Breaking It DownUncover All The Hidden Meanings In 5 Seconds Of Summer’s New Album ‘CALM’

“Red Desert”

For those who don’t know, the Red Desert is located in Australia, so the album’s opening track is all about where they came from. To honor their native country, the boys performed the song for the first time live at the G’Day USA event for the Australian bushfires in January 2020.

Fans have speculated that the, “Tell me, would you pack up all your bags, stay true to North? / You’re the only one I’d do this for,” line in the song is a reference to when the band moved away from home to start their career in America.

“No Shame”

According to the band, this track is all about how they see society and “that we’re all a part of it and we’re not pointing a finger at people. Everything is online.”

When the music video was released in February 2020, fans were convinced the boys’ threw some major shade at YouTuber Logan Paul. One Twitter user broke down the video scene by scene and claimed that the boys called out in famous YouTuber when guitarist Michael got into a car crash. After he flipped the car, Michael took out his phone and started recording himself selfie-style, seemingly mimicking a vlog.

“Michael is supposed to represent Logan Paul. The lyric ‘diggin my grave to get a reaction’ is most likely a diss at how people in the entertainment industry will do anything, good or bad, in order to get their name more out there and widely know,” the fan speculated.

“Old Me”

This track is a message to the boys’ former selves. Essentially, it’s a thank you note to their younger personas and the lyrics give fans a look into their past.

“Shout out to the old me / And everything he showed me / Glad you didn’t listen when the world was trying to slow me / No one could control me / Left my lovers lonely / Had to f**k it up before I really got to know me,” the guys sing in the new track.

The group also released  music video to go along with the tune, which was metaphor for Luke, Ashton, Michael and Calum’s lives and took viewers on a “train ride” through their past. Blink and you’ll miss it, but one moment during the visual, 5SOS sent a major shoutout to their former tourmates and musical mentors One Direction. Fans of the band will remember that if it wasn’t for Louis Tomlinson discovering them on YouTube, the Australian boyband wouldn’t be where they are today.

“Easier”

Written alongside Charlie Puth, the boys revealed that this was the “first stepping stone” for the rest of the album. In it, Luke sings about making the decision of whether or not he should stay in a seemingly toxic relationship.
“Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go? / I don’t wanna know, oh / But I know that I’m never, ever gonna change / And you know that you’re always gonna stay the same,” the lyrics read.

“Teeth”

With lyrics like, “Fight so dirty, but you love so sweet / Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth / Late night devil, put your hands on me / And never, never, never ever let go,” this song has been said to represent the highs and lows of the relationship.

“Wildflower”

Luke told fans that this track starts transitioning into “the lighter side of the album.” The band released this track a few days before dropping the album and fans were shook by the Calum-led verses and upbeat chorus.

“You’re the only one who makes me / Every time we / Tell you what I like / My wildflower,” the lyrics read.

“Best Years”

Quite possibly the most meaningful track on the entire record, this song is what Luke called “a beautiful love note.” During a recent Instagram Live stream, the boys said they hope that this is something that the fans will eventually use as their wedding songs.

“I wanna hold your hand while we’re growing up / But I’ll build a house out of the mess and all the broken pieces / I’ll make up for all of your tears / I’ll give you the best years,” the heartfelt lyrics read.

“Not In The Same Way”

According to Luke, this song was written in 30 minutes and it was “one of the most exciting” to finish. A more upbeat feel, this track is parallel to “Easier,” as it also discusses the question of staying or leaving a relationship.

“When you tell me you love me / Then you wanna leave me / Pouring your pills down the sink / Sayin’ ‘It’s not what you think’ /  Don’t know if I love you / Don’t know if I hate you / But I can’t forget you,” the lyrics read.

“Lover Of Mine”

5SOS fans were shook when Luke revealed that he cowrote this love song with his girlfriend Sierra Deaton. The singer also called it his favorite track on the album. From the lyrics, listeners can hear that it’s a meaningful song about someone coming back to a relationship after they messed up the first time.

“Dance around the living room / Lose me in the sight of you / I’ve seen the red, I’ve seen the blue / Take all of me / Deep to where your secrets hide / Where we’ve been a thousand times / Swallow every single lie / Take all of me,” the lyrics read. “I’ll never give you away / ‘Cause I already made that mistake / If my name never fell off your lips again / I know it’d be such a shame / When I take a look at my life and all of my crimes / You’re the only thing that I think I got right / I’ll never give you away / ‘Cause I already made, already made that mistake.”

“Thin White Lies”

This honest song was written by all four members of the band. Luke said that his favorite lyric is, “I don’t think I like me anymore.”

“It’s so honest, when you get to a point that you feel like a stranger to yourself — I like how this song captures that moment,” he admitted.

The song represents the point in a a band relationship where one person totally changes who they are.

“Lonely Heart”

This track, which Luke called “beautiful,” is all about the feeling of someone leaving.

“Such a lonely heart, oh woah / Such a lonely heart, oh woah (Oh woah) / If you can’t find another reason to stay / Then I know I’m gonna always have a lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely / Heart, oh woah (Oh woah) / Heart,” the lyrics read.

“High”

“Songwriting in itself is very selfish, and this song in particular, the lyric [‘I hope you think of me high / I hope you think of me highly’] is very clever and very self-involved. I love the honesty. That’s why I wanted to close the album with it,” Luke explained about this song. “I like how narcissistic it is, but in such a sweet and unassuming way.”

The track is all about how a person looks at their ex after the relationship ends.