I’m sure you vividly recall playing Just Dance 2015, holding the sticky blue remote in your clammy tween hands, screaming in a harmonic glee when “She Looks So Perfect” comes on. Reminisce on your prime — the days you felt validated with each five-star dance completed and trophy unlocked.
I fear it has been a decade since the days when boy bands were a thing and the Just Dance franchise didn’t have a subscription. But, on Nov. 14, 5 Seconds of Summer’s sixth studio album, EVERYONE’S A STAR!, arrived to heal our inner child.
Their fifth record, 5SOS5, signaled the band's ability and willingness to experimentally merge a variety of pop elements. Building on that foundation, their latest release puts this experimentation into practice by masterfully blending each member’s solo style through indie pop, rock and punk. They flaunt their unmistakable talents by creatively and cohesively weaving opposing genres, allowing them to assert their footing in the music industry and channel their band’s individuality.
Released on September 24, 2025, the lead single “NOT OK” signaled a stark turnaround from past tracks, leaving fans beaming with anticipation. Through this edgy single, the boys bluntly acknowledge their inner demons and set a tone of openness in the record. They sing “I wanna dip my toe into the fire” and “Where did the good boy go? Killed by desire.” Through clever, honest wordplay, they thematically target emotions that resonate with their Gen Z and Millennial audiences.
Throughout this ambitious album, the message of self-awareness, approached with a sonically intense and later nostalgic light, grows increasingly clear. The band soberingly underscores themes of sensitivity and self-realization after grappling with the complexities of young stardom.
Through “Boyband,” 5SOS reclaim their iconic 2014 title with a hint of irony and a touch of realism. Instead of glamorizing the boyband title, they acknowledge the realities of fame and the pressures they have faced in the spotlight. They remark, “Same four chords, but it never feels the same,” embracing the common erroneous critiques of their music. They also acknowledge the horrors of the limelight by singing, “Now I only feel alive when you're looking at me.” The boys cheekily repeat the phrase “make that monkey dance” throughout the song, emphasizing the external pressures of perfection to satisfy their fan base's para-social expectations of them.
By the second half of the album, the record slows down with a slightly different sound, arguably exuding the same boyband energy from their 2014 prime. Yet, they take on more heart-rending, mature themes. In “I’m Scared I’ll Never Sleep Again,” the band presents a cultural reset by showcasing male vulnerability. In the chorus, they all sing, “What if I can't close my eyes without you in my head? I'm scared I'll never sleep again.”
Continuing onto Track 7, in “istillfeelthesame,” Michael Clifford and Luke Hemmings sing, “Got no sleep, my eyes are bleedin' Evеrything is losin' meaning.” This emotive line relates to the common feeling of a loved one slipping away, displaying the band’s willingness to resiliently expose their wistful thoughts through their music.
Another emotional example from the queue is “Ghost” — arguably a shattering lyrical masterpiece — in which 5SOS members touch on the isolating and self-sabotaging feelings they experienced while grappling with self-actualization in adulthood. Luke Hemmings sings, “And I can't look you in the eyes / 'Cause I'm afraid it looks like me.”
While highlighting their evolution, even through these darker, ominous themes, we get a taste of the OG 2010 boyband energy as we continue down the setlist, like with “Sick of Myself.” The oh-so-catchy melody exudes nostalgia, capturing the soundtracks of our childhood. And, as one of the outro tracks, “The Rocks” connects with an audience base that is now getting older, with the line “You said that life's one hell of a ride / So why, why, why, why's it passing me by?”
As we confront emerging adulthood, 5SOS meets us there by embracing our nebulous growing pains in this brilliantly crafted album. EVERYONE’S A STAR! marks a groundbreaking thematic evolution in this iconic boyband’s music from mindless love songs to introspection and pragmatism, sharing the members’ raw emotions while exploring and integrating their unique voices. And, as always, their melodies certainly did not disappoint.
Ava Tafreshi is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at ant63@cornell.edu.
