Top 5 Songs From 5 Seconds of Summer’s “CALM”

Established in 2011 in Sydney, Australia, 5 Seconds of Summer have been climbing to the top. Their careers were boosted in 2013 when they opened for One Direction on their Take Me Home Tour and again in 2014 when they opened on their Where We Are Tour. On March 27th, they released their 4th album, CALM. The album’s name comes from the four members, Calum, Ashton, Luke, and Michael. 

I have listened to the album quite a few times through now and picked my top 5 songs. This was no easy task. Each song has its own meaning and conveys different emotions.  

At #5 is Lonely Heart. I am a fan of faster songs and at first, this song is slow. What I really like is that the first impression of the song is that it is going to be slower and sad, however, it quickly picks up for the refrain, which surprised me when I first heard it.

At #4 is Wildflower. First impression when the song came out was, “WOAH.” It starts off strong. This is the perfect song to dance to and get prepared for the day. This song shocked many 5SOS fans because bassist Calum Hood is the singer, which has become slightly uncommon in the recent years. 

At #3 is Red Desert. Many fans have speculated that this song depicts the band’s move from Australia to LA, or north. The band performed this song during an event for the Australian bushfires, which makes sense if the song is about their love of their home country. The song is fast paced. While it’s not the hype song that Wildflower is, it could definitely be a good tune to listen to while driving. 

At #2 is No Shame. No Shame was released about a month and a half before the album came out. It was my absolute favorite. The sound instantly mesmerized me because it sounds so different than other songs they’ve produced. After listening a bunch, I tried to figure out the meaning, but I struggled. Is it about having “No Shame” being in love with someone in particular? I searched the internet to see if there was a better answer and it turns out people think the song could actually be about their fans having “No Shame” when viewing them. If any of the members do anything that would make fans mad, they would have “No Shame” bashing them or to stop being fans. 

Before I get to the #1 song, I’d like to give some honorable mentions. These songs didn’t make the list, but definitely have huge potential. 

Old Me- It might be because the music video shows flashbacks to 5 Seconds of Summer when they were younger and just starting their career or because they are saying the past shaped them to be where they are today, and I think that is a very true and strong statement. This song is a solid 8/10. 

High- In the honorable mentions section, this is the only song that didn’t come out before the album. This song is about wanting a past relationship to think “High” of you. It’s a little slower, but I don’t mind that. A faster paced song would have ruined the sentiment and the emotion. This song is a solid 8/10 also. 

Easier- The first song to be released on the album definitely paved the way for what was to come. The theme for this song is leaving a toxic relationship. The song was written along with Charlie Puth, which once you know it, you can’t stop hearing Charlie Puth’s style. This song is a 9/10. 

At #1 is Not In The Same Way. I’ve been thinking for a while what about this song strikes me as the best on CALM, since that is a big title to hold. Honestly, I still think back to a few years ago when Luke Hemmings and his ex-girlfriend broke up. From my perspective, it was messy and nasty. However, I was not a part of it, so I can’t really say. What I can say is that 5 Seconds of Summer’s third album Youngblood talked about the break up a lot. This song is about deciding whether to stay or a leave a relationship, but has a very upbeat sound, which I love.”

By: Christina Faessel