5 Seconds of Summer - NOT OK
Australian group 5 Seconds of Summer (better known to some as 5SOS), consisting of lead singer/rhythm guitar Luke Hemmings, bassist Calum Hood, lead guitar Michael Clifford, and drummer Ashton Irwin, have made their return to music after a brief hiatus and solo projects from each of the four members. The group have once again changed up their style, and fans are seeing a resurgence of the classic ‘pop punk’ sound.
5SOS is a band notorious for changing their sound upon releasing a new album. However, if you were anywhere near the pop-punk scene in the 2010s, you will have definitely run across 5 Seconds of Summer and their first two iconic albums 5 Seconds of Summer and Sounds Good Feels Good. 5SOS have faced quite a bit of scrutiny over the years, and lots of criticism regardless of what changes were made to their sound, however, they have a loyal fanbase that is happy to roll with the punches along with them. The band has a knack for laughing in the face of their criticisms, and continuing to connect with their fans and push out music they are passionate about.
Having seen at least one full-length album from each of the members individually, we are really able to see how each band member contributes lyrically and musically to the entire group, and how 5SOS has been able to continue as a band for so long with so many different sounds. The group began as a pop-punk band, stretching more into prog-rock/pop, they remained in that space for a while, leaning more into rock and different sounds within their music as they began to get into self producing. However, the group took a bit of a hiatus a little over a year ago to put out some solo projects, and now they have returned with an entirely new sound yet again.
5SOS returned to social media via Instagram with a few cryptic posts and links leading fans to think something was coming, and the band delivered. The posts were swiftly followed with the release of their new single NOT OK, followed even further by the announcement of their new album EVERYONE'S A STAR! (released on the 14th of November). Having kept up swiftly with 5SOS’s releases since their first album, I really was not sure what to expect with this song releasing. While I must say, this is their most ambitious era yet, and I am thrilled to see some pop-punk elements returning to their music, I cannot say this single blew me away.
As much as it pains me to say, I think that the group's music (especially since the release of Youngblood) has been so incredibly lyrically rich, and the musicality has been fantastic. Personally, I was a big fan of 5SOS5, but the only thing that I have to criticize is the increase in digitally produced sound. I have absolutely no issue with a band adding some digital production or virtual instruments into their album, but I think back to albums like Youngblood and their first two albums that came before it, and I have seen the gifted musicianship that comes from the group that I (and I think many other fans) cherish deeply.
That is not to say that I hate the song, I have definitely streamed it a number of times, and there is an element of nostalgia that takes me back to their pop-punk days in a little bit more “refined” sense. Obviously, the pop-punk scene has changed a lot since the 2010’s, and 5SOS as a group have aged up quite a bit, so while they have changed their sound to revert back to their old ways, there is a new sense of maturity to it. I will say, the sound of this track is very reminiscent of Cage The Elephant’s Social Cues album which I am a big fan of. I think that overall, NOT OK is a pretty solid track, but it is difficult to say a complete goodbye to all of 5SOS’s past projects.
When it comes to the music within the track itself, it's very in your face, with a lot of prominence from the rhythm section, very heavy on the drums and bass. I think this is something the group is becoming a lot more passionate about on their last few albums, especially when you think about songs like Teeth and Easier. However with this track the music is much more distorted with some reverb as well. The vocals on the track are pretty similar to the music so everything blends together pretty nicely. I don't particularly think this track is as lyrically rich as other tracks they have put out, but I do think that there is an element to this song and this album/era as a whole where they aren't as worried about telling a story and more so just having fun and experimenting with sounds they haven't tried. I think this can also be a great career move because whether you are a fan of the band already or not, this track doesn't require “lore” or having listened to the group before.
So, if you are looking for a harder pop-rock sound with some punk edge to take you back to another era of music, with a similar sound to that of Social Cues, NOT OK by 5 Seconds of Summer is a track you should check out! The full length LP EVERYONE’S A STAR! is now available to stream! You will also have an opportunity to see this album live at their world tour in 2026!