5 Seconds Of Summer's Michael Clifford Shares Debut Solo Single Cool
Thursday, 03 April 2025
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Amy Lee
5 Seconds of Summer's Michael Clifford has released his debut solo single.
Co-produced by the guitarist, JT Daly and Andrew Goldstein, Cool is a self-reflective pop-punk offering that tackles themes of self-doubt and insecurity. It was co-written by Clifford alongside his 5 Seconds Of Summer bandmate Calum Hood. Clifford said:
"This song speaks for itself, and my hope is that when fans hear the lyrics, they’ll understand me and hopefully themselves a little better.
"I’ve been deliberating on this music long enough, so I can’t wait for everybody to hear it—and ‘cool’ is just the beginning of what’s to come. I want this project to make people smile. I’m just out here doing a bunch of sidequests. Now that I’m a dad, everything other than that feels like a sidequest!"
Head below to view the song's accompanying video, directed by Bobby Hanaford, who explained: "It’s rare you get to work with an artist who is willing to play a bit of the fool and turn a mirror on themselves. The funny thing is, that this type of vulnerability is what resonates most with the audience. The moment I heard ‘cool’ I realized Michael was already there and really letting his guard down. He was using the critic in his head to take us on this journey of insecurity that every person can relate to."
The song is set to appear on Clifford's forthcoming debut solo album, 'Sidequest', which is set expected to arrive later this year via his new label Hopeless Records. Further details, including a release date, are to be revealed soon.
Clifford follows in the footsteps of his 5 Seconds Of Summer bandmates Luke Hemmings and Ashton Irwin in branching out with solo material. Irwin dropped his second solo album, 'Blood On The Drums', in June 2024, while Hemmings put out his first solo EP 'Boy' that April, followed by the live 'Nostalgia (Live from Los Angeles)' EP in December.
5SOS, meanwhile, released their fifth studio album, '5SOS5', in 2022, which was followed by 'The Feeling Of Falling Upwards (Live from The Royal Albert Hall)' in 2023.
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