have become with who they once were, balancing nostalgia with reinvention. A decade later, they are the same four boys who once played to arenas full of screaming teens.
Across all 12 tracks, the band have embraced experimentation without losing the core of what 5SOS is. They are simply making music the way that they were always supposed to make it.
Words by Hollie Carr
