Likes, money, and fame have become toxic traits in the entertainment industry. People will do anything for attention these days. 5 Seconds of Summer took a stab at how toxic fame can be with their new song and video, “No Shame,” off their upcoming fourth album C.A.L.M out March 27. At first glance, “No Shame” is a fun pop song with killer vocals from frontman Luke Hemmings. But when you take a step back and look at the deeper meaning of the lyrics, it’s actually a satirical take on society’s obsession with attention and power.
When 5SOS first teased the single, fans initially thought it was about romance with the lyrics, “I love the way you’re screaming my name,” but that’s not what the song is really about. The lyrics to the chorus are, “I only light up when cameras are flashing, never enough and no satisfaction got no shame… digging my grave to get a reaction changing my face and calling it fashion,” which speak volumes about society’s hyper-fixation on attention and the lengths people will go to get it. “It’s a satirical snapshot of the vanity and insatiable desire for materialistic that can sometimes plague the world we live in, ourselves included. It’s a light-hearted glimpse into the darker parts of society: the good, the bad and the ugly,” Luke Hemmings said in an interview for Apple Music. It’s a bold move to write a song like this but it shows just how much the band has evolved and found themselves as songwriters and overall creators.
Before the music video came out Ashton tweeted pictures of Logan Paul, Elvis Presley, and Tupac with no context, sending fans into a frenzy of theories trying to figure out the message of the video. Logan Paul is known for being chaotic and reckless in his videos and that gives him some not-so-good attention, but it’s still attention. Michael’s character in the video got in a car crash with his friends on the way to see aliens and instead of getting help they were taking selfies with an alien and dancing. His storyline in the video not only reflects how Logan has no shame when it comes to his videos, but it also makes a statement about how social media affects our everyday lives. There are memes all over the internet about how these days people will pull out their phones and tweet during car crashes and other emergencies. Ashton was an overly dramatic plastic surgeon changing his “patient’s” face beyond recognition. Luke faked his death just for attention and was hiding at his own funeral. Calum played the role of the perfect trophy husband not only for his kids but to keep up appearances even though they’re having marital problems. He even bought his wife a fancy new car.
People will do anything for attention these days with social media. It’s not just celebrities, it’s society as a whole. The thing is sometimes we’re not even aware that we’re doing crazy things to get attention because that’s just how we live now. Like Luke said, the song and video are a satirical snapshot of the darker parts of society. It was meant to show us in an exaggerated way how the media has shaped society and 5SOS did it beautifully. “No Shame” showcases how much not only 5SOS’ songwriting has evolved but their artistic vision as well.