5 Seconds of Summer has inked a new label deal with BMG, following four albums with Universal Music Group imprints. The group’s first single with BMG is said to be on the docket for early next year, to be followed by the release of their fifth album later in 2022.
“It is testament to the band’s unity, hard work and ambition that in this 10th year together, they still share the same enthusiasm and aspiration to make music and be the biggest band in the world,” said the group’s manager, Benjamin Evans of 17 Artists, in a statement. “We’re now looking forward and want to thank Hartwig Masuch, Thomas Scherer, Dan Gill, Cyndi Lynott and the entire team at BMG for showing such passion to be part of this band’s future.”
With the label announcement, the changing of the guard in 5 Seconds of Summer’s camp would seem to be complete. PvNew reported in March that the group had severed ties with both its management, Modest Management, and the Interscope label.
The Australian group released its first three albums in the U.S. on Capitol before moving within the UMG family to Interscope for a fourth release. Those first three albums, starting with the group’s self-titled debut in 2014, all bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — the first time in history a band pulled off that three-peat out of the gate. They very nearly had a fourth No. 1 in a row, as their most recent album, “Calm,” released in March 2020, premiered at No. 2. The group’s most recent top 10 single in the U.S. and U.K. was the title track of “Youngblood” in 2018.
Said Thomas Scherer, BMG’s president of repertoire and marketing, “With their high level of success and global appeal, BMG is the perfect partner for a band of this magnitude and what they want to accomplish. Ash, Michael, Luke, and Calum are now in the driver’s seat as both entrepreneurs and creators. We will be working together as partners every step of the way to bring them to the next level they so very much deserve. We are proud to welcome the band, Ben Evans, James Sully and the entire 5SOS team and family to BMG.”
The band’s most recent North American tour, in late 2019, found them headlining arenas such as L.A.’s Forum with the Chainsmokers opening.
