5 Seconds of Summer...NOT Another Boy Band

5 Seconds of Summer...a band that I have been obsessed with since last Winter. Before they were played on the radio, before they were performing on all of the biggest award shows, and before people started freaking out over how hot the lead singer is (and having to double check what the heck his name is). Ashton, Michael, Luke, and Calum are something that I haven't seen or heard in a while. They are four attractive guys from Australia with a punk edge and extremely catchy music. They are also hysterical and down to earth, if you've ever watched any of their Keek and Instagram videos.

I first heard of them when Louis Tomlinson of One Direction tweeted a link to their video, "Heartbreak Girl." I had to check them out, especially since they would be 1D's opening act. After the first few lines, I was hooked, and my love for the band had begun. I would watch their Keek videos on the SEPTA commute home from college, and play the same four songs on repeat on the subway to class every morning. And you know what? No one else knew who they were. All I heard was "OMG you're obsessed with these boy bands" and "ugh another one?" To be honest, I didn't mind because they were my little secret.



And then "She Looks So Perfect" started playing on the radio a few months ago and everything changed. Fans that had criticized them jumped on the band wagon because 5SOS was clearly the next big thing. Frustrating, right? Trying to share their talent with people a year ago, and no one would listen until they got a song on the radio. To be honest, I still don't think people get what 5 Seconds of Summer is all about.

These guys are NOT another boy band. They play their own instruments. They can be inappropriate at times (see Keek video). They idolize Green Day, and even covered "American Idiot." Yet, the majority of their fan-base is tween and teen girls because the guys' ages are 18-20. It sucks for the fans who are actually their age and older because 5SOS is seen as a band for younger fans. Personally, I think they should be on the same level as groups like All Time Low and Fall Out Boy. 5SOS wrote songs for their album with both of these bands, yet they are continuously compared to One Direction because they tour with them. Taylor Swift had Austin Mahone open on her tour. Are they similar artists? Nope!

The happiest day of my life would be to see a 5 Seconds of Summer t-shirt in a store like Hot Topic, right next to All Time Low and Panic! At the Disco. Yes, they are younger, but that doesn't mean they should automatically be considered a boy band. No, they aren't by any means as hardcore as Green Day, but they clearly have an edge to them with their skinny jeans and various facial piercings. I'm afraid that because they have managed to attract so many younger fans, management will try to make them into something they're not.

I fell in love with the 5 Seconds of Summer who smacks people with an angry banana, gets naked in livestreams and covers their private parts with hats, and tweets random Green Day lyrics on a weekly basis (much to the confusion of the younger crowd). I hope they stay a group of inappropriate weirdos as long as humanly possible.