5SOS // Everyone’s a Star
An intriguing new era for the Australian rockers
★★★★☆ (4/5)
Album Artwork
What music do boy bands create when they grow up? What even is a boyband? The Beatles? The Strokes? These are some of the questions posed on “Everyone’s a Star”, the latest release from boyband Five Seconds of Summer (5SOS). Promising an exploration into the psyches of pop superstars and how they navigate worldwide fame.
Much was made of the genre-bending nature of the singles released head of this album, which saw the band approach new sounds and structures. In a way this surge in variety seemed a natural progression from 2022’s “5SOS5” which saw a return to the band's anthemic rock roots after 2020’s “Calm” saw the band don a Maroon 5-esque sound of mature pop rock.
As such, the opening title track “Everyone’s a Star” showcases a mature and dark pop that encapsulates much of the album. It also harkens to one big influence that has emerged as a cultural juggernaut, K-pop bands are an obvious inspiration across much of the record. Where the tracks are seemingly ready-made for tightly curated choreography. This creates an interesting clash with the other alternative tracks on the album which channel more club-pop vibes.
This is immediately shown as the band keep their feet firmly on the accelerator during “NOT OK” which uses tight drum loops, dark synths and sequenced bass to mark the tone shift. Sonically, the song draws more from a place of The Prodigy’s distorted techno while the lyrics of temptation and desire also set out recurrent themes that are revisited throughout the album.
In a post “Brat” world, the spectre of Charli XCX looms over any album that aims for dark, sweat-soaked club-pop. However, a key component of that album was a vulnerable irreverence which allowed for deeper exploration of the seedier parts of fame. An inability to be that open means that this aspect is missing from “Everyone’s a Star”. In the place of sordid details, there are broader generalities which lessen the impact of the album's genre shift.
Elsewhere, there are other dabbles with alt-pop sounds that more firmly stick the landing. In 1975 tinged “Scared I’ll Never Sleep Again” 5SOS found a sound that suited their ambitions. The emotive synth-pop track creates a mature-sounding lovesick ballad swaddled in sincerity.
“Boyband” provides the most cogent message on the album. Again, topics regarding fame, industry pressures to look a certain way and parasocial relationships paint a canvas of life in the spotlight. It’s Interesting to hear the decades-old “feud” between boy bands and metal heads being dusted off, especially when fellow boyband alumni Busted and McFly have played to capacity crowds at the metal festival Download.
On “Ghost” and “Sick of Myself” there are palpable Harry Styles-shaped inspirations. The former song delivers some of the most introspective lyrics on the album, seemingly exploring the topic of substance abuse. Stylistically the tracks are both great standouts, but serve to undermine the cohesive nature of the album.
The dial shifts again on “Evolve” as the band are firmly back into K-pop adjacent territory. On the song, the band fully embrace a hyper reality parody as the lyrics cover the hedonism and decadence of fame. The lyrics lament how the character needs to “evolve” and ascend over these base instincts. Delivered to an energetic beat through complex layering of sounds, the song create a thoroughly fun experience to listen to.
Explorations and exposés of fame are nothing new, even when just looking at this year. However on “Everyone’s a Star” 5SOS manage to deliver an introspective album while also leaning heavily into new genres and styles. Demonstrating the band's ability to evolve while still delivering exciting new music.
Stream the album: Here
Tickets to the Everyone’s A Star Tour: Here
Review By: Sam McNaughton
