After years of each member working on solo projects, the Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer came out with their highly anticipated sixth studio album “EVERYONE’S A STAR!” It was released Nov. 14 with members Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, Michael Clifford and Ashton Irwin all working to promote it.
They originally started this process on Sept. 23 by posting a 24-hour countdown on their website with a pre-save link and the words “5 seconds of summer is not okay.” The next day, there was a complete rebranding on their social media, and the first single, “NOT OK,” was released. The band also performed a free surprise show in Los Angeles.
In the last month, two other singles, “Boyband” and “Telephone Busy,” were released along with a massive announcement of the 2026 “Everyone’s a Star! Tour.” The band has also made music videos for each of these singles, all leaning into this pop-rock genre surrounding the album.
The album itself is 12 tracks encapsulating their experience being thrown into the spotlight as teenagers and the dangers that come with being idols at just 17 and 18 years old. They started their career by touring with the world-famous boyband One Direction from 2013 to 2015 and got their names in global headlines, for better or worse. “EVERYONE’S A STAR!” finally gets their message out by using some of this over-the-top sensationalism they’ve dealt with their entire career.
Each song dives deeper into the truth about fame and how it’s not actually what people tend to glamorize, portraying the harsh realities of the music industry. The songs all have the same message, which makes the listener feel a little uncomfortable or trapped as it goes on, but that’s the point. This is their life; while the listener could simply skip a song or pause the album, the band does not have that luxury.
The album was perfectly crafted and cohesive from start to finish. The overarching theme was a cautionary tale with each song shedding light on one aspect of their reality to another.
One of the most obvious, yet successful, ways the band achieved this was by fully leaning into the title they have tried to avoid for years: “boyband.” This label seems to undermine their hard work being taken seriously as musicians and not just as heartthrobs or a group of boys adored by teenage girls. By reclaiming “Boyband” as a song, it emphasizes how the public might never see them in the way they want to be seen, but it’s better than nothing.
As a fan, this album was incredibly eye-opening and clearly it was one of their most vulnerable to date. This is by far one of my favorite works they’ve ever released, especially looking at songs like “I’m Scared I’ll Never Sleep Again” and “istillfeelthesame.” The emotional depth and parallels to some of Hemmings’ solo work makes these two songs to stand out, especially against some of the more upbeat techno music the rest of the album falls into.
