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Biography

5 Seconds of Summer, often shortened to 5SOS, are an Australian pop rock band from Sydney, New South Wales, formed in 2011. The group were originally YouTube celebrities, posting videos of themselves covering songs from various artists during 2011 and early 2012. They rose to international fame while touring with One Direction on their Take Me Home Tour. They have since released four studio albums and headlined three world tours.

In early 2014, the band released She Looks So Perfect as their debut single, which topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Their self-titled debut album was released on June 2014, peaking at number one in 11 countries, and was followed by a live album titled LiveSOS. They went on their first headlining tour Rock Out With Your Socks Out Tour to support the album.

The band released their second album Sounds Good Feels Good in October 2015, topping the charts in 8 countries, and was followed by a live documentary DVD called How Did We End Up Here. They went on the Sounds Live Feels Live Tour to support the album. In December 2016, the band announced the release of their B-sides and rarities under the title This Is Everything We Ever Said to celebrate their band’s fifth anniversary.[1]

The band released their third album Youngblood on 15 June 2018. It became their third number one album in their home country. In the US, 5 Seconds of Summer became the first Australian act to achieve three chart-toppers on the BillBoard 200 chart. They also became the first band (not vocal) to have their first three full-length albums debut at the top in the US.[2] They embark on the Meet You There Tour to support the album.

In 2020, the band released their fourth studio album CALM. The album was a commercial success, receiving positive critical reviews and charting in over 25 countries on multiple charts, peaking in the top 10 on 17 charts and debuting at number one in four countries.

Career

2011–2012: Origin and debut

5 Seconds of Summer began in 2011 when Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, and Calum Hood, who all attended Norwest Christian College, started posting videos of themselves performing covers of popular songs together on Luke's YouTube channel. Luke's first video, a cover of Mike Posner's Please Don’t Go, was posted on the 3rd February in 2011. Their cover of Chris Brown's Next To You received over 600,000 hits.[3] In December 2011, they were joined by drummer Ashton Irwin,[4] and the four-man lineup was completed.[5]

The band attracted interest from major music labels and publishers and signed a publishing deal with Sony ATV Music Publishing.[6] Despite having no promotion apart from on Facebook and Twitter, their first music release, an EP entitled Unplugged, reached number 3 on the iTunes chart in Australia and the Top 20 in both New Zealand and Sweden.

Their international following significantly increased when One Direction member Louis Tomlinson posted the link to the YouTube video of their song Gotta Get Out, stating that he'd been a fan of 5 Seconds of Summer "for a while".

5 Seconds of Summer spent the second half of 2012 writing and developing their sound with Christian Lo Russo and Joel Chapman of Australian band Amy Meredith, with whom they wrote two songs (Beside You and Unpredictable) that was featured on their second EP Somewhere New.[7] The EP was also co-produced by Joel Chapman.

5 Seconds of Summer released their first single Out of My Limit on 19 November 2012, whose video clip received over 100,000 views within the first 24 hours.[8] The band were once again the subject of interest for One Direction when Niall Horan posted a tweet of the link to 5SOS’ first single Out of My Limit.

In December 2012, the boys embarked on a songwriting trip to London where they wrote with various artists including McFly,[9] Roy Stride of Scouting for Girls, Nick Hodgson of Kaiser Chiefs,[10] Jamie Scott,[11] Jake Gosling, Steve Robson and James Bourne of Busted.[12]

2013–2014: 5 Seconds of Summer and LiveSOS

On 14 February 2013, it was announced that 5 Seconds of Summer would support One Direction on their worldwide Take Me Home Tour.[13] The tour kicked off at the O2 Arena in London on 23 February 2013, and 5 Seconds of Summer joined One Direction for shows in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, including seven shows at Allphones Arena in 5 Seconds of Summer's home town of Sydney.[14]

While on a break from the Take Me Home Tour, 5 Seconds of Summer returned home to Australia where they played a National headlining tour, with all dates selling out within minutes. It was around this time when the band began to gain popularity and become more well-known.[15]

On 21 November 2013, the band announced that they had signed to Capitol Records.[16] On 5 February 2014, 5 Seconds of Summer listed their debut major label single She Looks So Perfect for pre-order on the iTunes Store.

On 5 March 2014, it was announced that 5 Seconds of Summer would join One Direction again, supporting them on their Where We Are Tour in the US, Canada, UK and Europe.[17]

The connection between 5SOS and One Direction extends to both artists being managed by London-based Modest Management. This has led to 5SOS being labelled as a boy band in the media.[18] Members of the band have said that the group is not a boy band;[19] nevertheless, they have attracted a fanbase of mainly female fans, a characteristic attributed to boy bands.[20] Ashton Irwin has compared the band's female following to Fall Out Boy which also has a sizable female fanbase. John Feldmann, frontman of Goldfinger and producer on 5 Seconds of Summer, attributes 5 Seconds of Summer's fanbase to "a fundamental change in the pop punk demo[graphic]", mentioning its gradual shift away from the majority-male audiences of early 1990s pop punk acts such as Blink-182 and Green Day.[21]

In late March 2014, their single She Looks So Perfect was released in UK. Despite spending only one day on top in the British iTunes store and ending its week in the lower end of the top 10, 5 Seconds of Summer became the fourth Australian band to have a UK number-one single, and the first to do so in 14 years.[22] On 9 April, their third EP She Looks So Perfect debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 Chart.[23]

On 9 May, they released their second single, Don't Stop. It debuted at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, 3,000 units behind Ella Henderson's Ghost.[24] It peaked at number one in 4 countries and was in the top 10 of 8 countries overall. Billboard said that, "In the vein of Green Day's "She" and Blink-182's "All The Small Things," "Don't Stop" is 5SOS' bid for a deceptively charming pop-punk anthem, with lyrics that are stickily sweet in their awkward flirtatiousness. The bridge could be more polished, but that hook is a highlight of the whole album."[25] On 15 June, the band released their fourth EP Don't Stop which was not available to purchase in the US, Canada and Mexico.[26]

On 13 May, the band announced that their debut self-titled album would be released on 27 June 2014 in Europe and Australia, with other releases coming later. The album won a Kerrang! award; Luke Hemmings said it was a real honour to win one, as all the band's idols are in Kerrang!.[27] The album debuted on the top of the Billboard 200 Chart, peaked at number one in 13 countries, and peaked in the Top 10 of 26 countries.

On 15 July, the band released their third single, Amnesia, which was the only song not written by the band members themselves, but by Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, an American pop punk band. Billboard said of the track that, "With a surprisingly affecting vocal performance and the most searing lyrics on the album, new single Amnesia establishes itself as 5 Seconds of Summer's successful Serious Pose. Taking older listeners back to the relative heartache of dissolving high school romance, Amnesia demonstrates the versatility of 5SOS, and one wonders why it's buried at the end of the group's debut album." On 5 September, they released their fifth EP Amnesia which was not available in US and Mexico.[28]

On 12 October, the band released their fourth single, Good Girls, and the music video logged over two million views within 48 hours, making it their highest debut to date.[29] On 16 November, they released their sixth EP Good Girls which topped the UK iTunes Chart.[30]

The band released a cover song What I Like About You by American rock band The Romantics as the first single from their live album LiveSOS.[31] The band released their first live album, LiveSOS, on 15 December 2014.[32]

2015–2016: Sounds Good Feels Good

In May 2015, the band embarked on their first headlining tour, Rock Out With Your Socks Out Tour, of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America.[33][34]

On 17 July 2015, the band released She's Kinda Hot as the first single from their second studio album. On 12 August, they announced that their second studio album was titled Sounds Good Feels Good. On 28 August, they released their seventh EP, She's Kinda Hot, in the UK and Ireland only.[35] On 9 October, they released Hey Everybody! as the second single and announced their Sounds Live Feels Tour.

Sounds Good Feels Good was released worldwide on 23 October 2015. It became the band’s second number one in their home country and the first in the United Kingdom. In the United States, 5 Seconds of Summer became the first band (not vocal) to have their first two full-length albums debut at the top of the charts. The band released their third single Jet Black Heart on 17 December 2015, together with a music video which featured some of their fans.

In 2016, the band embarked on their Sounds Live Feels Live Tour which included sold-out stadiums and arenas across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

On 3 June, the band announced their single Girls Talk Boys. The song was included on the Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) and was released on 15 July.[36] On 2 December, the band announced the release of their B-sides and rarities, titled This Is Everything We Ever Said, to celebrate their fifth anniversary as a band.

2017-2018: Youngblood

On 13 January 2017, the band was featured on the song "Take What You Want" by the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock from their eighth studio album Ambitions.[37]

On 11 May, the band announced the dates for their summer tour where they played at several music festivals. The group performed in Asia, Europe, and South America from August to September 2017. The last music festival they played that year was Brazil’s Rock in Rio.

On 22 February 2018, the band released the single Want You Back and announced a 2018 promotional tour entitled 5SOS III Tour.[38] [39] The band went on tour and performed at intimate venues across Europe, US, Singapore, Australia, Mexico, and Brazil from March to June 2018. Besides the tour, the group performed at music festivals, had acoustic sessions at radio stations, and made TV show appearances.

On 9 April 2018, the band announced that their third studio album, Youngblood, will be released on 22 June 2018. The band announced the dates for their fourth headlining tour titled the Meet You There Tour which started on 2 August 2018 and will take place at various arenas across Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, United States, and Europe.[40]

The second single from the album, the title track, peaked at number one in Australia in May 2018.[41] It stayed on the ARIA Chart at number one for eight consecutive weeks. It also stayed at number one in Official New Zealand Music Chart for four consecutive weeks, hit UK Official Charts’s Top 5, and hit US Billboard Hot 100’s top 20. It was certified 3x platinum in Australia, platinum in New Zealand, gold in the US, and gold in the UK.

On 1 June 2018, the band announced that the release date of the album was moved forward to 15 June 2018. Youngblood debuted at number one in Australia and the US Billboard 200. It debuted in the top 3 in the UK and seven other countries. Overall, the album reached the top 10 of 20 countries.

On 1 August 2018, the band released a Spotify-exclusive version of "Lie to Me", along with a cover of Post Malone’s song Stay.[42]

2019-2021: CALM, solo projects and 2011

On 5 February 2019, the band shared teasers for their upcoming single "Who Do You Love", a collaboration with American DJ duo The Chainsmokers. The single was released on 7 February, along with the lyric video on YouTube. And the official music video was released on 25 March 2019. The band later joined the duo on the North American World War Joy Tour, alongside Lennon Stella during the last quarter of 2019.

In 2020, the band released their fourth studio album CALM. The album was a commercial success, receiving positive reviews from critics, charting in more than 25 countries on multiple charts, peaking in the 10 top on 17 charts and debuting atop the charts in 4 countries. With CALM earning the band their fourth consecutive number one in their home country, 5 Seconds of Summer became the second Australian band in history to have their first four full-length studio albums debut at number one on the ARIA albums chart. 5 singles were released from CALM: Easier, Teeth, No Shame, Old Me, and Wildflower.

A performance for Fire Fight Australia (charity event to fight bushfires) was given on February 16, 2020. The band planned a No Shame Tour for 2020, but it was postponed due to COVID-19. The world tour is rescheduled for 2022.

In September 2020, Ashton released his debut solo album, Superbloom, as a side project to 5SOS. The band also recently announced via Instagram live that a fifth album is being worked on.

In 13 August 2021, Luke released his debut solo album, When Facing the Things We Turn Away From. The album was preceded by three singles: "Starting Line", "Motion" and "Place in Me".

In celebrating the band's 10th year anniversary, they released "2011" on 3 December 2021. This song is the first song that Michael produced.

2022-present: 5SOS5

The band released "Complete Mess" as the lead single from their upcoming fifth studio album on March 2, 2022.

On April 1, 2022, the second single, "Take My Hand," was released.

On May 11, 2022, The third single, "Me Myself & I," was released.

The band announced their fifth studio album, 5SOS5, in May 2022, and it will be released on September 23, 2022.


Tours

Headlining

Promotional

  • 5SOS III Tour (2018) (Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australia)

Opening act

  • Hot Chelle Rae – Whatever World Tour[49] (October 2012)
  • One Direction – Take Me Home Tour[50] (2013)
  • One Direction – Where We Are Tour (2014)
  • One Direction – On the Road Again Tour[51] (2015) 4 shows in Japan
  • The Chainsmokers – World War Joy Tour[52] (2019) 40 shows in North America

Discography

Main article: Discography

References

  1. altpress.com - THE 10 BEST 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER B-SIDES
  2. billboard.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Earn Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Youngblood'|
  3. musicfeeds.com.au - Meet 5 Seconds Of Summer
  4. liveguide.com.au - 5 Seconds of Summer Australian Tour
  5. theaureview.com - the Au interview - 5 Seconds of Summer
  6. theage.com.au - Smells Like Teen Spirit
  7. [Biography - 5 Seconds of Summer: The Unauthorized Biography
  8. heraldsun.com - Sydney teen band 5 Seconds of Summer is getting hot in the UK
  9. poyntersource.com - 5 Seconds of Summer are Writing with McFly
  10. 5sos-official.tumblr.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Tumblr
  11. hillsnews.com.au - Local boys to play support for One Direction tour
  12. dailytelegrah.com.au - Things are hotting up for 5 Seconds of Summer
  13. news.com.au - One Direction Picks Australian Band 5 Seconds of Summer as support act for world tour
  14. onedirection.net - One Direction Tour Dates
  15. thehothits.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Announce Australian Tour
  16. thehothits.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Got Signed to Capitol Records
  17. forbes.com - One Direction's Where We Are Tour Gets Jolt With 5 Seconds Of Summer As Opening Act
  18. rollingstone.com - On the Charts: Aussie Boy Band 5 Seconds of Summer Almost Top 'Frozen'
  19. billboard.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Goes Global - But They're Not The Next One Direction
  20. nypost.com - 5 Seconds of Summer uber-fans storm NYC in boy band mania
  21. billboard - 5 Seconds of Summer: 'If Anyone Puts Us Down, We Don't Care'
  22. bbc.co.uk - 5SOS triumph in UK singles charts
  23. noise11.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Debuts at No 2 in USA
  24. digitalspy.co.uk - Ella Henderson holds on to No.1 single, pushes 5SOS into second
  25. billboard.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Scores With Debut Album: Track-By-Track Review
  26. alterpress.com - 5 Seconds Of Summer Announce New 'Don't Stop' EP
  27. This Week's Fresh Music Top 20 - 4Music
  28. 5sos.com - OUR 'AMNESIA' EP IS NOW OUT!
  29. fashiontimes.com - 5 Seconds Of Summer Vs. One Direction: Aussie Band Releases New Song 'Good Girls' Video On Vevo [WATCH] Will They Snatch Hot Teen Dream Title?
  30. pressparty.com - 5 Seconds of Summer's 'Good Girls EP' rockets up UK iTunes chart
  31. billboard.com - 5 Seconds of Summer's 'What I Like About You' Video: Watch a Sneak Peek
  32. mtv.com - title=5SOS's LIVESOS Album Has Fans Losing Their Pants, Going Into Labor
  33. 33.0 33.1 5sos.com - 'ROCK OUT WITH YOUR SOCKS OUT' 2015 UK & EUROPEAN TOUR !
  34. 34.0 34.1 5sos-official.tumblr.com - 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
  35. sugarscape.com - 5SOS announce 'She's Kinda Hot' EP with two brand new songs
  36. 5sos.com - {GHOSTBUSTERS // GIRLS TALK BOYS - 5 Seconds of Summer
  37. altpress.com - ONE OK ROCK release a video for "Take What You Want," and other new you might have missed today
  38. billboard.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Releases New Single 'Want You Back,' Announces 2018 Tour
  39. altpress.com - 5 Seconds Of Summer return with new song, tour dates
  40. Official Twitter - 5 Seconds Of Summer on Twitter
  41. ariacharts.com.au -5SOS score second #1 with Youngblood
  42. billboard.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Take On Post Malone's 'Stay,' Release Stripped-Back 'Lie to Me' For Spotify Singles
  43. novafm.com.au - 5 Seconds of Summer Twenty Twelve Tour
  44. undertheradar.co.nz - Under The Radar NZ
  45. sugarscape.com - 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER ANNOUNCE 2014 UK TOUR. AGH.
  46. sugarscape.com - 5 Seconds of Summer announces 5 Countries 5 Days European Tour
  47. 5sos-official.tumblr.com - There's No Place Like Home Tour
  48. 5sos.com - Live - 5 Seconds of Summer
  49. thehothits.com - 5 Seconds of Summer Join Hot Chelle Rae's Australian Tour
  50. the musicnetwork.com - Sydney's 5 Seconds of Summer support 1D on World Tour
  51. j-14.com - One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer Are Going on Tour Together Again!
  52. altpress.com - 5 Seconds of Summer announce tour with The Chainsmokers
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