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Calm (stylised as C A L M, an acronym of the first letters of the band members' names, Calum, Ashton, Luke and Michael) is the fourth studio album by Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer, released on 27 March 2020. The album was a commercial success and received positive reviews from critics who praised the band's lyrical growth and maturity. Due to a shipping error, approximately 11,000 copies of the album were released early in the US, subsequently causing the album to chart a week before it was due.
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.
Background
On 23 May 2019, 5 Seconds of Summer released the album's lead single, "Easier." In an interview with the Rolling Stone, the band stated that the track was "the first taste of their fourth album". "Easier" charted in multiple countries on both weekly and year-end charts, with peaks at number twelve in Australia and number twelve on the US Mainstream Top 40. In 2019, "Easier" was nominated for the ARIA Song of the Year Award. Billboard magazine included the song on their 100 Best Songs of 2019 list at number 79.
In a May 2019 Ryan Seacrest interview, drummer Ashton Irwin commented on the musical direction of the then upcoming album, explaining, "[the band] had to agree to continue pursuing something [that was] fantastic and new [...] That's why the sound has changed".
On 21 August 2019, the band released the album's second single, "Teeth". The track charted in several countries, including peaks at number fifteen in Australia, and number twenty-one on the US Mainstream Top 40. In 2020, "Teeth" was nominated for the prestigious APRA Song of the Year award.
No Shame, Old Me, and Wildflower were released as later singles.
The album was announced on the band's social media on 5 February 2020. The announcement preceded the band's confirmation that they would embark on their fifth world arena tour in 2020. The band revealed the album's title, Calm, was an acronym created from the first letters of each band member's name, Calum, Ashton, Luke and Michael. Hemmings referred to the album name as "a nod to [the band's] fans", elaborating: "[The fans] been using that acronym for a long time. It kind of just sums up [that] we're a little bit older and a little bit wiser."
Tracklist
| Standard Edition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Red Desert" | Calum Hood, Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, Michael Clifford, Matthew Pauling | Matthew Pauling | 3:49 |
| 2. | "No Shame" | Hood, Hemmings, Irwin, Clifford, Alexandra Tamposi, Andrew Wotman, Nathan Perez, Donna Lewis | Andrew Watt, Happy Perez | 3:10 |
| 3. | "Old Me" | Hemmings, Irwin, Tamposi, Wotman, William Walsh, Louis Bell, Brian Lee, Andre Proctor | Watt, Bell, Dre Moon | 3:04 |
| 4. | "Easier" | Charlie Puth, Ryan Tedder, Tamposi, Wotman, Bell | Puth, Bell, Watt | 2:37 |
| 5. | "Teeth" | Hemmings, Irwin, Tedder, Tamposi, Wotman, Bell, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers | Watt, Bell | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Wildflower" | Hood, Irwin, Clifford, Geoff Warburton, Oscar Gorres, Rami Yacoub | Gorres | 3:40 |
| 7. | "Best Years" | Hemmings, Tedder, Tamposi, Wotman, Perez | Watt, Perez, Benny Blanco | 3:10 |
| 8. | "Not in the Same Way" | Irwin, Hemmings, Tamposi, Wotman, Benjamin Levin, Joshua Coleman | Watt, Blanco | 3:40 |
| 9. | "Lover of Mine" | Irwin, Hemmings, Sierra Deaton, Tamposi, Wotman, Perez | Watt, Perez | 3:26 |
| 10. | "Thin White Lies" | Hood, Hemmings, Irwin, Clifford, Tamposi, Wotman, Perez, Carter Lang | Watt, Perez | 3:02 |
| 11. | "Lonely Heart" | Hood, Hemmings, Irwin, Clifford, Pauling | Pauling | 3:24 |
| 12. | "High" | Hood, Irwin, Hemmings, Clifford, Tamposi, Wotman, Bell | Watt, Bell | 2:58 |
| PLUS1 bonus track | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 13. | "Kill My Time" | Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, John Ryan, Julian Bunetta, | Julian Bunetta, John Ryan | 3:55 |