Less than one year after 5 Seconds of Summer dropped their Billboard 200-topping album Youngblood, the group is already kicking off the next era of 5SOS. The Australian quarted released the thumping love song “Easier,” along with an eerie video, on Thursday (May 23).
“Easier” is a tale of a couple contemplating whether they should stay together, knowing that while they’re in love, they might be too different to make it work (“Is it easier to stay is it easier to go?/ I don’t want to know/ But I know that I’m never ever gonna change/ And you know that you’re always gonna stay the same,” 5SOS sings on the chorus). The relatably heart-rending sentiment is elevated by lead singer Luke Hemmings’ impassioned vocals, from the murmuring verses to the falsetto on the chorus.
The video sees the band writhing in dimly lit caves as they sing “Easier,” with a blue tint bringing out the gloom of the song’s lyrics. As the song reaches its despairing bridge (“The hardest part of all/ Is that we’re only built to fall”), a hallway donning images of each 5SOS member’s face sets ablaze, making the story of “Easier” burn even more.
The track — which was produced by Andrew Watt, Louis Bell and Charlie Puth — marks 5 Seconds of Summer’s first release since signing to Interscope Records, also presenting a new level of confidence from the guys as they begin their next chapter. “Visually and sonically it feels like we took what we uncovered about ourselves as a band on the last album and honed in on that sound and aura,” Hemmings said in a statement. “I truly believe that ‘Easier’ is the beginning of the best era for 5SOS.”
Watch the “Easier” video below.
