5 Seconds of Summer’s sophomore album, Sounds Good, Feels Good, was very different from their debut album and their 5 eps. The boys had worked with writers that wrote for pop-punk bands, like Blink, All Time Low, Good Charlotte, etc. They wanted their music to be more punk, and less pop like their first, self-titled album. They also wrote from real experiences, and wanted to have more meaning in their songs.

Luke, Calum, Ashton, and Michael had wanted to tell their fans, it’s okay to not be okay. That was their whole message for the album. Their lyrics were from depression, and heartbreak, to abusive parents and suicide. The way they presented some of the songs may have sounded happy, but they weren’t. They wanted their music, well some of it, to be upbeat but have really sad lyrics. They may have gotten that idea from Twenty One Pilots, seeing since they are fans of them.

Instrumental wise, the whole album was incredible. The 5SOS guys wanted to show off their skills, and show they’re passionate about their instruments as well as their lyrics. They thought they didn’t get enough recognition for what they were capable of. There were many guitar solos, and some interludes at the end of the songs. In Waste the Night, there was a 45 second interlude. Altogether Sounds Good, Feels Good was amazing, and deserves to be heard.