5 Seconds of Summer : They're Kinda Hot

October 23 marked the world release of 5 Seconds of Summer’s sophomore album, Sounds Good, Feels Good. The record has plenty of fun tunes throughout but also covers a lot of darker topics like mental health and loneliness.

The opening track “Money” starts with the four talking as they walked into the studio one day and goes right into the repetitive lines that will be sure to have crowds screaming and chanting along on their upcoming world tour aptly titled Sounds Live Feels Live. This is a fun song about having money and spending it on a girl. Every song finds Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, Michael Clifford, and Ashton Irwin switching off on vocals for different verses or the chorus. The band has been labeled a boy band because of it and their big break in the U.S. was opening for the biggest boy band right now, One Direction.

The second track on the record was their first single to introduce the “New Broken Scene” to their fans and the world. The track is called “She’s Kinda Hot.” This song, after a few listens, really grew on me because it’s much deeper than anyone initially realized. The song talks about pursuing what you want to do with your life despite people calling you crazy or telling you that you won’t amount to much. “When you’ve got bigger plans that no one else understands, you’ve got a shot though. They say we’re losers and we’re alright with that...” This is actually a really good thing for their fans to learn about chasing your dreams. On top of lyrics that are easy to pick up, the instrumentals are fun. This song made the set list this past summer and is sure to stay as a crowd hit for a while.

​The most important song on this record to me is “Jet Black Heart” because it’s a vulnerable song that discusses not feeling like enough and feeling dark. Luke Hemmings sings at one part, “But now that I’m broken, now that you know it. Caught up in a moment, can you see inside? Cuz I’ve got a jet black heart.” This to me talks about inner demons, which for the general age that this band reaches, is really important to talk about. Although a lot of bands talk about the voices in your head that say you’re not enough, few pop artists that reach as massive a scale as these four discuss this serious issue. The song ultimately ends on a positive note about picking yourself up and not giving in to darkness.

This album, in a lot of ways and through many of the songs, is more mature than their debut self-titled album. It is definitely worth checking out, there is a song on there for everyone. A lot of these songs are going to translate so well live and mix with the massive hits like “She Looks So Perfect” and “Amnesia.” I personally cannot wait for the tour!

Check out: She’s Kinda Hot, Jet Black Heart and Invisible