Youngblood

by 5 Seconds of Summer

Overview

Dropping all of the rambunctious energy and emo-pop trappings that found them labeled a punk boy band when they first broke through while on tour with One Direction in 2013, Australia's 5 Seconds of Summer instead embrace a slick dance-pop sound on their third album, 2018's Youngblood. It's a transition they've been hinting at ever since their 2015 sophomore album, Sounds Good Feels Good. Even with that album's Good Charlotte collaborations, there was a generalized pop vibe throughout, and one that spoke to the unsustainable and largely flimsy "pop-punk" label. In truth, 5SOS have always been a pop entity first, with the spiky hair, power chords, and Warped Tour-ready brattitudes tagged on for show. So, the transition to a streamlined, post-EDM-flavored sound isn't really a shock, even if it's a notable shift. This time out, they've conscripted uber-producers like Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub (Avicii, the Vamps, Ellie Goulding), Sir Nolan (Fifth Harmony, Pitbull, Nick Jonas), and Watt (Post Malone, Justin Bieber) to help craft their hooky brand of dance-friendly anthems. Cuts like the opening title track, "Want You Back," and "Woke Up in Japan" are swooping, studio-savvy bangers, rife with finger-snap samples, dramatic piano riffs, and plenty of room for the band's vocals to take the spotlight. Elsewhere, tracks like "Lie to Me" and "Talk Fast" draw upon the springy guitar arpeggios and ersatz reggae intimations of '80s artists like the Police and Michael Jackson. It's a useful sound for 5SOS to embrace, and helps position them nicely as a lighter version of the 1975 or Imagine Dragons. While there are plenty of hooks here, the dancey pop attitude is matched by a growing maturity with lyrics about growing weary of the party scene, the emptiness of touring, and yearning for that one perfect love. All of which seems to fit a band, almost eight years into its career, whose original fans are just as likely to be filling out college applications as heading to Coachella. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	06/15/2018
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0602567482253

Tracks

1. Youngblood
2. Want You Back
3. Lie to Me
4. Valentine
5. Talk Fast
6. Moving Along
7. If Walls Could Talk
8. Better Man
9. More
10. Why Won't You Love Me
11. Woke Up in Japan
12. Empty Wallets
13. Ghost of You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

5 Seconds of Summer   Primary Artist
Patrick Kiernan   Violin
Emma Owens   Violin
Natalia Bonner   Violin
Mark "Spike" Stent   Guitar,Vocals
Sally Jackson   Violin
Mike Elizondo   Keyboards
Deborah Widdup   Violin
Jane Oliver   Cello
Justin Tranter   Vocals,Backwards Vocals
Carl Falk   Vocals
Jake Sinclair   Vocals (Background)
Andrew Goldstein   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards
Rosie Danvers   Cello
Richard Price   Double Bass
Eleanor Mathieson   Violin
Noah Passovoy   Drums,Piano (Grand),Guitar (Electric)
Jenny Sacha   Violin
Rami Yacoub   Vocals
Sarah Sexton   Violin
Hayley Pomfrett   Violin
Albin Nedler   Vocals
Ali Tamposi   Vocals (Background)
Michael Clifford   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Kristoffer Fogelmark   Vocals
Ashton Irwin   Drums,Vocals,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Calum Hood   Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Luke Hemmings   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Andrew Watt   Guitar,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Meghan Cassidy   Violin
Andrew Wells   Guitar
Henry Lunetta   Keyboards
Jason Moser   Guitar (Bass)
Louis Bell   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Chris Gehringer   Mastering
John Hanes   Mixing Engineer
Mark "Spike" Stent   MC,Mixing,Dialogue Mixing
Wayne Hector   Composer
Nick Taylor   Producer,String Engineer
Mike Elizondo   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Dan Book   Editing,Composer,Engineer,Additional Production
Tommy D   Producer,String Engineer
Steve Mac   Composer
Kevin Fisher   Composer
Rivers Cuomo   Composer
Adam Hawkins   Engineer
Justin Tranter   Composer,Executive Producer
Michael Freeman   Mixing Assistant
Teddy Geiger   Composer
Jacob Kasher   Composer
Carl Falk   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation,Musical Producer
Brent Arrowood   Engineer
Jake Sinclair   Composer,Producer
Andrew Goldstein   Editing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Editorial,Programming
Nick Raphael   A&R
Rosie Danvers   String Arrangements
Jo Charrington   A&R
Chris Kahn   Drum Engineering
Jeremy "J Boogs" Levin   Production Coordination
Noah Passovoy   Engineer,Producer,Bass Engineer
Zvi Edelman   Production Coordination
Rami Yacoub   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation,Musical Producer
Jordan Johnson   Composer
Andrew Luftman   Production Coordination
Julia Michaels   Composer
Albin Nedler   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Sarah Shelton   Production Coordination
Stefan Johnson   Composer
Thomas Cullison   Engineer
Amber Jones   Assistant Engineer
Matthew Koma   Composer
Marcus Lomax   Composer
Ali Tamposi   Composer,Producer
Suzy Shinn   Engineer
David Silberstein   Production Coordination
Michael Clifford   Composer,Group Member
Kristoffer Fogelmark   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Sacha Bambadji   Assistant Engineer
Nick Ruth   Composer
Nolan Lambroza   Composer
Sir Nolan   Producer,Programming
David Rodriguez   Engineer
Strangerz   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
The Monsters   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Ashton Irwin   Composer,Group Member
Calum Hood   Composer,Group Member
Luke Hemmings   Composer,Group Member
Ben Sedano   Engineer
Andrew Watt   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation,String Engineer,String Arrangements
Simon Sigfridsson   Engineer,Pro-Tools
Andrew Wells   Engineer,Producer,Editorial,Programming
Alexandra Gavillet   Photography
Alonzo Lazaro   Assistant Engineer
Vladimir Sepetov   Packaging,Creative Director
Andrew Watman   Composer
Samantha Corrie Schulman   Production Coordination
Rachel White   Assistant Engineer
Mitchell Collins   Composer
Jason Moser   Assistant Engineer
Janelle Dolrayne   Composer
Louis Bell   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation