Guide
5 Seconds of Summer return with their new single “NOT OK” which was released in September 2024 as the lead single from their sixth album “Everyone’s a Star!” which drops on November 14th. Here, I take a deep dive!
Song Analysis (NOT OK Review)
“NOT OK” for me marks their most audacious departure in years as it brings together rave-ready electronic production with alt-rock aggression into a 3 minute 27 second experimental pop-rock statement. The track reunites the band with producer Jason Evigan who engineers a hypnotic collision of fuzzy electronic guitar riffs, staggered instrumentation, and relentlessly pulsating percussion. Also, what makes this evolution significant is the band’s deliberate embrace of influences like The Prodigy, N.E.R.D., and Gorillaz; a stark pivot from the pristine arena-rock polish of their previous work toward something darker, more reckless, and unapologetically chaotic.
The production philosophy here centers on selective arrangement and intentional imperfection, with the bass more involved melodically than ever before, while the guitars celebrate keeping mistakes rather than surgically correcting every flaw.
Structurally the song employs a verse pre chorus chorus framework with notable creative detours. This makes it stand out compared to the conventional pop-rock radio fare. Luke Hemmings delivers verses in an almost rap cadence, a first for the band, with sharp vocal distortion cutting through the mix like serrated edges. The pre-chorus builds tension through repetitive “jump, jump, jump” motifs before exploding into an anthemic group vocal chorus where all four members chant “Hey, I’m not okay” with the infectious urgency of a crowd singalong.
The song’s most striking compositional choice arrives in its spoken-word interlude. It is here where Hemmings adopts a confessional, talk-sing delivery that breaks the fourth wall before an instrumental break lets the experimental production breathe. Michael Clifford’s harmonies enrich the texture throughout, particularly layering the chorus sections with depth, while the final chorus iteration unexpectedly shifts lead vocal duties to Clifford himself.
The electronic elements, programmed beats, synth riffs, rave percussion, push far beyond their previous organic rock arrangements, yet the distorted guitars and crashing cymbals anchor the track in their alt-rock DNA. The final product achieves a dense, aggressive profile that prioritizes forward-pushing rhythm and distortion-as-feature over clarity or conventional polish.
The band explicitly drew from dance music pioneers like Fatboy Slim and The Prodigy while maintaining rock credibility through Queens of the Stone Age-style heaviness, resulting in a hybrid that feels like early 2000s pop-punk colliding with underground electronic music. This calculated risk, embracing electronic production, imperfect performances, and almost comedic exaggeration inspired by Gorillaz’s cartoon-like energy, positions “NOT OK” as a mission statement where maturity means permission to be reckless again.
5 Seconds Of Summer – “NOT OK” Lyrics (NOT OK Review)
Verse 1: Luke
Inside every one of us, a shadow side
I call it my better side
I call it the call-me-up-if-you-wanna-feel-better side
I’ll put on my suit and tie to emphasize
You and I together, double homicide
Let’s ride
Verse 2: Luke
Alright, are you my little genie or a parasite?
Girl, you keep the dream alive
Why you got me stayin’ crazy hours after closin’ time?
Lucifer in every line, every night
You and I together, we should take a bite
Let’s ride
Pre-Chorus: Luke
I wanna dip my toe into the fire
Where did the good boy go? Killed by desire
On the edge
You make me wanna jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump
Chorus: All
Hey, I’m not okay
I like the darker side of me, that part of me
Comes out to play when I’m with you, you
(Bite, bite, bite) Bite the apple, baby
Hey, I’m not okay
It’s like a hammer to the brain, all my insane
Comes out to play when I’m with you, you
(Bite, bite, bite) Bite the apple, baby
Verse 3: Calum
Oh my god, I feel invincible
And when the sun comes up, I feel despicable
And when my heart slows down, will you pick me up?
But we can pause for now, I think I said enough, uh
Pre-Chorus: Luke
I wanna dip my toe into the fire
Where did the good boy go? Killed by desire
On the edge
You make me wanna jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump
Chorus: All
Hey, I’m not okay
I like the darker side of me, that part of me
Comes out to play when I’m with you, you
(Bite, bite, bite) Bite the apple, baby
Hey, I’m not okay
It’s like a hammer to the brain, all my insane
Comes out to play when I’m with you, you
(Bite, bite, bite) Bite the apple, baby
Interlude: Ashton
Hey, give me a sip of it
It’s 1 in the morning
Got these wheels rolling
It’s 4 in the morning
All over the city
And I said I loved you, but I didn’t really mean it
I, I don’t think, but
Anyways, turn it up
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Instrumental Break
Chorus: Michael, All
Hey, I’m not okay
I like the darker side of me, that part of me
Comes out to play when I’m with you, you
(Bite, bite, bite) Bite the apple, baby
Hey, I’m not okay
It’s like a hammer to the brain
All my insane
Comes out to play when I’m with you, you
(Bite, bite, bite) Bite the apple, baby
Outro: Calum
Oh my god, I feel invincible
Meaning (My Opinion) (NOT OK Review)
This song really digs into how we all have different sides to ourselves; especially in relationships. You know that part of you that’s a little wild, maybe impulsive or not exactly what you show the world? That’s what this is about in my opinion. The lyrics talk about how being with someone can bring out these hidden parts of who you are. Moreover, when it says “I like the darker side of me, that part of me comes out to play when I’m with you,” it’s showing how another person can unlock something in us we didn’t even know was there, or maybe something we kept locked away on purpose.
The whole “biting the apple” thing keeps coming up too, which feels pretty loaded. It’s about making choices you know might not be the best idea, doing things you probably shouldn’t, but feeling drawn to them anyway. There’s this push and pull throughout the whole thing between playing it safe and just going for it, between holding back and letting yourself feel everything intensely. The fire and desire imagery makes you feel that tension, like standing on the edge of something and deciding whether to jump.
Listen To “NOT OK” By 5 Seconds Of Summer (NOT OK Review)
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