‘EVERYONE’S A STAR!’ Finds 5SOS Balancing Fame, Feeling, and Flaws
A solid, melody-driven record that shines most when the band embraces honesty over spectacle.
After each going off and producing solo projects, the band is back together on “EVERYONE’S A STAR!,” 5 Seconds Of Summer’s sixth project.
In my opinion, melody has always been the band’s greatest strength. You can take out many examples from their discography, from “Red Desert” to “BLENDER,” where the melodicism is just perfect — catchy, highly satisfying, yet somehow never disposable. In combination with stellar production and Luke Hemmings’ captivating vocals, the band has something great. And they continue that on “EVERYONE’S A STAR!”
However, it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by their past few projects. There are moments of that melodic perfection — on “Sick of Myself,” for example, there is not one less-than-earwormworthy melody — but it’s not as consistent as it has been before. On “No. 1 Obsession,” the gritty verses don’t blend well with the head-voice-heavy chorus. I do think this was intentional due to the subject matter of the song, but it doesn’t work as well as it could. Sometimes, the melodies are good, but they’re cheapened by the lyrics — the chanted “Hey / I’m not okay” of the second track on the album feels a bit too adolescent to be taken seriously.
Despite these minor criticisms, there are great songs on this record that drive it forward. “Boyband” is a compelling take on fame, with the lyrics reminding me of Lady Gaga’s “Perfect Celebrity.” “Love me when I’m skinny and we never, ever age,” Luke sings. “I’m Scared I’ll Never Sleep Again” is another album highlight, the chorus being one to linger in your head for days. “Evolve” is a strong song as well, but the spoken word bridge does take you out of it.
Only 4 days after the release of the album, the band dropped four bonus tracks in the “Fully Evolved” edition, and I’m glad they did — the songs strengthen the album greatly. “Start Over” is a highly relatable song about a relationship; “Wishful Dreaming” harkens back to “Me, Myself & I”; “Chest” is a highlight out of the whole album; and “I’ll Find You” is a beautifully tender way to close out the album.
It isn’t their best music, but 5 Seconds Of Summer has set a high bar for themselves. Overall, this album is a solid project with some great songs, and I think fans will be pleased.