It's no secret that 5 Seconds of Summer has been one of the hottest bands on the scene in the past five years. On June 15^th, 5SOS released their third album "Youngblood," in which they explore innovative sounds and perhaps tackle on a new genre.

The foursome, originally from the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, is known for its distinctive pop-rock sound and are often compared to 2000s bands like All Time Low and Blink-182. In the "Youngblood" era, however, 5SOS fuses their familiar pop-rock stylings with 80's inspired synths and alternative basslines with the help of producers and songwriters such as Justin Tranter and Julia Michaels. Lyrically and sonically, "Youngblood" brilliantly depicts the evolution of 5SOS along with their fanbase. This major development for the band serves as a sign that they do not plan on falling off any time soon.

The surprise release of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's "EVERYTHING IS LOVE," their anticipated joint record as The Carters, may have sidetracked the band's hope to possibly break records, but it did not affect how proud they were of their new alternative sound. Both records competed during the same week (June 15-21) for the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart. Even professional forecasters in the industry were left unsure of which album would ultimately claim the #1 spot.

YouTube

5SOS's charting history is not too shabby – their 2014 self-titled LP and their 2015 record "Sounds Good Feels Good" both debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. The band just claimed their third #1 in the U.S. with "Youngblood," which pushed 142,000 units in its opening week, beating The Carters by a total of 19,000 units. The Carters landed the #2 spot on the charts as they racked up a total of 123,000 units.

Fans of both 5SOS and The Carters hosted streaming parties to help their "faves" climb the charts. Fans even shared photos of them streaming the albums on multiple devices and services such as Spotify and Apple Music.

5 Seconds of Summer / Twitter

5SOS's success brings in a lot of firsts for both the band and The Carters; the band's recent #1 debut made them the first Australian act with three number-one albums in the U.S, and for the first time in history, Beyoncé did not debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. On June 24^th, Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood, and Ashton Irwin immediately showed their gratitude via the @5SOS Instagram.

"Youngblood is a certified billboard #1 album in America. You came together as people to get us our 3rd number one record for all the right reasons. Today you made history for 4 young men, and you are every reason why we feel like the luckiest people alive," they captioned a collage of their recent successes inside a number "1." The guys also took to their personal accounts to thank fans.

5 Seconds of Summer / Instagram

I think it's safe to say 5SOS is completely deserving of this honor. I am excited to see what they produce in the future.