5SOS’s Michael Clifford Steps Into Solo Spotlight
The album marks a new creative chapter for Clifford and positions him as the final member of the band to explore solo work.
Clifford has described the album as deeply personal, reflecting his growth as a songwriter and father. He noted that the idea of letting years of music sit unreleased pushed him to take the leap into solo artistry.
SIDEQUEST includes previously released tracks like Cool, Give Me a Break! , featuring Waterparks, and Kill Me for Always featuring Porter Robinson.
The full album expands on themes of vulnerability, change, and experimentation. Clifford credited his daughter and new experiences outside the band for inspiring a more joyful, spontaneous creative process. While he expressed nervousness about stepping out on his own, he also called the album a long-overdue step in his artistic evolution.
Clifford’s album announcement came with the arrival of new single “Give Me a Break!” The song features Awsten Knight of Waterparks and has the pair reflecting on losing one’s identity in the face of burning out and criticism. Like lead single “Cool,” Clifford returns to his band’s pop-punk roots.
“I’d been really wanting to create something unique with Awsten and Waterparks,” Clifford said in a statement. “Awsten became my person that I would vent to about different things in life and I think that that’s the kind of the energy that this song has. It’s very authentic to us.”
Knight added, “When Michael asked me to be involved with his album I was beyond flattered; I’ve been a fan of his for so long and hearing he was doing a solo album instantly got my brain spinning. Writing with him was fun because we pushed every line to the limit. It’s been really sick to watch him grow this album from the early stages and can’t wait to see how much people love it.”
The accompanying video pays tribute to the popular anime Death Note and features the pair acting out a fan’s fan fiction. “I wanted to make sure that we glorified fan fiction and how beautiful it is that people write these incredible farfetched stories about their favorite artists and publish them for the world to see,” Clifford said of the video. “It’s a celebration of the dedication of the people who love us and how unorthodox their support can be sometimes.”
Clifford is the third member of 5SOS to launch a solo project. Frontman Luke Hemmings released his debut solo album When Facing the Things We Turn Away From in 2021 before returning with the similarly nostalgia-drenched project Boy in 2024. Drummer Ashton Irwin also has two solo projects under his belt, 2020’s Superbloom and 2024’s Blood on the Drums. The band’s bassist, Calum Hood, is credited as a co-writer on “Cool.”
Ten energetic, introspective tracks form a tight album that explores self-doubt, fame and romance. The songs are pop-punk in spirit but deviate from the formula with a stadium-sized production: experimental electronics, big synths and versatile vocals.
Sidequest Track List
“kill me for always” feat. Porter Robinson
“Cool”
“Give Me A break!” feat. Waterparks
“Remember When”
“Enough”
“Fashion”
“Thirsty”
“Nosebleed”
“If I Had A Choice” feat. Ryan Hall
“Eclipse”
