When “Boyband” kicks in, you feel the wire hum in the sound. A synth stab cracks the silence, then the drum machine charges forward like headlights.
Nothing gentle, nothing polite, this is full-tilt 80s-inspired techno-disco pop with teeth. That opening is adrenaline wrapped in satire with a touch of nostalgia.
5 Seconds of Summer released “Boyband” on 16 October 2025 as part of EVERYONE’S A STAR! via Republic Records.
The writing credits include Ashton Irwin, Calum Hood, Luke Hemmings, Jason Evigan, John Ryan and Simon Wilcox; production is handled by Evigan & Ryan.
From the outset, the band makes it clear: the label “boyband” that once boxed them in now becomes the badge they brandish openly.
They wear fame fatigue in every pulsating line. “Boyband” tears away pop’s glossy mask. Although the production is polished, you hear the cracks underneath.
The band refuse to bow to old versions of themselves. They twist and stretch expectations until “boyband” feels ambiguous again.
The beat rides aggressively. The drum machine feels alive, pushing, pressing forward. The bass loops in hypnotic motion, anchoring chaos before jolting you again. The synths sparkle in layers. Bright tones crack against darker pads lurking underneath. Luke Hemmings’ voice carries swagger and weariness at once.
In: “Give you, give you, give you, give you everything you want” “Love me when I’m skinny and we never, ever age” you hear a plea wrapped in sharp edges, bold, vulnerable, tentative. The gloss tries to mask tension but cannot erase it.
Then comes the pivot: “Same four chords, but it never feels the same, oh / Boy in a boyband, make that monkey dance”
It’s a jab at formula and expectation, and still the hook lands hard. That tension is the engine.
They mock glamor and myth making, and yet they live inside those illusions. The electronics, the beats, the sheen, those are now their tools and their battleground.
You’ll dance to “Boyband,” definitely. But you’ll also hear the crack in the mirror. It gives you spectacle and stakes. Too many new pop songs coast in the palette of polish. “Boyband” is a thrilling song that strikes a rare balance in that it’s visceral yet smart.
Almost flawless. We only wish a bridge or moment that strips away more of the shell, pushes voice or production into rawer territory. I want to hear them fracture it entirely.