When I tell you, I rushed to my laptop to start writing this.
I, just like everyone else, has been watching these posters pop up around the world, had been following thediaryofsix on Instagram for a few months now… the signs were there, I was blind.

Once the posters started popping up, I’ll admit I had some doubts, the use of the word boyband made me nervous – as someone who grew up with 5SOS, the word “boyband” was like a curse word back in the day, and after hearing how pop-led 5SOS5 was, followed by the use of the word boyband, I feared it was only going to get more poppy.
I was really confused, from a marketing perspective, how they’d play this all off, but alas… they have, and the use of the word “boyband” is a homage to the track ‘BOYBAND’ on their upcoming album. It was all a massive easter egg, not some giant misleading marketing tactic.

‘NOT OK’ has left me quite literally gobsmacked. Shook to my core. Dumbfounded.
I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, I always wished they’d make more rock-led music, Youngblood is easily their best album (in my opinion).
I’ve been trying to piece together the vibes of the lead single, even the album as a whole, based on the headshots each member posted to their instagram. Visually those portraits gave such a strong message, very glam-rock.
Who remembers when they dressed up and said they were called “5 Seconds of Sexx”… at the time that may have been a joke, but this is giving the same vibes, but actually thought through, it’s giving “I’m you but stronger”.
The imagery so far, the font, the colours, paired with ‘NOT OK’, makes so much sense, and they have married it all together incredibly well.

It reminded me immediately of Prodigy – ‘Firestarter’, and Basement Jaxx – ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ – two artists who made British Electric Dance music. It’s nothing like 5SOS have ever created before, they’ve joined some insanely cool elements of their previous eras, with some iconic and recognisable sounds from the late 90’s to early 2000s. The make up and (slight) visuals from the Youngblood/Meet You There tour era, mixed with the heavy punk aesthetic of old school British punk music. As a British girl myself, who was brought up on Blur, Prodigy, Sex Pistols and so on, this is incredibly exciting for me.
It’s like if you went to a rave but, make it rock?

I’m incredibly bias, Calum has always been my favourite member, but the bass and synth in this song is INSANE. If there’s one hill I will die on, it’s that bassists are incredibly underrated, let alone bassists who also play keys and can sing the way Calum does. He is so multi-talented that i’m always listening out for ways he’s impacted a track, through vocals, through bass that sets the tone of a song, or through some keys and the occasional synth – I am obviously assuming that it’s Calum playing on this track, but if it isn’t, massive props to whoever is! I love that Luke carries most of the vocals with peeps of Ashton and Michael towards the end of the song. But the way the music has pulled from such a recognisable era of already made music, immediately puts this song amongst some amazing older tracks. It’s set a very high bar for the rest of the album, but also in this generations music in general. I’m not huge on the rave or electric scene, but I am huge on 5SOS, and I know that they love experimenting and finding themselves with each album. As long as we get to hear more shared vocals across the other 11 tracks, I will be overjoyed!

If the rest of EVERYONE’S A STAR sounds like this, I am so in.