By: Sam Prevot
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The two groups have joined forces. It shows just how much 5SOS has changed as a band in the last year.
After a year-long hiatus, 5 Seconds of Summer have stormed back. They’re starting off 2019 in the same way that they left 2018: a collaboration with one of the biggest names in pop.
In December 2018, 5SOS released a new version of their song “Lie to Me,” from their third LP, Youngblood, featuring Julia Michaels. Now, less than two months later, the Aussie foursome is back with a new collaboration.
The band teased that they had cooked something up with The Chainsmokers. That led to the announcement of a new single and its eventual release on February 7.
“Who Do You Love” is a song that finds the sweet spot between 5SOS’ instrument-driven pop-rock style and the familiar sound of The Chainsmokers’ electronic pop beats.
In the song, the guys question a lover who has seemingly moved on without telling them. 5SOS lead singer Luke Hemmings opens with “Found cigarettes in your Fendi coat/Even though you don't even smoke.”
The chorus begs the questions, “Who do you love, do you love now?/I know it's someone new/You ain't gotta make it easy, where you been sleepin'?”
On the surface the song is simple. However, the combination of music styles and, of course, all four members of 5SOS providing vocals, makes it beautifully complex.
5SOS have come a long way since their days of opening stadiums for One Direction to now working with the best talent the pop-punk scene has to offer. Their time off gave them time to rediscover themselves, and now they’re reaping the benefits, steadily climbing the Top 40 charts.
In 2014, 5SOS was just four Australian guys singing about American Apparel underwear. They were making albums in John Feldmann’s (of Goldfinger) home and writing songs with the likes of All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth.
Now, they’re writing (and performing) with Julia Michaels and The Chainsmokers, and covering Queen in light of Bohemian Rhapsody.
5SOS are still on their mission to bring guitar bands back into popular music relevance, but in a completely different way. Though they won’t forget their punk roots, the band has turned to other inspirations such as Coldplay and their heroes of the 80’s, such as The Police and Tears for Fears.
There are still elements from the band’s past pop punk projects, but the sound of old is mostly replaced by a new power-pop sound and hooks designed to pump up big stadium crowds. At the same time, they create earworms in even the casual listener.
Angsty lyrics about growing up, leaving small town life, and other pop-punk stereotypes were replaced by introspective lyrics about intense breakups and coming to terms with newfound fame. That doesn’t mean the songwriting is less personal, though. If anything, Youngblood is probably 5SOS’ most personal body of work. It chronicles the deepest, darkest, most confusing period of the young men’s lives.
“She Looks So Perfect” remained 5SOS’ best selling single until they released “Youngblood” into the airwaves.
The first single from their third album, Want You Back, did well, but never earned top radio play. The fans wanted more after having to wait so long, and the band delivered with the song that carries the same name as the album itself.
“Youngblood”’s stomping bass beat and booming chorus threw fans for a loop and showed the world that this wasn’t the 5SOS they thought they knew. They weren’t just angsty teenagers from the land down under. They were the real deal.
“Youngblood” went 2x platinum in the United States and 7x platinum in Australia, along with an ARIA award for Song of the Year.
Critics call 5SOS’s new sound a “lighter version of The 1975 or Imagine Dragons,” which is no small compliment. (They’ve also been compared to Maroon 5 and a “latter-day” Fall Out Boy)
Now the major pop acts world are taking notice. Julia Michaels has writing credit on “If Walls Could Talk” from Youngblood, but joined the boys as a feature on Hemmings’ self-proclaimed favorite from the album, “Lie to Me.”
Everything culminates with The Chainsmokers collaboration. The production duo put out chart-topping hits and worked with the biggest names like the aforementioned Coldplay, as well as Daya and Halsey to name a few.
“Who Do You Love” is just a day old, but it has potential to join The Chainsmokers repertoire of hits along with “Closer” and “Don’t Let Me Down.”
5SOS let fans know they are already in the studio working on an untitled fourth album playfully nicknamed “5SOS4.” With this collaboration and another album on the way so shortly after Youngblood (and maybe another world tour is in the works?), 2019 is poised to be a huge year for the boys.
Sometimes change is a good thing. For 5 Seconds of Summer, revamping their image and sound could turn out to be one of the best decisions they’ve made yet.
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Sam Prevot currently works at Bleacher Report where she is a Social Stories Production Assistant. She is a 2018 graduate of Quinnipiac University. You can find here on Twitter here.