#im willing to give them Some benefit of the doubt and follow their journey

[professorsta]

Watcher is a small business we have seen actively and continuously grow and progress from an idea to zoom meanings through the pandemic to a touring show. But despite their success, I think it has lead them into believing they are safer and supported by their fanbase much more than they actually are. They want to make TV caliber content, I hope they can put their money where their mouth is. As someone in the industry and wants to understand how business models such as this works, I understand the need to control your art and to create what you want with enough funding. But instant success doesn't equal long term

#watcher #i hope they dont paywall their old shit #cus then ill just be confused #small business arent morally perfect cus they are small #but with little financial nor political support that coglomerations have #im willing to give them Some benefit of the doubt and follow their journey #im disappointed #i hope they just do whats best for the long term success of their business

[melancholy-queen]

okay, so while i was listening to the album, i knew what the songs were about from interviews and other info 5sos had released from promo. HOWEVER, despite some being a little bit of a stretch, i think that all of the songs can be listened to in a way that makes them about the tumultuous relationship 5SOS has had with the music industry throughout their career, rather than just romantic love

these are all my opinions, and this was just for some fun! anyway, stream calm 

track by track justifications 

album title (C A L M): this is them going back to their 2014 roots and paying homage to the fans who have followed their musical journey, and continue to today

red desert: an homage to australia and their love for home. they always talk about how going back rejuvenates them 

“red, red desert, heal our blues”

no shame: the alluring qualities of the music industry. fame comes with ego boosting and giving into the more superficial aspects of being a celebrity

“never enough and no satisfaction / got no shame / i love the way you’re screaming my name”

old me: the most obvious tribute to their younger selves. they got so much freedom while being so young and the growing process was painful and on full display for their whole fanbase, but they want to move forward with their lives, but not forget the past, while also not be tied down to it

“shout out to the old me and / everything you showed me / had to fuck it up before i let you get / to know me”

easier: this could be about picking whether to continue on the path to being musicians or giving up. the chorus could be the internal dilemma of trying to decide. three of the boys dropped out of high school to make their music careers work, which is no doubt a tough choice, especially if they failed

“the hardest part of all / is that we’re only built to fall”

teeth: i think this could be about the uncertainty within the music industry. there are so many empty promises that are made by executives and higher ups that fall through, who do not even feel bad about crushing younger artists’ dreams. this could be reflecting on getting so close to success only for someone with power to strip that away from you and the pain, as well as adrenaline that comes from that.

“fight so dirty, but you love so sweet / talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth”

wildflower: for me, this was the hardest one to justify because it is very overtly about sex. symbolically, it could be the euphoric nature of achieving stardom and success through the music industry

“you know you are my favorite fantasy / a fatal love song”

best years: again, this one is clearly about a relationship, but in a more abstract sense, it could be about reflecting on giving your youth to being famous. in many ways, the boys had to grow up at a faster rate than other people. they are saying that they know the sacrifices, but are fully willing to give themselves to the music, which will turn out to be some of the best years, and memories, of their lives 

“you’ve got a million reasons to hesitate / but darling, the future’s better than yesterday”

not in the same way: they have faced some backlash for their work or actions, so i think it shows the ups and downs of having a fanbase. they want to please the fans, but they also want to become adults and not be held down to their behavior of when they first started

“im wakin up to my mistakes again / i know you love to point them out”

lover of mine: while this is also about romantic love, i think it could also be about romantic love of their job. it feels like an impassioned love letter to being able to successfully create and produce works of art. they continue making music because they are in love with the act of creating

“when i take a look at my life and all of my crimes / you’re the only thing that i think i got right”

thin white lies: this could also be about the elusive nature of the music industry. it could be about getting wrapped up in the fame and not recognizing who you are anymore because you are basing your personality around the one that the media created for you, and you feel an obligation to live up to it

“watch me as i disappear / these empty sounds and endless stories / so tell me what i wanna hear”

lonely heart: this could be about the loneliness that is created from being famous. letting people down can create this, which i think is the overarching theme of this song. it could be about the people in their lives leaving them because of the lifestyle they live

“our house on fire, we’re burnin / we dance inside, you're hurtin”

high: this could be the product of lonely heart, where they lost the person due to the high demand of their job, but they cannot stop thinking of them. more broadly, it could be about losing fans because the fandom has created such a built up image in their head of who 5sos is that the boys are worried about disappointing. the inner turmoil between wanting to be who you are and wanting to satisfy fans is key here

“i know ill never meet your expectations / but the picture that you paint of me / looks better in your mind”

kill my time (bonus): also about romantic love, it could be about the fame that comes with music. the “wildflower, fingertips” might be about the seduction of the benefits of being famous. while they do love other things, fame, for all its good and bad, is a clear love of theirs.

“you’re the only one that makes me feel alive / i cant keep drowning in the shadows”

sorry this is so long!

#5sos #5 seconds of summer #5sos calm #calum hood #ashton irwin #luke hemmings #michael clifford