Michael Clifford has finally made his solo music debut. Perhaps best known as the lead guitarist of 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS), or the “guy who caught fire with the coloured hair from the band with the song about underwear”, as he teases in his new single. Clifford promises to follow suit of his bandmates Luke Hemmings and Ashton Irwin who have also made this step into solo music, similarly and impressively coming into his own while embodying the nostalgic pop-punk sound that defined 5SOS’s early music in ‘cool’.

When the first snippet of the single was leaked on TikTok a few days prior to its release, I will admit that I was hesitant towards the corniness of such lines as “It’s kinda hard tryna fit into a new scene, / When your clothes only fit in 2015”. However, as soon as I listened to the complete single, I was definitively won over. Regardless of their inherent corniness, I felt Clifford’s lyrics voiced an uncomplicated honesty concerning his anxieties at the beginning of a solo career.

Perhaps more so, the lyrics are unapologetically devoted to crafting simply an upbeat and fun single. At some points, it seems specifically written for long-time fans, who have spotted multiple references to the band’s history, such as the line “Try hard, and I wish I could care less” possibly being a reference to 5SOS’s 2014 b-side ‘Try Hard’. And, of course, the pre-mentioned bridge where he describes himself as “the guy who caught fire with the coloured hair” calls back to the infamous 2015 Wembley show involving a slightly traumatic incident with the pyrotechnics.

In an interview with Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden on his Artist Friendly podcast, Clifford explores this sentiment in light of recently becoming a father and how this changed his lens on creating music: “seeing her [his daughter] discover things and learn things for the first time … gave me inspiration of, man, like I really wanted to embrace things that felt really, really childlike and really just based on nothing other than joy and fun.” This importance of ‘childlike … joy,’ I believe, really shines through in Clifford’s choice to embrace the pop-punk sound that defined the band’s music when they were teenagers, particularly in tandem with the lyrics voicing relatable fears of teenage anxieties encroaching on adult life, such as questioning whether “Everybody knows that I’m out of place”.

In many ways, it is Clifford’s voice that is the stand-out feature of ‘cool’. Its perfect pop-punk tone feels almost nostalgic as someone who has been a fan since 5SOS’s early days. While, of course, he has provided a fair share of vocals across the band’s discography, particularly with his increased role in production in their most recent album, 5SOS5, it is still brilliant to hear him showcase his signature sound across a full song. A personal favourite moment of the single, which really exhibits his voice, is the end of the chorus, where he sings “She reads my mind, she knows that I’m, / Overthinkin’ what I’ve been tryna say” while his ruminating backing vocals continue questioning, “Am I cool enough? Am I cool enough?”

All in all, I believe Michael Clifford’s ‘cool’ is an exciting first single in anticipation of his upcoming debut album SIDEQUEST. Alongside being accompanied by the stellar music video directed by Bobby Hanaford which flaunts Clifford’s distinctive personality, ‘cool’ exhibits both a devotion to his fans with its knowing references to the band’s history as well as showcases his potential as a solo artist in his own right. 

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