#the rocks

"the rocks" feels like such a return to form for 5sos. similar to the sound they were channeling with songs like "over and out" and "castaway" back in 2015, but more mature or layered or evolved ten years later, both sonically and lyrically. an introspective reflection on what it means to feel lost in the company of others just as searching, with that familiar punchy guitar and gang vocal "woah" refrain found in their earlier work

i have so many thoughts about the rocks lyric-wise cause "throw myself onto the rocks to make you feel less alone", but then also "waves can't kill, they crash", and he'd throw himself onto the rocks like a wave and in a sacrificial act, but at the same time he is trapped on the rocks, on an island; trapped in isolation while also simultaneously getting crushed by the waves and waves in my opinion just generally symbolizing depression or spiraling; "drowning in a flood of a thousand feelings", feeling overwhelmed with the world and people (potentially fame), but also with your thoughts and feelings, but also just needing something secure to hold on to. and not get swept away by the waves and thoughts that continue to devour; being trapped in oneself "I feel that rush of emptiness", also dissociation like literally just feeling lost and lonely and terrible and desperate and then also how the song feels stressed and triggers the urge to run away and flee, like you can't stay on the rocks forever and your little isolated island; someday it will crush you, but "it hurts to look outside of myself" LIKE LIKE AHAHAHHAHAHH