5 Seconds of Summer Releases New Album “EVERYONE'S A STAR!”
Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, consisting of Luke Hemmings (vocals/rhythm guitar), Michael Clifford (guitar), Calum Hood (bass) and Ashton Irwin (drums), released their sixth studio album “EVERYONE'S A STAR!” on November 14, 2025.
This marks their first album in three years since the 2022 album “5SOS5”. Also, it is the first release under their new label Republic Records.
The band guitarist Michael Clifford told Rolling Stone, “Taking a step away from that major-label system was necessary for us at the time to understand how we wanted to create. We wanted to do it our way, and we wanted to not have the pressure of anybody else's opinions. Helped us approach this one with a newfound confidence We know we're capable of creating something great on our own now, not only within the band, but all of us individually as well.”
The album comprises 12 tracks (Fully Evolved edition 16 tracks), which the band recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville, produced by Julian Bunetta, Noah Conrad, Jason Evigan, Andrew Goldstein, John Ryan, Mark Schick, and Jake Sinclair.
Lead singer Luke Hemmings said of the album, “This band is made of four people who could all have their own solo albums where they do it all, sing it all, and write it all. Everyone’s A Star! embodies all of that. We were teenagers at the beginning of 5 Seconds of Summer. We were writing with more naivete, but we said what we were thinking. As time goes on, you tend to get a bit more cautious about what you say, but I think this record has more of our original sprit-but with 15 years of wisdom and a dash of reckless abandon.”
Each member told Rolling Stone about the album.
Luke Hemmings: “We wrote as teenage boys and ended up having some crazy lyrics, but with 15 years of wisdom and taste under the belt. Being in the pop world in a band, or a boy band, you attach your self-worth to how many people are looking at you, and how people feel about you as a person, as a musician. You sort of don't know who you are without whatever that is, and you can feel disposable. We're fucking funny, and we spend most of our time making jokes and being in a bit. These songs feel more like talking to the audience and bringing them in on the joke.”
Michael Clifford: “Being in this long enough, and knowing our fan base long enough, we can talk about the ups and downs of not just ourselves as humans, but the course of our career. The part that I'm enjoying the most about it is touching on the irony of our real-life story, sort of exaggerated heavily into this fictional world that we can kind of create with the way that it looks and sounds.”
Ashton Irwin: “I wanted to evolve the tongue-in-cheek thing that you hear on the first record.
It's so fun to write about the weirdness of our experience, but also the Frankenstein perception of what a boy band is [and] the emasculation of it. Calling grown men a boy band is almost like pointing at a 30-year-old and telling them they're in high school — it kind of feels humiliating. It's nice to bark back at that concept. We either celebrate that when it's received well, or at least six albums in, we know we died trying to reinvent what we are. I'd rather go out that way than just go back to making stale pop-punk records.”
Calum Hood: “I can say this now because I know the music is great, but there was a time where we were just finding the sound, where it was really intimidating. No one really knew what it was or where it was going, or how to incorporate the soul of the band while progressing forward. Working with the guys gives me a purpose to keep creating for reasons bigger than my ego. To be a little more selective. The bass is actually more involved melodically than it has been over the last five records, which I'm stoked about.”
5 Seconds of Summer explained track-by-track for the album via Official Charts
“Everyone's A Star!” Luke Hemmings: "Everyone's A Star! is the title track because it's the best song. So we thought maybe lead with a good one and then progressively get worse throughout the album!"
“NOT OK” Ashton Irwin: "Jason Evigan had a drum loop and I was like; this is pretty hot."NOT OK stood out instantly when we'd finished it. We were looking for something which was nasty up-tempo rock. It just so happens Jason is extremely good with synthesizers as well. So that sonic sound revealed itself after we'd all tracked on it and it ended up being our lead single."
“Telephone Busy” Calum Hood: "We wrote a lot of the tracks in Nashville. It's kind of the first time we've ever done a camp-esque session. We went there (Nashville) with some of our favourite writers and producers and hunkered down, writing as many songs as we could. Ashton moved into the house and made a studio in the living room. I don't know what happened in the 10 hours that Ashton was in that room, but everyone came back and he had Telephone Busy and I was like, this is the most amazing thing I've ever heard in my life."
“Boyband” Michael Clifford: "I think Boyband for us was about reclaiming the phrase boyband. Boyband was a very dirty word and to some, it still is. I think we were really intrigued by the idea of why that is. For a long time we let it become a word that would offend us and I think as we got older, we found the idea of being called a boyband a good thing we were like oh man you know people have sort of stopped calling us a boyband, how can we make them do it again.
We can be whatever we want. And if you want to use it as a dirty word, fine. But let's make it benefit us and let's make it do something for us and take power in the things that are sometimes thrown against you.
It doesn't matter to us if you call us a boyband or not. But if you do call us a boyband, we want to be the best. We want to be the best boyband of all time. So why not full send it and just go for the stars?"
“No. 1 Obsession” Luke Hemmings: "Yes, the song that started it all. No.1 Obsession was the first song on the album that led to the other songs in somewhat of a domino effect. That "make me your number one obsession" was a great line, and we've used it, we've rinsed it. It's like the north star and the pinnacle of having a line like that in the chorus for the rest of the ones to follow. The song rips! It's not a single but it's gonna make itself a single, so watch out for it!"
“I'm Scared I'll Never Sleep Again” "Calum's sensitivity is exposed through the spoken word, and that's a refreshing melodic palette for 5 Seconds of Summer. You always sing so bright and happy. But really, this time you sound pensive and reflective. It finally showcases the albums sensitivity, it's a beautiful song."
“istillfeelthesame” Calum Hood: "This is actually one of my favourites. You can print this. This could also be one that goes TikTok viral. It's what I view as a modern ballad for 5SOS. There's not too many about, there's probably one kind of orthodox ballad, but this one, this one feels like a ballad and the lyrics stand on their own thematically. I feel they're kind of dark, but also a little sexy."
“Ghost” Luke Hemmings: "This was a bit of an odd ball on the album, but it remains because of its intense, visual lyrics. It still matches up with everything else and the sonic of it is really interesting and I love this song. The end of it is so rad. It's gonna be fun live, so hopefully it gets a couple streams so we can play it live and fulfil my dreams. Because if it doesn't, then it'll never get played live!"
“Sick of Myself”
Michael Clifford: "Sick of Myself was one that was important to have on the record. The guitars specifically are panned left and right in sort of an old school Rolling Stone style. We kept a lot of that stuff on their such as the guitar tracks with tons of mistakes and s**t that we did first take. It was about thinking what is something we can do that is raw and honest."
“Evolve” Calum Hood: "When I walked into the studio, Ash and Jason Evigan had the bass line and the drum groove, I'm pretty sure. And all the lyrics were done, and the full production was there. I remember leaving the studio and thinking, that was so much fun. It felt writing the song was a by-product of everyone just having a good time and being creative. The song is one of my favourites conceptually because it's really empowering for our fan base. Most of our fan base is female and it's just talking about how stupid dudes are which I'm reminded of every day and in the bridge, there is an excerpt of this scientist talking about the scientific research behind how guys mature um slower than women and I think it's cool that we could write a song about that."
“The Rocks” Ashton Irwin: This is a fun one to talk about. So, you guys remember She Looks So Perfect back in the day? We revisited our production and writing partner, Jake Sinclair. And we said, Jake, we'd love to get back in with you. We're trying to make more rock again. We're trying to experiment with different kind of sonics right now. We made this song to an 8-track tape machine, and we were terrified of how the demo sounded because it was so raw. It was the first structure and was done on a drum kit in my head to begin with. And then we tracked bass and guitar on top of it and then layered maybe two or three vocal tracks. And I hoped that added up to eight tracks! We also added a tambourine track as well. The demo floated around and we were really worried about how it sounded. But the song really came together in the production realm after spending multiple weeks on it. It's one of the most emo songs on our album and it's a song that I really wish we had had forever. It makes me believe in 5sos and it goes right to my heart when I hear it so I'm really happy this made it on the album.
“Jawbreaker” Michael Clifford: "I love this song because it closes really well and I think our fans are going to love it. I just love jawbreaker even as a word to kind of identify this campaign for me. All the things that we are doing on this album very much embody that word and that that sort of feeling so I f**k with it, it's a good song man."
