Album Review: SIDEQUEST by Michael Clifford
- Jade McLeod
- Jul 26, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 24, 2025
This week saw the highly anticipated release of Michael Clifford’s solo album SIDEQUEST, and you best believe the Groovy Moo team was up at midnight listening as it dropped. have a listen as you keep scrolling to read our song-by-song breakdown!
kill me for always (feat. Porter Robinson)
The emotionally charged opener sets a bold tone with Porter Robinson’s electronica-infused flavour. A lovesick track that blends scintillating synths and bass under an energetic pop‑punk core. It introduces the album’s themes of romance on edge and self‑reflection. This song tells a delicate story about how one must love oneself first because love is vulnerable when you put your heart in another’s hands.
Cool
Released as a single, Cool leans into self‑aware nostalgia, Clifford referencing his boy‑band era with lines like “the guy who caught fire with the coloured hair from the band with the song about underwear”. It’s witty, self‑deprecating, and captures a stadium‑sized production with a pop‑punk backbone. Already, Cool has become the song for those who never felt that they were cool or enough (Pardon the puns) and fans have loved feeling seen in the lyrics.
Give Me a Break! (feat. Awsten Knight of Waterparks)
This duet explores burnout and impostor syndrome, examining emotional exhaustion under the scrutiny of the public. Awkwardly rap‑singing verses, high‑energy guitars, and Waterparks’ frontman amp up the tension. The music video pays homage to anime (such as Death Note) and celebrates fan fiction culture.
Remember When
A swooning mid‑tempo number that evokes the cadence and vibrancy of early 5SOS work. Nostalgic and reflective, it’s one of the album’s more melodic moments. A stand out lyric is "You say you love me, and I love you still but this kinda love is gonna get us killed."
Enough
Arguably, the emotional centrepiece. With haunting riffing and hoarse vocals, Clifford addresses self‑doubt and inner damage: “At 3 a.m. awake again… With friends like you, who needs a loaded gun?” The chorus pivots from cynicism to quiet hope, especially powerful when sung through the perspective of his daughter’s innocence. Fans have been espesically loving the moment when his vocals turn into a raspy scream. This song will make you reflect on the power of your words and how we could all do with being a little kinder!
Fashion
Another tune that subtly blends pop‑punk with atmospheric electronics. The lyrics and groove evoke a playful yet self‑aware aura, reminiscent of vaunted 5SOS stylings. The lyrics are beautifully heartbreaking, and the Groovy Moo Team are already dreaming of hearing this live!
Thirsty
An acoustic‑driven ballad that showcases Clifford’s softer side. Sparse instrumentation, vulnerable lyricism, and a calm, intimate break in the album’s otherwise high‑energy pace. It perfectly captures the initial feelings when you fall head over heels in love with someone with lyircs such as "an honorable mention is never good enough."
Nosebleed
Melancholy heaven: quieter verses give way to well‑earned choruses. Themes of emotional bleed-through and vulnerability are underscored by Clifford’s desire to “play” even in sadness, creating a joyous, cathartic tension. This song feels like an early morning emotional page out of Clifford’s journal. Noteable lyrics include "every girl I loved said she loved me bad, but she had her fingers crossed behind her back."
If I Had a Choice (feat. Ryan Hall)
Emotional depth meets collaboration. Ryan Hall elevates the track with heartfelt vocals; together, they weave lyrics exploring choice, regret, and yearning for autonomy. This song is the most lyrically devastating: “If I had a choice, I’d be someone else. ... cause it’s lately my own kind who’s breaking me inside.” It's incredibly self reflecting and self deprecating all wrapped up in a beautiful tune ready to be added to your 3am crying playlist!
Eclipse
The album finale explodes in a crescendo of hyperpop, genre‑blending textures and dynamic synth‑rock. It feels cinematic and affirming, Clifford closing the album on a triumphant, exploratory note. Fans have also picked up on some significant features on this song such as his daughter Lua's giggles and the fact that bandmate Luke Hemming’s wife, Sierra Hemmings, is listed as one of the composers on this track!
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