Wildflower (5 Seconds of Summer song)
{{Infobox song
| name = Wildflower
| cover = Wildflower5SoS.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = 5 Seconds of Summer
| album = Calm
| released = 27 March 2020
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = *New wave{{cite web|url=https://theseahawk.org/25941/lifestyles/5-seconds-of-summer-differentiates-itself-from-boy-bands-with-new-album-calm/|title=5 Seconds of Summer differentiates itself from boy bands with new album 'CALM'|publisher=theseahawk|access-date=April 2, 2020}}
- soft rock{{cite web|title=Review: 5 Seconds of Summer's new album shows a softer side of pop-rock|url=http://www.videtteonline.com/features/review-5-seconds-of-summers-new-album-shows-a-softer-side-of-pop-rock/article_cec8319c-720a-11ea-b3e8-cfa6b8a000b4.html|access-date=2020-06-30|website=videtteonline.com}}
- dance-pop{{cite web|last=Collar|first=Matt|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/calm-mw0003356361|title=Calm – 5 Seconds of Summer|publisher=AllMusic|date=3 April 2020|access-date=12 May 2024|archive-date=27 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327121015/https://www.allmusic.com/album/calm-mw0003356361|url-status=live}}
| length = 3:40
| label = * Interscope
| writer = * Calum Hood
- Ashton Irwin
- Michael Clifford
- Geoff Warburton
- Oscar Gorres
- Rami Yacoub
| producer = Oscar Gorres
| prev_title = Old Me
| prev_year = 2020
| next_title = 2011
| next_year = 2021
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|YgzhJcBnKOg|"Wildflower"}}}}
}}
"Wildflower" is a song by Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, released on 25 March 2020 as the second promotional single from their fourth studio album Calm, before being released as the album's fifth single to radio on 17 April 2020.{{cite web|url=https://meaww.com/5-seconds-of-summer-calum-hood-wildflower-single-lyric-video-album-calm|title=5 Seconds of Summer's Calum Hood drops single "Wildflower" lyric video ahead of CALM album release|website=Meaww|date=24 March 2020|access-date=3 April 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/3161193/5-seconds-of-summer-wildflower-calum-hood/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326130013/http://www.mtv.com/news/3161193/5-seconds-of-summer-wildflower-calum-hood/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 26, 2020|title=5SOS's Calum Hood Takes Lead On Sunny New Song 'Wildflower'|website=MTV|date=25 March 2020|access-date=3 April 2020}}
Background
Breaking the precedent set by previous 5 Seconds of Summer albums, “Wildflower” is the only track from Calm to feature bassist Calum Hood (or any member other than Luke Hemmings) on lead vocals. Talking about the song, Hood said, "We wanted to make the chorus kind of a choose-your-own-adventure, where some words are left out and then accentuated by these big stabs of synth. It lets everyone come up with their own interpretation, and fill in whatever they think those missing lyrics might be."{{cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/5-Seconds-Of-Summer-Release-New-Single-Wildflower-20200325|title=5 Seconds of Summer Release New Single "Wildflower"|website=Broadway World|date=25 March 2020|access-date=3 April 2020}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/5sos-wildflower-calm-new-song-972130/|title=Hear 5 Seconds of Summer's Euphoric New Song 'Wildflower'|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=25 March 2020|access-date=3 April 2020}}
Reception
Chris Payne of Billboard said, "The fifth single off Calm takes root in the flashy '80s touches that have served the Aussie quartet well in the past. Booming drumbeats, psychedelic harmonies, and synthy karate chops abound."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9342678/5-seconds-of-summer-wildflower|title=5 Seconds of Summer Get Romantic on '80s-Inspired 'Wildflower': Listen|magazine=Billboard|date=25 March 2020|access-date=3 April 2020}}
In a review of the album, David from auspOp said "'Wildflower' is the most pop-centric these boys sound on the album... it's an addictively good song."{{cite web|url=https://www.auspop.com.au/2020/03/calm-yourself-david-checks-out-the-5sos-album/|title=Calm Yourself, David Checks Out the 5SOS Album|work=auspOp|date=31 March 2020|access-date=4 April 2020}}
Lyric and music videos
A lyric video was released along with the release of the single on 25 March 2020. The video was made by the band's creative director Andy DeLuca and Sarah Eiseman and features a circle of moving flowers with the song lyrics in the centre. The video was made with stop-motion animation, using 358 different photos.
The band had originally planned a big-budget music video, but the shoot was cancelled last minute due to the stay-at-home order issued in California to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, each band member filmed themselves in front of a green screen which was passed around from house to house. According to DeLuca, who directed the video, he and assistant director Eiseman then, "quickly learned animation and drew up several blooming flowers, and also created the trippy colored backgrounds using milk and food dye. I then spent the next couple of days/nights editing nonstop until my eyes bled and the video was completed."{{Cite web|url=https://www.altpress.com/news/5-seconds-of-summer-wildflower-music-video/|title=Join 5 Seconds of Summer's psychedelic paradise in the "Wildflower" video|last=Greenwood|first=Koltan|date=2020-04-16|website=Alternative Press|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-17}}
The resulting video was released on 16 April 2020. It was described by Rolling Stone as "trippy" and "psychedelic" and DeLuca said of the concept behind the video, "Since the song has a pretty distinct 80s/90s tone, I came up with the idea of making an 80's/90's MTV-style music video. A 'music-video-themed music video'. The stuff I grew up on and loved."{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/5-seconds-of-summer-wildflower-video-985190/|title=5 Seconds of Summer Unveil Trippy 'Wildflower' Video|last=Martoccio|first=Angie|date=2020-04-16|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-17}}
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.{{Cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/135602633/credits|title=Credits / CALM / 5 Seconds Of Summer – TIDAL|website=Tidal|access-date=3 April 2020}}
- Oscar Gorres – producer, composer, lyricist, associated performer, background vocalist, programmer
- Ashton Irwin – composer, lyricist, associated performer, background vocalist, drums
- Calum Hood – composer, lyricist, associated performer, background vocalist, bass guitar, lead vocals
- Geoff Warburton – composer, lyricist, associated performer, background vocalist
- Michael Clifford – composer, lyricist, associated performer, background vocalist, guitar
- Rami Yacoub – composer, lyricist
- Matt Wolach – assistant mixer, studio personnel
- Luke Hemmings – associated performer, background vocalist
- Dave Kutch – mastering engineer, studio personnel
- Mike "Spike" Stent – mixer, studio personnel
Charts
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col"| Label ! scope="col"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"| Various
| 25 March 2020{{efn|Release as a promotional single.}} | {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} | {{hlist|Interscope|Polydor}} |
|---|
| scope="row" |Australia
|27 March 2020 | rowspan="3"| Contemporary hit radio |
| scope="row"| Italy
| rowspan="2"| 17 April 2020 |
| scope="row"| United Kingdom
| {{hlist|Interscope|Universal UK}} |{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3tqPdBWF9yMbTrfjWvfKV8t/radio-1-playlist|title=Radio 1 Playlist|website=BBC|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423180016/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3tqPdBWF9yMbTrfjWvfKV8t/radio-1-playlist|archive-date=23 April 2020}} |
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{5 Seconds of Summer}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:5 Seconds of Summer songs
Category:Australian soft rock songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Oscar Görres
Category:Songs written by Ashton Irwin
Category:Songs written by Calum Hood
Category:Songs written by Geoff Warburton
Category:Songs written by Michael Clifford (musician)