Wildflower

"Wildflower" by 5 Seconds of Summer is a vibrant and euphoric exploration of intense infatuation and desire. The song's central theme revolves around a deep, almost overwhelming attraction to a person who is perceived as unique, free-spirited, and captivating, much like a wildflower. Lyrically, the song conveys a sense of anticipation and excitement about getting closer to this person, both emotionally and physically.

The term "Wildflower" itself is a metaphor for the object of affection—someone who is naturally beautiful, untamed, and possesses a mysterious side that the singer is desperate to understand. The lyrics, primarily delivered by bassist Calum Hood, express admiration for this person's entire being, from the sound of their name to the way they look.

A significant aspect of the song's meaning is found in its chorus. The band intentionally leaves words out of key phrases like "You're the only one who makes me..." and "Every time we...". Calum Hood explained this was a deliberate choice to create a "choose-your-own-adventure" for the listener, allowing them to fill in the blanks with their own interpretation and heightening the song's romantic and suggestive tension. This interactive element makes the song a shared experience of euphoric and potent attraction, celebrating the intoxicating feeling of a powerful, unspoken connection.

The narrative of the song unfolds from the perspective of someone completely captivated and infatuated with another person. This person, the object of affection, is an alluring and somewhat enigmatic figure. The singer begins by describing the sensory experience of their presence, noting how they hear their name being called and love the sound and even the "taste" of it, a synesthetic expression of deep attraction. There's a visible mystery to this person, a side they don't fully reveal, which only intensifies the singer's fascination.

The communication between them is charged with implicit invitations. The other person is signaling a desire to get closer, to move from a public or distant connection to a private, more intimate one. The singer is more than receptive to these signals, expressing a reciprocal desire. They find specific details about this person incredibly endearing, like the way they wear their hair down over their shoulder, which sparks a longing to hold them. There's a palpable sense of anticipation, a certainty about where the night is headed, fueled by this mutual and escalating attraction.

The chorus is an explosion of this euphoric feeling. The singer declares that this person, their "wildflower," is the only one who can evoke such intense emotions within them. A key lyrical technique is used here, where words are intentionally left out after phrases like "You're the only one who makes me" and "Every time we," allowing the listener to fill in the blanks while pulsating synths punctuate the gaps. This creates a shared, interactive moment of suggestive intimacy. The singer is ready to confess all their likes and desires to this "wildflower."

This person is described as the singer's "favorite fantasy" and a "fatal love song," highlighting the all-consuming and almost dangerous level of their infatuation. The imagery of an overflowing "waterfall" suggests an abundance of emotion and passion that can no longer be contained. The second verse deepens this observation, with the singer seeing "the color in your veins," a poetic way of saying they see the life and vibrancy within them, which both excites them and makes them tremble. Even the "shadow" in their own mind, likely representing their own darker or more complex thoughts, seems appealing when shaped by the influence of this person. The cycle of wanting to be closer repeats, reinforcing the central theme of irresistible and euphoric connection that defines the entire song.

"Wildflower" was released on March 25, 2020, as a promotional single from 5 Seconds of Summer's fourth studio album, CALM, before being sent to radio as the album's fifth official single on April 17, 2020. The song was written by band members Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, and Michael Clifford in collaboration with acclaimed songwriters Geoff Warburton (known for his work with Shawn Mendes) and Rami Yacoub (Ariana Grande, One Direction). The track was produced by Oscar Görres, a Swedish producer from Max Martin's Wolf Cousins production team, who has also worked with artists like Troye Sivan and MARINA.

A notable aspect of "Wildflower" is that it features bassist Calum Hood on lead vocals, a departure from the band's usual formula where Luke Hemmings typically sings lead. In a song breakdown video, Calum Hood shared that the initial layered vocal idea at the beginning of the song came from drummer Ashton Irwin. The song was described by Hood as the "wildcard of the album," a track that opened new creative pathways for the band and simply feels good to listen to.

The creation of the music video was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The original high-budget video shoot was cancelled due to the stay-at-home order in California. Instead, the band, along with director Andy DeLuca and assistant director Sarah Eiseman, improvised. They passed a disinfected green screen from house to house, and each member filmed their parts on an iPhone. DeLuca and Eiseman then learned animation, creating a trippy, psychedelic, '80s/'90s MTV-style video with lo-fi effects, blooming flowers, and colorful backgrounds made with milk and food dye.

The rhyme and rhythm of "Wildflower" are crafted to support its upbeat, euphoric, and danceable feel.

Rhyme Scheme:

The song primarily uses a simple, effective rhyme scheme within its verses, often following an AABB or ABCB pattern. For instance, in the first verse, "name" (A) rhymes with "explain" (A), and "taste" (B) rhymes with "face" (B). This straightforward structure makes the lyrics catchy and easy to follow, contributing to its pop sensibility.

Rhythm and Tempo:

"Wildflower" is characterized by a powerful and driving rhythm propelled by what critics have called "booming drumbeats" and a strong bassline. The tempo is consistently upbeat, aligning with its dance-pop and synth-pop genres. The rhythmic interplay between the instruments, particularly the sharp, punctuated synth stabs in the chorus, creates a dynamic and energetic pulse. This rhythmic structure is designed to be crowd-pleasing and is well-suited for live performances.

The vocal rhythm often features a rapid, conversational delivery in the pre-chorus ("You're tellin' me, tellin' me, tellin' me..."), which builds anticipation. This contrasts with the chorus, where the rhythm is deliberately interrupted by the instrumental stabs, creating the song's signature "choose-your-own-adventure" feel and heightening romantic tension.

"Wildflower" showcases a distinct blend of musical and literary techniques that define its character.

Musical Techniques:

• 80s/90s Synth-Pop Influence: The song is heavily inspired by the sounds of the 1980s, utilizing booming drumbeats, prominent stabs of synth, and psychedelic harmonies. This creates a retro, feel-good, and danceable atmosphere.
• Talk Box/Vocal Effects: The song notably uses a talk box or a similar vocal synthesizer effect, particularly in the chorus, which gives it a classic funk and pop sound reminiscent of that era.
• Lead Vocal Change: The track features bassist Calum Hood on lead vocals, which is a departure from the majority of 5SOS's discography and adds a different tonal quality to the album.
• Dynamic Arrangement: The song moves between hazy, glossy verses and a more energetic, funk-lite pop chorus. The bridge provides a contrast by stripping back to basic chords and a steady drumbeat, allowing the song to breathe before building back to the final chorus.

Literary Techniques:

• Lyrical Omission (Aposiopesis): The most discussed technique is the deliberate omission of words in the chorus ("You're the only one who makes me...," "Every time we..."). This creates a sense of romantic tension and acts as an invitation for the listener to fill in the suggestive blanks, making the experience more personal and interactive.
• Vivid Imagery and Sensory Language: The lyrics are rich with sensory details, such as "I love the sound, I love the taste," and visual imagery like "wear your hair down over your shoulder" to create a palpable sense of intimacy and attraction.
• Metaphor: The central metaphor of the "wildflower" is used throughout to characterize the love interest as someone naturally beautiful, untamed, and unique.

"Wildflower" was released as the fifth single from 5 Seconds of Summer's fourth studio album, CALM, in 2020. The album itself was a significant commercial success, debuting at #1 in Australia and the UK, and at #2 on the US Billboard 200. The album's strong performance was controversially affected by a clerical shipping error that saw 11,000 units sold a week early in the US, which likely cost it the #1 spot on the Billboard 200. Despite this, CALM was named one of Billboard's Top 50 Best Albums of 2020 So Far.

Critically, "Wildflower" was well-received as a standout track, praised for its '80s synth-pop and new wave influences, massive harmonies, and catchy, unconventional chorus. Publications like Billboard highlighted its "flashy '80s touches" and "psychedelic harmonies." The song's DIY music video, created during COVID-19 quarantine, garnered attention for its creativity and ingenuity, receiving coverage from outlets like Rolling Stone and uDiscoverMusic for its trippy, '80s MTV aesthetic.

The song also had a presence on social media, sparking the "#wildflowerdanceoff" challenge on platforms like TikTok, where fans engaged with the song's upbeat tempo. While it may not have reached the chart heights of some of the band's previous lead singles, "Wildflower" is recognized by fans and critics as a key track that showcased the band's artistic evolution and Calum Hood's vocal talents, solidifying the mature, synth-driven sound of the CALM era.

The most significant symbol in the song is the "wildflower" itself. This central metaphor represents the object of the singer's affection. A wildflower is typically seen as a flower that grows freely in nature, without being intentionally planted or cultivated. This imbues the subject of the song with characteristics of being:

• Naturally Beautiful: Their beauty is effortless and not artificial.
• Untamed and Free-Spirited: They have a side that "can't be explained," suggesting a spirit that is independent and perhaps a little mysterious or unpredictable.
• Unique and Special: Unlike a garden flower, a wildflower stands out. The singer sees this person as the "only one," reinforcing their unique and irreplaceable quality in his eyes.

Other lyrical imagery contributes to the song's passionate theme. The line "I see the color in your veins" is a poetic metaphor for seeing the life, vibrancy, and essence of the person, which "makes me smile, it makes me shake." The mention of a "fatal love song" and a "waterfall is overflowing" uses hyperbole to describe the intensity and all-consuming nature of the singer's feelings, suggesting an abundance of emotion and passion that cannot be held back.

"Wildflower" utilizes several recurring phrases and motifs that are central to its structure and meaning, making the song incredibly memorable and reinforcing its core themes.

The Title Phrase: "Wildflower"

The most significant recurring motif is the word "Wildflower" itself. It appears as the climactic word at the end of the chorus's main lines, acting as both a term of endearment and the song's central metaphor. Its repetition, often sung with lush, multi-layered harmonies, emphasizes the singer's adoration and idealization of their love interest. Each time it's sung, it reinforces the idea of this person's unique, natural beauty.

The Chorus Hook: "You're the only one who makes me / Every time we"

This recurring set of phrases forms the core hook of the song. Its repetition creates an incredibly catchy and anthemic chorus. The deliberate pause and omission of words after "makes me" and "we" is a recurring structural motif that defines the song's interactive and suggestive nature. This lyrical gap, filled by a synth stab, is repeated in every chorus, solidifying it as the song's most distinct and talked-about feature.

The Pre-Chorus Build-Up: "You're tellin' me, tellin' me, tellin' me..."

The repetitive lines in the pre-chorus, such as "You're tellin' me, tellin' me, tellin' me you wanna come over" and "That you wanna be, wanna be, wanna be, wanna be closer," serve as a recurring device to build tension and anticipation leading into the explosive release of the chorus. This pattern is repeated in both pre-chorus sections of the song, creating a familiar and effective emotional build-up.