When Calum Hood first dropped ‘Don’t Forget You Love Me‘ and announced ORDER chaos ORDER, June felt SO far away. But look how time flies! We got another single in the form of ‘Call Me When You Know Better,’ album events, and a whole slew of content from photo shoots to interviews. We love to see Calum Hood in his employed era. We could not be more proud of him and his solo work. ORDER chaos ORDER is a beautiful album, and it is everything we could have hoped for and more. Be sure to give it a listen if it’s not already on repeat for you.
‘Don’t Forget You Love Me’ and ‘Call Me When You Know Better’ set the tone for what we thought the project might sound like. The songs are not only catchy and a great experience sonically but they also delve into a more introspective and vulnerable side of Calum Hood and his musical prowess. ORDER chaos ORDER continues that vulnerability. We already knew that this album was going to hit us where it hurts (emotionally) when we heard that there was a song about Duke and were correct in that assumption. But that’s a good thing. The emotionality of this album is something special and ORDER chaos ORDER touches on a variety of emotions. There really is something for everyone with this album, all set to a sound that makes you feel like you should be listening to it on a hot summer night with your windows down flying down the freeway. Honestly, we’re still working our way through everything the album makes us feel and we’re certain that we’ll come to new conclusions as we continue to listen, but what we can say is that this is shaping up to be one of our favorite releases from the year.
A Lyrical Look At ORDER chaos ORDER
We already know and love Calum’s lyricism thanks to 5SOS but we LOVE getting to delve into his songwriting with this album. There are so many lines from so many tracks that stand out.
Lost you somewhere in a fever/I don’t feel myself when you’re not around
‘Dark Circles’
This lyric can, of course, be interpreted in a multitude of ways based on a listener’s personal experiences, but the fact that it’s within the context of a song that’s about 5 Seconds of Summer? Calum’s brothers??? Talk about hitting us where it hurts. Calum has said that ‘Dark Circles’ is a track that examines a reality where 5SOS never formed and what the chasm of that missing piece of his life would look like. First of all, we’re grateful not to live in that reality without 5SOS, but second of all, it adds to the emotional layers of this song. 5SOS means so much to not only us as fans but to Calum and each of the members as well, and it’s beautiful to see Calum laying his feelings out like that on this track.
I’ll steer this heavy ride
Just keep this dream alive
‘Sunsetter’
Have I lost it again?
Bending backwards again
Giving into the mess
And it all just falls apart
‘Sunsetter’
In all honesty, we wanted just to write out the entirety of ‘Sunsetter’, but that was probably not a sensible option, so we’ll just stick to these standout lines. The dreamy, airy sound of this track combined with these specific lyrics does a phenomenal job of evoking a feeling of hope that can come with self-acceptance. It keeps in theme with the introspectiveness of the album but it also feels uplifting in a way. That combined with the imagery created by the title ‘Sunsetter’ makes this one of our favorite tracks not only lyrically, but overall from the album.
You put an expiration date on forever
Dfited into a mile high of in-betweens
‘Three Of Swords’
Tarot imagery has been a major part of the ORDER chaos ORDER era, so it’s no surprise that the album features a song titled after one of the cards in a tarot deck. The Three of Swords depicts a sorrowful experience, like a heartache or a betrayal, and that’s what’s conveyed through the lyrics of this track. Calum describes it as being inflicted by another person, but he thinks it can also refer to the self. This song then becomes a reflection of the things he experienced and what it looks like to navigate those feelings. The lyrics we highlighted definitely evoke that sense of betrayal that can come from heartache, the expiration date on what should’ve been forever with someone. Talk about feeling betrayed. We love the theme of this track and how it uses the meaning of the Three Of Swords as a narrative device. It feels like a really solid way to close out the album, given the overall nature of self-reflection and introspective vulnerability that ORDER chaos ORDER presents.
Body suspеnded
We’re chasing moonlight and cars
In your apartment
We’re shooting Heaven in the dark
‘Streetwise’
You don’t wait
What if our life is just a dream?
Late night
And I’m just sleeping next to you
Sunrise
Penning a time we’re covering the straight lines
Wearing my favorite shade of blue
‘Streetwise’
Is it obvious that this is another one of our favorite tracks on the album? Because it is. Not only do we love the composition and sound of the track, but the lyrics are just so vivid in the imagery they create. Sunrise, late night, chasing moonlight and cars, these are all very distinct images that probably call up different ideas for different people.
Overall Thoughts: This Is A Shining Star Of An Album
There is absolutely so much more to be said about this album and every track on it, but if we kept you here for that deep dive, you wouldn’t have time to enjoy it for yourself!
Not only do we love every track on the album, but we have to take a minute to appreciate Calum’s vocals. We love getting to see him shine in a solo capacity and his vocals lend perfectly to the album and narrative he’s crafted with ORDER chaos ORDER. Another thing that stands out to us is the thematic imagery woven throughout, of the sun, sunset, dreams/dreaming, of nighttime and moonlight, all coming together to help create ORDER chaos ORDER. The sound, the lyrics, and the imagery all work together in enhancing the cohesiveness of the album, while still making sure each track is true to itself and the story being told.
Overall, we love Calum Hood and ORDER chaos ORDER, and we are once again so proud of his solo journey. <3
Alright, sound off! What’s your favorite track on ORDER chaos ORDER? Is the album everything you hoped for and more? Let us know in the comments or drop us a line on our socials. We’re always buzzing about something on Twitter @thehoneypop, or on Facebook and Instagram.
Be sure to keep an eye out for more Calum Hood news as the ORDER chaos ORDER era continues!
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