DAY SIX OF 5SOS WEEK: FACING THE 5 FEELINGS.

Hello stars, and welcome to Day Six of 5SOS Week! Today is a tear-jerking day, with When Facing the Things we Turn Away From, 5SOS5, and The Feeling of Falling Upwards, three projects that hum with reflection and ache, a cinematic quiet where you just zone out and are understood. It’s like standing at the edge of something infinite, and soundtracking the experience as you go.

When Facing the Things We Turn Away From

From the opening track, there's a softness, a slow build that just expands.  Starting Line feels like inhaling but just holding it in. It gives you a sense of nostalgia along with disorientation. Luke’s voice sounds more mature here, it’s worn in, like it’s been carrying questions too heavy to think about. The songs drift between dreamscapes. Saigon feels like a distant memory. Baby Blue sounds like lying on your back watching the stars and wondering if the sky has always been endless. Every track feels like a piece of a thought you once had while trying not to cry.

Luke Hemmings’ debut solo album, When Facing the Things We Turn Away From, presents a deeply introspective exploration of self-reflection, personal growth, and the acceptance of imperfection. As the title implies, the record confronts uncomfortable truths that are frequently avoided, revealing layers of identity, loneliness, and purpose. The album is raw, vulnerable, and hauntingly beautiful, serving as a sonic diary that documents the artist’s process of self-discovery.

Starting Line introduces the album with a pronounced sense of urgency and nostalgia. The track addresses the experience of perceiving life as passing by before one has fully engaged with it. “I wake up every morning with the years ticking by, I’m missing all these memories, maybe they were never mine.” The song articulates the pressure of time slipping away and the desire to reclaim lost moments, with a driving beat that reflects the intensity of this emotional pursuit.

Saigon examines the longing for simplicity and peace, reflecting on the desire to return to a time or version of oneself that was less burdened. “When facing the things we turn away from, we’re chasing the way we were in Saigon.” The track is both nostalgic and bittersweet, serving as an anthem for those seeking to recapture the tranquility of their past.

Motion addresses the rapid pace of life and the tendency to use distraction to avoid confronting unresolved issues. “Time slips by until you’re lost in your mind, who you gonna find?” The song functions as a commentary on contemporary burnout, with Hemmings suggesting that slowing down may reveal uncomfortable truths. The lyric “I know it’s hiding somewhere within” expresses a cautious optimism that healing is attainable through introspection.

Place in Me is characterized by intimacy and confession, evoking the tone of a late-night apology. “Call me in the morning, yeah, I’m sorry that I let you down, I’m so apathetic it’s pathetic, but I need you now.” The track conveys themes of regret and the desire for redemption, culminating in the reassuring message: “You’ll always have a place in me.”

Baby Blue is a dreamy and melancholic track that explores the desire to escape pain and seek comfort in imagined spaces. “I’m on my way to Wonderland, take off my suit and wander in for a moment, or hide for a lifetime.” The song reflects a longing to return to innocence and reclaim a sense of carefree existence prior to the onset of adult burdens.

Repeat emerges as one of the album’s most delicate moments, featuring soft vocals and a melancholic melody that evoke the sensation of a distant memory. “You seem so damn familiar, but I just can’t place the name. You’re staring in the mirror, but your face won’t stay the same.” The lyrics contemplate identity, transformation, and the disorienting effects of time’s passage.

Mum serves as the emotional centerpiece of the album, distinguished by its honesty in addressing themes of distance, guilt, and enduring love despite silence. “Mum, I’m sorry I stopped calling. Don’t know what the hell I was caught in.” Later, Hemmings pleads, “Can’t you hear me sinking? love the fear of falling, don’t you know I’m too young?” The track functions as both a confession and a plea for connection, representing one of Hemmings’ most vulnerable performances.

Slip Away evokes the experience of a quiet breakdown, expressing the fear that vulnerability may lead to rejection. “Don’t you leave me in this silence when you’ve seen all my mistakes.” The track explores the fragility of intimacy and the anxiety associated with potential loss. “I can feel you slip away like I knew you would” resonates as a prelude to heartbreak.

Diamonds is marked by stark, unflinching self-awareness. “Starve myself till I’m skin and bones, I’m so much older than I ever thought I would be.” Hemmings confronts self-destructive tendencies, regret, and the emotional detachment that can result from accelerated maturity. “I hurt the people I love the most, I’m so much colder than I ever wanted to be.” The track is both weighty and honest, offering a cathartic release.

A Beautiful Dream represents a moment of surrender, with the song oscillating between reality and imagination to illustrate the peace that emerges through acceptance.

Bloodline extends this reflective tone, alluding to inherited patterns and the efforts to overcome them. The track is personal and subdued, with Hemmings acknowledging both the pain and love transmitted across generations.

Comedown concludes the album with a gentle tone. Following extensive introspection, the track conveys a sense of acceptance, acknowledging that not all issues can be resolved. It serves as a release and a reminder that confronting avoided truths can ultimately bring peace.

What’s so unique is how much space the album leaves for silence. The production feels vast, but it never feels like it has too much. It’s not just a listen-and-go, it lets you sit in silence, and that’s beautiful. Once you hear the last notes fade, you’re not really sure if the album ended or if it became part of you. That’s what is so connecting about it, it’s less of an album and more of a diary. Luke doesn’t just give us an album, he gave us a masterpiece.

5SOS5

5SOS5 feels like standing outside right after a storm, everything is quiet, the air is fresh, and the world suddenly feels calmer. 5SOS returned with music that’s softer around the edges, clearer in its message, and surprisingly emotional. The album rolls in like distant thunder, gentle at first, then suddenly full and unforgettable. The lyrics feel personal, like thoughts meant for late nights and honest mornings. It’s the sound of a band rebuilding, learning, and growing with every track. 

This album is for every person who’s ever wondered if they’re alone. For the people who have wondered if they aren’t good enough, and for everyone who’s ever just needed a shoulder to cry on. 5SOS5 takes you to another mindset, one that feels like you aren’t in control of your body anymore.

To add to the emotions on this album, the song Older is sung by Luke and Sierra Hemmings, a love song; it's so beautifully sung and produced, and it’s such a perfect song to go there.

Some of the songs make you reminisce, some make you cry, and some make you want to dance AND cry, but it’s in the best way.

The Feeling of Falling Upwards

The Feeling Of Falling Upwards is the tour that followed the release of 5SOS5 and the live album that came with it which was recorded from their performance at Royal Albert Hall, London.

This performance features many iconic 5SOS songs like, Jet Black Heart, Amnesia, Teeth, Red Desert, Youngblood, etc. Along with many of the songs from 5SOS5.

This performance is like being held between chaos and clarity. It’s 5SOS at their most reflective, every track ends up with another feeling then the studio version, if the studio version broke you, then this most definitely would too.

That’s been your Daily Dose of the Sauce, a full dive into one of the most emotional and tear-inducting eras of 5SOS. If you had to grab a box of tissues to listen to it, then you listened to it right. Come back tomorrow for Day Seven of 5SOS Week, where we’ll continue with the rest of 5SOS’s solo journey.