5 Seconds of Summer – “Wildflower”

I personally, was counting down the days for the new 5 Seconds of Summer album, CALM (2020) since it was announced in February. One song got stuck in my head for a week after the album release and turned into my favorite track. “Wildflower” glides up through the verses and crashes down with a staccato chorus. The drums beat forcefully making itself known in a way that doesn’t overpower the melody. It is nearly impossible not to bop your head along with the tune. “Wildflower” follows the band’s recent pop trajectory but is reminiscent of the pop-punk sounds of their 2014 hit “She Looks So Perfect.”

“CALM” is an acronym for the four members: Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings, and Michael Clifford. The first half of the album is full of bright euphoric sounds, and “Wildflower” acts as the midpoint, the climax of the cheeriness before easing into the second half of the album, full of more longing, darker tones. “CALM” is closest in sound to their last album Youngblood (2018), rather than the first two which sported pop-punk sounds.

“Wildflower’s” music video, created post-quarantine with a green-screen mailed between all the members’ houses, has soft technicolor themes; the bright colors and animated flowers fit the cheerful song well. The video doesn’t take itself too seriously, including a clip of the greenscreen falling behind a confused Michael, and a guest appearance of Luke’s dog Petunia. I struggle to think of a better video they could have come up with under normal circumstances.