Blog Posts

Today, I'm writing on 5 Seconds of Summer's third studio album,Youngblood, released June 15th, 2018. This is the band's third album to go #1 in the U.S., and they are the only band to have their first three albums to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 - yes, the ONLY band.

Honestly, this album came as a shock to me, which is weird because I’m a HUGE fan but I really wasn’t expecting this album to come so soon. Although, it exceeded my expectations in such a great way, and I’m so proud to be a fan and watch them grow and develop as musicians. They have done such a good job lyrically and rhythmically on this album, and you can really tell they've poured out their hearts into it. It’s the perfect blend of pop, rock, and alternative that really gets you dancing and jumping up and down and just having a great time. To me, it’s basically not summer without a new 5 Seconds of Summer album.

YOUNGBLOOD:
Youngblood just makes me proud. It really ties their old sound to the new, and even though it’s different, you still know it’s 5SOS. It is such a great dance song and it just gets you going when you’re in need of a pick me up song. It’s not necessarily upbeat lyrically, but it isn't too heavy on the heart that you can't enjoy it while you jam. Considering it's the title track of the album, it really does a great job of showing off this new sound of 5 Seconds of Summer in full force.
WANT YOU BACK:
As their first single off Youngblood, this is a great introduction to their new sound. It’s catchy, it’s clever and it’s different. It still has some of the same vibes lyrically that they’ve had in the past, but still has a more mature intention. It definitely shows off the direction in which they’re trying to take the band, and it really reaches out to a lot of different audiences. I remember I was out with a friend and we listened to this song on repeat while we were out because he liked it so much, and he wasn’t even really a fan of them. It’s also the only explicit song on the album... so, different vibe for sure.
LIE TO ME:
“Make it sound so sweet, when you lie to me...” If you’ve been a fan of 5SOS prior to Youngblood, that line was in their song “Vapor” from their sophomore album. “Lie to Me” just seems like an extended version of that line, how they would rather be lied to that someone loves them instead of being told the truth. I guess they think being lied to feels better than being told the harsh reality of things. This song is not one of my favorites off the album but I definitely like it, and it’s a really chill song to listen to, which I like.
VALENTINE:
This is your modern day love song. If you keep up with their “Cocktail Chats” on their YouTube channel, they’d say the same thing. To paraphrase the song, it’s basically saying that you don’t need all of the fancy presents and one day a year to celebrate and love on your person. You can do that 24/7 regardless of what day of the year it is.Personally, I really enjoy giving people thoughtful gifts, but I agree that you don’t always need expensive things to show your love, because there is always so many other ways to say “I love you” than a pretty ring or a fancy car or whatever you might be picturing.
TALK FAST:
HIGH 80s’ vibes, which I love! It gives off a great retro vibe that is energetic and fun, and something new for the band. They played this song along with a few others on the 5SOS3 tour, and it was definitely my favorite with how much energy it had - the whole place was bouncing off the walls to a song that some people had never even heard before.
MOVING ALONG:
I really enjoyed this song performed live, which I didn’t think I would at first, but it’s a super mellow song that’s just nice to listen to with some great rhythm in it. You can hear a clear bass line in the verses, and the rhythm is great during the chorus as well. It definitely has some more mature content within the lyrics, which I've noticed as I listen to it more than once, but it still makes for a great song.
IF WALLS COULD TALK:
This song gets me hype, and I think it’s one of my favorites because I had already heard the first six tracks before, so this was the first song on the album that was truly new to me on the day it was released. It was co-written with up and coming singer/songwriter Julia Michaels, and you can definitely feel a little bit of her vibe within the song (which side note, she's written a lot of popular songs before she started her own singing career!). What I also love about this song is that it's pretty truthful. You don't know what goes on behind closed doors, and sometimes you want to or need to keep some things private. Who knows what kind of chaos would ensue if everybody knew everything about you.
BETTER MAN:
I think that my favorite part about this song is how honest the beginning lyrics are about how messed up people's lives can get. People look for validation in partying until the morning and fleeting friendships, but it's nice to know that someone out there can help you realize that you don't need any of that, and it makes you better. I also think that this song would be such a great song for airplay on the radio, but I don’t think they’d put it out there.
MORE:
Definitely one of my favorites off the album. It has a great beat to jam to and I really just enjoy listening to it and I get excited when it comes up next while I’m listening to the album. I think this is another song that shows off their new mature writing style, and really reflecting on what their past relationships might have looked like and what they wanted to get out of that relationship. Like Valentine, it seems that they really want to hone in on the core part of a relationship, which is just the two people involved. You don't want anything extra in it because all you need is the love between two people, and like they say, less is more.
WHY WON’T YOU LOVE ME:
I didn’t really like this song at first, but it grew on me as I continued to listen to it, and the first verse really just stuck to me. It’s really straightforward lyrically, and sometimes all you need is some simple words to say what you need to say. I also adore Luke’s voice and it just fits this song so well.
WOKE UP IN JAPAN:
The beginning of this song is really just smooth, and puts me in such a great mood. And Luke's vocals? So crisp and smooth, it makes me feel actually so relaxed as if I had just woken up from a fun night, which i guess is what they're describing in the song. I also always think about all the vlogs and interviews and such from when the band went to Japan for the first time a few years ago, and how much they loved it. I do wish the other guys had some more vocal time in this song but it's a great song nonetheless, plus you can hear them all singing together in the choruses.
EMPTY WALLETS:
In a juxtaposition to “Money”, again from their previous album, this song has the same feeling but with a more mature sound. Both songs are definitely saying “take my money, let’s party” just in different ways. This particular song is more directed to spending money on someone else rather than just using for partying.
GHOST OF YOU:
As I’ve seen on some forms of social media, this is “amnesia’s older, hotter brother” which I think I might agree with. I would also say that it reminds me a little bit of ‘Remembering Sunday’ by All Time Low, and if you sing it at the right moments it’s a beautiful mashup (so if anyone wants to do actually record it, be my guest). I think one day I’ll definitely listen to this song and burst into to tears, because if I really listened to it, I think all of that heartbreak and loneliness they’re writing about would get to me.
MONSTER AMONG MEN:
I still can't figure it out, but whatever they do that differentiates the chorus tempo from the verse tempo is one of my favorite parts of the song musically. This song has a more lighthearted feel to it, and the overall mood is that they don't want to break anyone's hearts, so we're going in with good intentions. And can we talk about the guitar solo from Michael in the bridge?! I can only hope they play that song live in concert because Michael and Luke do some really amazing guitar work, and I would love to see them take this song to the next level with that.
MEET YOU THERE: Again, This song is a JAM. The bridge is hands down my favorite part of it because Ashton goes HARD on the drums and I love the rhythm that he does with it. I know that this isn’t the meaning of the song, but when I listen to it, I think of the upcoming Meet You There tour, and this song being about the meeting the fans all across the world.
BABYLON:
the ULTIMATE Calum Hood solo song, and he deserves it. Definitely one of my favorites! His vocals are so smooth and fit perfectly with the song, and this reminds me of 'Tomorrow Never Dies' from their title album, which was also a Target exclusive track. The build up in the chorus is just perfect, and this song is definitely going to be great live if they choose to perform it on their upcoming tours.
target exclusives:
WHEN YOU WALK AWAY:
I definitely feel some undertones of reggae in the song with the rhythm, which I really enjoy. This song is just so entertaining! It really is just a fun song they've written, and I can understand why this would be a bonus track, but it's still really great. I love the balance of Luke and Calum's vocals in the verses and I think they both fit the song really well, which is really cool because it's unique to have two voices fit one song. Of course, they've all always shared songs and done it really well, so I shouldn't be surprised by this one either.
BEST FRIEND:
This song is adorable because I listen to it in the context that Ashton wrote it about his band mates, which I’m not 100% sure on that but I’d be willing to say it’s true. I think of my own best friend when I listen to this song as well, because it just reminds me of how I’ll always be there for her even when we’re doing randomness in the middle of the night, or if we’re three and a half hours away from each other in college. It's the "I'm your best friend forever" anthem that you and your best friend have always needed but never had until now.