So I decided to do this thing where on the last Tuesday every month (give or take), I will talk about an artist that I thoroughly enjoy. Considering the fact that music is my life and I've been to so many concerts I've lost count, I believe I have a fairly decent amount of knowledge to be able to do this. So, to start off my "Tuesday Talent Talks with Taylor," I wanted to discuss one of my favorite bands of all time: Australia-based pop-rockers 5 Seconds of Summer.

Who is the artist?

5 Seconds of Summer, or 5SOS (pronounced 5-sauce), is a band that made its official debut in December of 2011 when its final member joined for a cover of "Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheatus. It started off with lead singer Luke Hemmings posting covers of himself singing on YouTube He quickly became popular. His classmate, future guitarist Michael Clifford, approached him and proposed the idea of doing covers together. Somewhere along the way, bassist Calum Hood joined in on the fun, and discovering that they had real potential, they booked their first real gig at a club in Sydney, Australia. The only drawback was that they didn't have a drummer. After a few Facebook messages back and forth, Michael coaxed drummer Ashton Irwin to join them, and they began their journey as 5 Seconds of Summer.

After a few tours in Australia, including one opening for Hot Chelle Rae, One Direction member Louis Tomlinson tweeted about 5 Seconds of Summer, telling everyone to "get behind them" seeing how he had "been a fan...for a while." From there, their career blew up as they became the opener of two separate One Direction tours, and their fame has been skyrocketing since.

When did I start liking the artist?

For the entirety of my middle school life, I told myself I'd never be a fangirl, especially since it was the time everyone began obsessing over One Direction. That all changed when I entered my freshman year of high school, but it wasn't with 5 Seconds of Summer. With that being said, I had a "one and done policy" where I told myself I'd only like one band and basically dedicate my life to them.

But then when January of 2014 hit, I heard a song on the radio talking about underwear and I was oddly intrigued. I heard it a few more times over the following weeks, and I always caught myself singing along. Finally, I looked up the song, titled "She Looks So Perfect," and was literally instantly hooked on this band. Sure, I haven't been a fan since Luke Hemmings was known as hemmo1996 on YouTube or when the band opened for One Direction for two tours, but that didn't mean anything. I knew how to make up for lost time.

Have I seen the artist live?

August 21, 2015 - Cleveland, Ohio

I bought my tickets to see my sunshines about a month before the concert, so my seats weren't the best, but I didn't really care; I was finally seeing my favorite band for the first time and nothing would ruin that for me. School was a few days away so this was my last hoorah before I had to go back to sitting in a classroom for hours upon hours. My mom was going with me too, which she's been doing for years; she loves going to concerts with me and laughing as I scream the lyrics at the top of my lungs, even though she does the same thing. And you know what? Even though I've never met them, their heads on sticks were the next best thing.

July 6, 2016 - Darien Lake, New York

Okay, I lied. The next best thing to meeting the band was going to their soundcheck and talking to them and getting an exclusive performance and then sneaking up to the fourth row at their concert. This experience seeing them was so entirely different from the first, maybe because I actually had friends with me this time, or maybe because I did have soundcheck tickets, or maybe because I was so close to them and the stage that my whole body was shaking from the vibrations of the speakers. Either way, this concert is tied for my favorite concert I've ever attended. From the party atmosphere to hearing my favorite songs for the first time live to literally crying when they played one of their old songs that was a rare jewel that nobody besides the fans in Europe had heard live before, I can genuinely say that I would go back in a heartbeat and experience the whole day all over again if I could, even if it was 90 something degrees out and I was in the sun nonstop.

What is my favorite song by the artist?

Just so you know this is the hardest decision I've ever had to make and I hate myself for having to make it. But if I really, really, really had to choose, I'd have to pick a song titled "Vapor." This song is a love song, as guitarist Michael Clifford described at the Darien Lake concert. The lyrics are heartwarming, the melody is soothing. Not to mention I learned how to play it on piano and it's already stripped down enough to make it like a lovely lullaby about love. I can't help but fall in love with this song all over again as soon as I hear the first note.

Why do I like this artist?

Besides the fact that their personalities are so relatable and they're actually rays of sunshine, I love their music style. It wavers between the pop and pop rock genres, with some of their songs being teen bops and some of them being head banging jams. I grew up listening to artists like blink-182 and Seether and other artists like that, so to see people around my age bringing this style back made my nostalgia go through the roof.

Final Thoughts

5 Seconds of Summer is such a misunderstood band. They're so much more than the boy band label they've been handed with songs for kids and teenagers. They're a great band with great personalities and great music and honestly, the only thing I see wrong with them is the drama that comes along with their fandom. But honestly, I'm just here for their music and them as people, not for their personal lives.