Superbloom- A Successful Solo Album

During quarantine, you might have made plans to be productive, start something new, find a new hobby. The drummer for the boy band 5 Seconds of Summer, Ashton Irwin, decided to make a solo album. His solo album, Superbloom, is an alternative/rock album that covers important topics such as body image, self love, media consumption and the difficulties of growing up.

After listening to this album, I can say that I think it is a showcase of Irwin’s talents beyond being the drummer in 5 Seconds of Summer. In the song credits on Spotify, Irwin is listed as the singer, songwriter and on some of the songs he is also listed as a producer. It’s clear that Irwin was very hands on with his solo album, wanting to create something that is personal to him, and reflects the sound he wanted to convey.

One of the reasons I like this album is because of the themes that Irwin covers. Self love and body image are always being talked about, and Irwin conveys his own struggles with those in hislead single, “Skinny Skinny”. Through this song, he gives a voice to a topic that, even though it is becoming more prominent in the media, is still somewhat taboo.

Overall, I think that Irwin did a great job at creating an album that would appeal not only to his current following, but would also appeal to a wider audience. I think the album he made is very sonically cohesive, which makes the album easy to listen to. In my opinion, this attempt at a solo album was a successful one. Irwin created a sound that is different than the one typically used in the band he is currently in, but still has a sense of familiarity for his current fans.

Superbloom is a project that I think was a long time in the making. The wait for this project was worth it, it is a great expression of creativity that brings topics to light that need to be talked about.