More than just a boyband
We were all rejects, outcasts, social casualties that had finally found our home in 5sos
Whenever I tell someone my favorite band is 5 Seconds of Summer, the reply I am met with is generally something along the lines of ‘Oh, is that one of those boybands?’ I immediately play defense and try to explain that no, 5sos is not a boy band because they play all of their own instruments, write their own music, and have a punk sound.
After around five years of trying to defend my taste in music, I want to stop making excuses for why I love these four Aussie boys with all my heart and try to explain why boy bands are so much more than they seem.
The ages between 12-18 can be pretty rough. Everyone is trying to figure out who they are, navigate their ugly stage, find true friends, and gain some independence. This age group is also where boy bands gain most of their support, and there’s a very good reason for that.
Bands like One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, or even NSYNC, are a sweet escape from the terror of teenage years. Their music is a place of solace and their kind words are exactly what every teenager needs to hear.
I’ve said time and time again 5 Seconds of Summer saved my life, and although that may sound dramatic, it’s true.
My last couple years of high school were really hard on my mental health. I felt alone, unlovable and insecure. My anxiety was through the roof and it seemed like no one understood me, but the music understood me. The music felt like it was written specifically for me, and it helped pull me out of the darkness.
Not only did the music help set me free, but the fandom behind 5sos helped too. Boy bands represent much more than the music they create, there is an entire fandom, or community behind it all supporting them.
I found home in the 5sos fandom, because it is full of people just like me. Teenagers struggling with low-self esteem, depression, self harm, and the everyday struggles of being a teenager. These people I met on the internet understood me in a way my high school friends could not because they weren’t dealing with the same struggles.
We were all rejects, outcasts, social casualties that had finally found our home in 5sos.
Knowing I was not alone made a world of difference. Being able to get lost in the music when my anxiety was at an all time high gave me hope. Having friends who had been exactly where I was and survived made me believe I would be okay too. Diving head first into the lives of four Aussie boys was the perfect distraction, and that is how a boyband saved my life.
I believe music saves people every day, whether directly or indirectly, music has more power than we give it credit for. Michael, the guitarist of 5sos, said this perfectly when I saw him in concert this summer.
“We are here to spread love,” Clifford said. “Spread some love tonight, and never estimate the power of love.”
To me concerts are a collection of moments filled with extreme amounts of love, and in a world filled with so much hate and tragedy this love is something we could all use a lot more of.
So, yes my favorite band is a boy band, but I don’t care. This boy band has shown me light during the darkest times, they have given me hope, and picked me up when I lost my footing.
They have provided the sweetest escape from reality and most importantly they spread love in a world full of so much hate.