Complete Mess

"Complete Mess"
Single by 5 Seconds of Summer
from the album 5SOS5
Released	2 March 2022 (2022-03-02)
Studio	Rancho V Dragonfly Creek
Genre	Alternative rock[1] pop[2]
Length	3:26
Label	BMG
Songwriter(s)	Michael Clifford Luke Hemmings Calum Hood Ashton Irwin
Producer(s)	Michael Clifford
5 Seconds of Summer singles chronology
"2011" (2021) "Complete Mess" (2022) "Take My Hand" (2022)
Music video
"Complete Mess" on YouTube

"Complete Mess" (stylised in all caps) is a song by Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer. It was released on 2 March 2022 independently in partnership with BMG, as the lead single from their fifth studio album 5SOS5.[3][4] The song was written by the band and produced by guitarist Michael Clifford.[5]

At the APRA Music Awards of 2023, the song was shortlisted for Song of the Year.[6]

Background

The band teased "Complete Mess" in February 2022 sharing snippets of the song on TikTok and Twitter.[7] Upon the release of "Complete Mess", the group also released a statement about the song:

"For this record we realized if you want something done that truly represents how you feel, you’ve got to do it yourselves. We wanted that expansive sound that we naturally gravitate towards when we play together, so we had to learn how to record that. This new music is so authentically us. It’s exactly the kind of music we want to be making right now and it’s a good song to be able to reconnect to our fans after such a long time of not releasing music. We can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on."[3]

The song was recorded at Rancho V in Joshua Tree, Clifford's own home studio and Dragonfly Creek in Malibu. The title of the song refers to a fan-favorite t-shirt that lead singer Luke Hemmings used to wear.[8]

MTV describes the song as a "2000s alt-rock with a more mature but quite nostalgic sound," while Rolling Stone calls the song, "an expansive vibe with contemporary pop sensibilities."[1][3]

Composition

The track runs at 81 beats per minute and is in the key of D Mixolydian, using a I-v-VI-I chord progression in the verses and a I-v-♭VII-I progression for the chorus. The band's vocals span from F♯3 to A4.

Reception

"Complete Mess" was received with positive reviews, most praising the band for their growth and maturity of their sound. Soundigest.com calls it, "a song that's sheer emotional power sends chills down your body."[9] Musictalkers.com praises the instrumental work of the song stating, "the utilization of authentic instruments layered with electronic, booming pop sounds is the contrast that perfectly mirrors 5 Seconds of Summer’s original vision when they first entered the music scene."[10]

Music video

The music video for "Complete Mess" was released on 2 March 2022 and was directed by Lauren Dunn.[11] The video is set in a desert and the quartet can be seen lying on their backs on the sand and walking in separate ways throughout the video. Towards the end, they join together and walk towards a blue orb of light, which represents "the place where all the songs, all the love, and everything comes from in this life," according to drummer Ashton Irwin. He also adds, "I guess the metaphorical sense is that the four of us are in this infinite place of creation, and the dessert represents that."[1]

Personnel

Credits for "Complete Mess" adapted from AllMusic.[12]

Musicians Luke Hemmings – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals, composer Michael Clifford – lead guitar, vocals, composer, producer Calum Hood – bass, keyboards, vocals, composer Ashton Irwin – drums, keyboards, backing vocals, composer

Production Neal Avron – engineering Chris Gehringer – engineering Jacob Munk – engineering Tim Nelson – producer Scott Skrzynski – mixing assistant

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Complete Mess" Chart (2022) Peak position Australia Independent Singles (AIR)[13] 2 Brazil (Pop Internacional)[14] 5 Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[15] 29 Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[16] 33 Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[17] 14 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 71 New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[20] 12 UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[21] 53 US Billboard Hot 100[22] 85 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[23] 11 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[24] 19

Year-end charts 2022 year-end chart performance for "Complete Mess" Chart (2022) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] 70 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[26] 48

Release history

Release history and formats for "Complete Mess"

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
Various	2 March 2022	Digital download streaming	BMG	[27]
Italy	4 March 2022	Contemporary hit radio		[28]
United States	8 March 2022			[29]

References

1. Athena Serrano (26 August 2022). "How 5 Seconds Of Summer Created A 'Complete Mess' On '5SOS5'". MTV. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
2. "10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through the Week: 5 Seconds of Summer, Weeekly, Sir Sly & More". Billboard. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
3. Tyler Jenke (3 March 2022). "5 Seconds of Summer Return with New Single, 'Complete Mess'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
4. "5 Seconds of Summer unleash new single 'Complete Mess'". 2 March 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
5. Stephen Ackroyd (2 March 2022). "5 Seconds of Summer have dropped their new single 'Complete Mess' – watch". Retrieved 24 September 2022.
6. "These 20 songs are up for 2023 APRA Song Of The Year". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
7. Stephen Ackroyd (28 February 2022). "5 Seconds of Summer are teasing more of their new track, 'Complete Mess'". Retrieved 25 September 2022.
8. Taylor Fields (2 March 2022). "5 Seconds Of Summer Return With New Song 'Complete Mess'". KiisFM. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
9. Kelsey Sullivan (9 March 2022). "5 Seconds of Summer Drops "Complete Mess" Their Dreamy Single From Their Upcoming 5th Studio Album". Retrieved 25 September 2022.
10. Nicholas Gaudet (13 April 2022). "Review: Complete Mess − 5 Seconds of Summer". Retrieved 25 September 2022.
11. Glenn Rowley (2 March 2022). "5 Seconds of Summer Are a 'Complete Mess' on Anthemic Single: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
12. "Complete Mess - 5SOS Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
13. "Singles Chart (Independent Labels) 11 April 2022". Australian Independent Record Labels Association. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
14. "Top 10 Pop Internacional: 23/05/2022 - 13 27/05/2022" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Crowley Broadcast Analysis. Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
15. "5 Seconds of Summer Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
16. "5 Seconds of Summer Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
17. "5 Seconds of Summer Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
18. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 22, 2022" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
19. "5 Seconds of Summer – Complete Mess" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
20. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
21. "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
22. "5 Seconds of Summer Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
23. "5 Seconds of Summer Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
24. "5 Seconds of Summer Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
25. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2022" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
26. "Adult Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
27. "Complete Mess - Single by 5 Seconds of Summer". Apple Music. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
28. "5 Seconds of Summer - Radio Date". EarOne. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
29. "Mainstream Pop Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.