You May Hate How Much You Love 5 Seconds Of Summer’s “Amnesia”

5 Seconds Of Summer‘s ascent towards total global takeover continued this past weekend as the Aussie exports shared a new video for their single “Amnesia.” We did not post the clip when it debuted, and for that I apologize. I have taken the time to experience it in the days since, however, and am now more certain of the group’s ability to win over any detractor than ever before.

For all intents and purposes “Amnesia” is the heartbreaking ballad buried deep in 5 Seconds Of Summer’s debut album (out now). It’s a tale of a relationship gone awry, and how, try as we might, it’s sometimes impossible to forget the ones we used to love. The chorus, as you can probably guess, begs for amnesia if only to wipe the memories of happiness from one’s mind. It’s depressing as can be on paper, and the final product is not much better, but that’s what makes it such a strong song.

The video for “Amnesia,” which has received over four million views in less than a week, features a story of loneliness on the part of vocalist Callum Hood. We see Hood sitting on his kitchen floor reflecting on everything that once was, with splices of life and practice with his best friend cut in between. It’s a simple trick for showcasing the feeling of isolation that can sometimes follow a hard breakup, but it works like gangbusters. You can view the video below:

The first time I heard this song I immediately wrote it off as a cliche pop ballad written specifically to counter the upbeat feel of the majority of the band’s music. I still believe that to be true today, but after I realized I kept spinning the song again and again it became clear what once was immediate dismissal had in some small way turned to admiration. Now, I sing along with every word, and I probably will continue to do so until “Amnesia” is in rotation at top 40 so heavily that it drives me crazy.

5 Seconds Of Summer’s debut album is available now wherever music is sold. We ran our review last week, and early next week we will have a live review of the group’s performance on One Direction’s current tour.

James Shotwell
Latest posts by James Shotwell (see all)
Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed.