5 Seconds of Summer debuts into the pop-punk music scene

Emma SIlverstone, Eastside Humor Editor

Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer has made it big with their self-titled debut album. The guitar-driven songs, live instruments, and overall production prove that the four teenage musicians are anything but a stereotypical boy band.

The opening track of the album is “She Looks So Perfect”, the band’s most popular single. The catchy “hey hey heys” at the beginning of the song have the listener wanting to hear more from the beginning of the track. The next song, “Don’t Stop”, is up-tempo with a chorus that will make the listener want to sing along. “Good Girls”, the third track, describes a not-so-typical “good girl” with the catchy chorus line of “good girls are bad girls that haven’t been caught”. The next song, “Kiss Me Kiss Me”, is a track about wanting to make a moment last, with the line “here’s to teenage memories”. The song includes collaboration with Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low. “18” is the track that portrays the rock-n-roll side of the band. It tells of how much the singer wishes he could be old enough to be with a girl he is interested in (“I’m not old enough for you/ I’m just waiting ’til I’m 18”).

The album turns to a more emotional theme with “Everything I Didn’t Say” and “Beside You”. A third song, “End Up Here”, has an up-tempo beat and a catchy tune for the chorus.

“Long Way Home”, another track written with Gaskarth, is a song about teen love and wanting to spend time with someone. “Social Casualty” is an angsty guitar-heavy song about not wanting to listen to people who are telling them what to do (“don’t wanna be a victim of authority/ I’ll always be a part of the minority”). A heavy guitar solo adds to the angry sound of the song.

The 16-track album closes with “Greenlight”, a catchy song about wanting to be with someone but wanting to know that their feelings will be reciprocated (“tell me it’s alright, give me the green light”).

Although 5 Seconds of Summer made themselves known by touring with One Direction in 2013 and 2014, their album proves that their sound is completely different from the well known British boy band. Writing with Alex Gaskarth and having tracks produced by famous pop-rock/ pop-punk producer John Feldmann have given them an image and a sound that is different from everything else being played on the radio.