Charlotte Black reviews 5 Seconds of Summer’s latest single
5 Seconds of Summer’s new single ‘Old Me’ is a substantial hit of nostalgia for all those fans who’ve followed the Aussie band since the days of Wheatus covers and Keek posting. I must admit that 5SOS had somewhat dropped off the radar for me in the last couple of years, and the same can be said for their presence in the top music charts. This could be what has prompted this new single to be a touch heavy-handed with the wistful lyrics, photograph-heavy music video and in its to stripping back of techno and synthesis backing, common in their more recent work.
Wistful lyrics, a photograph-heavy music video, and stripped-back techno
‘Old Me’ seems to be intended to draw the band’s image back to their origins; a group of undiscovered teenagers crowded together in a basement making YouTube videos. That group were altogether more marketable to the younger crowd than another corporate generated boyband, a diluted niche. Yet while acknowledging that this is likely a clever marketing ploy, I can’t help but let the nostalgic lyrics draw me back to when I was jamming out to the band’s earlier hits: ‘Heartbreak Girl’ and ‘Amnesia’. So, if this single represents their plan to return to a more authentic music style count me on board and excited for future album releases.
