5SOSFam, take a seat, and brace yourself for what we’re about to tell you: it’s been 10 years since ‘She Looks So Perfect’ was released. WE KNOW, RIGHT?! It truly feels like it was the other day. Though 5SOS had released music prior to this, this was a significant release as it marked their debut single as a signed band to Capitol Records and kickstarted the debut album era. 2014 was truly an important year in the 5SOS history books, and they hold truly fond memories for us. So we thought it would be a nice idea to celebrate a significant moment in the band’s history by taking a trip down memory lane and reliving precious moments together. Get the tissues ready.
‘She Looks So Perfect’ Marked The Beginning Of A New Era
‘She Looks So Perfect’ was the lead single of what would be 5SOS’s first EP as a signed band, with the single as the title track. The single debuted at number three on the ARIAs Singles Chart and number one on both the UK and Irish Singles Charts. It also was awarded Song of the Year at the 2014 ARIA Music Awards. The EP also brought us other bangers, including ‘Heartache On The Big Screen,’ ‘The Only Reason,’ and ‘Disconnected’ as well as a cover of ‘What I Like About You’ by The Romantics. There was also a special release of the EP on a cassette (for free, might we add!) for World Record Store Day, which was home to ‘Wherever You Are’ and the infamous ‘PIZZA!’ Trust us, trying to get one of these back in the day was like gold dust and saw fans all across the world flock to their local record stores in hopes of bagging one of these bad boys.
5SOSFAM Unites Around The World
During this time, it was super popular to host 5SOSFam meet-ups, and they took place all across the world! Fans would often wear merch, meet up in local areas such as a national park or another recognizable area local to the city they were in, get to meet fellow local fans and make friends by connecting through music. The band was also very aware of the fan events and would often share photos and videos from the meet-ups, commending fans for creating and growing a beautiful fandom community around the globe. It was such a wholesome time!
When We Were Your Age, ‘Don’t Stop’ Was So Cool
‘Don’t Stop’ may not be 5SOS’s favorite song today, but back in 2014, it was such a cool song in our eyes! This was the lead single off their second EP of the same title and had other songs, including a remake of the 2013 fave ‘Try Hard,’ ‘Rejects,’ ‘If You Don’t Know,’ and ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger.’ The music video really was on another level, with each member of the band having their own alter ego superhero. Cal Pal, SmASH, Dr. Fluke, and Mike-Ro-Wave were 5SOSFAM’s own personal Marvel superheroes and were often cosplayed at any 5SOS event and a go-to Halloween costume that year. Trash the song all you want, but it’ll always have a special place in our hearts!
The 5SOS/1D Takeover Continues
After such an incredible year in 2013, when 5SOS joined One Direction on their Take Me Home Tour, fans were elated when it was announced the two groups would reunite for One Direction’s first stadium tour, Where We Are Tour. During a special 5SOS livestream, a mystery guest joined in through video call, only for it to be revealed that it was none other than Niall Horan under the horse mask (you had to be there) as he had the honor of making the announcement that heard screams all across the world! 1D and 5SOS were classed as bestie bands, and the vast majority stanned both groups, so this was truly an exciting announcement. 5SOS joined them on both the European and North American legs of the tour, with stops at the famous Wembley Stadium, London, San Siro Stadium, Milan, and Rose Bowl Stadium, California.
Tours, Tours, And More Tours!
If touring with One Direction wasn’t enough, 5SOS were also working on tours of their own. The band had four separate tours in four different continents. The UK Tour, the 5 Countries 5 Days European Tour, the Stars, Stripes, and Maple Syrup Tour in North America, and the There’s No Place Like Home Tour in Australia. These tours allowed fans to finally get to see their favorite Aussie quartet in their own headlining shows ahead of their debut album, making for seriously special memories for fans who had been supporting the band since the early days.
5SOS Fashion Was A Thing
If you were to put all the active fandoms from 2014 into one place, the 5SOSFam would stick out like a sore thumb in the best way possible. We collectively shared a sense of style, which, of course, was inspired by the band itself. This was before they ventured out into more unique individual styles of their own, and dressing like 5SOS was very achievable. We wore flannels, tank tops, bandanas, black skinny jeans, black vans, band shirts, wristbands, and chokers, and the makeup enthusiasts adored thick winged eyeliner paired with red or nude lipstick to complete the look. Bonus points if your flannel or t-shirt said “LOSER” or “IDIOT” on it. It was the unofficial fandom uniform at the time, and we lowkey miss it sometimes.
#FinallyA5SOSAlbum
At long last, the self-titled debut album we had been longing for dropped on June 27th in Europe and July 22nd in the US. With the excitement for the band’s first studio album, fans trended #FINALLYA5SOSALBUM on Twitter. It led to the band earning their first number-one on the Billboard 200, marking it as the biggest first-week sales for a debut album by a group since 2006. In addition to that, it earned them the title of the first Australian act to achieve a number-one album with their debut album. It was also certified platinum in four countries and gold in ten more. There was a lot of promo surrounding the album’s release, but one of our highlights is, without a doubt, when Calum, Ashton, Luke, and Michael became Target workers for the day. Absolutely iconic content from our boys that is, in fact, our Roman Empire.
Derp Con Was Disneyland To The 5SOSFAM
In November 2014, several lucky fans got to attend the ultimate 5SOSFam dream: Derp Con! This was a two-day convention-style event hosted by 5SOS themselves, and winners from all around the world had the blessing of attending a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the band. No amount of money could buy you tickets to Derp Con; the only way in was by winning tickets, and different countries had different competitions for the chance to attend. There were superhero characters, a turkey(?), a mariachi band playing 5SOS songs, and of course, the chance to meet the members themselves. Not only that but an exclusive 5SOS acoustic set! Oh, how we wish we were there.
2014 Through 5SOS’s Eyes
Wondering how 2014 looked from 5SOS’s POV? Look no further; they talk about it for a good 20 minutes on YouTube as part of their 10-year anniversary celebrations back in 2021! They talk about filming the ‘She Looks So Perfect’ music video, working on the debut album, and how 2014 was arguably their biggest year in terms of promo. We gotta hand it to them, 5SOS were booked and busy, babe!
Can you believe it’s been 10 years of ‘She Looks So Perfect?’ Were you a fan back then? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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