5SOS fans, this one’s for you. Michael Clifford just went solo, debuting his new single, “Cool”.
The pop-punk track lands alongside the announcement of his first solo album, Sidequest, and a lo-fi music video that leans into Y2K aesthetics and raw vulnerability. Co-produced with JT Daly (Demi Lovato, Benson Boone) and Andrew Goldstein (Tate McRae, Machine Gun Kelly), and co-written with longtime 5SOS bandmate Calum Hood, the track marks a confident first step into solo work.
“This song speaks for itself,” Clifford shares in a statement. “And my hope is that when fans hear the lyrics, they’ll understand me — and hopefully themselves — a little better. I’ve been deliberating on this music long enough, so I can’t wait for everybody to hear it. And ‘Cool’ is just the beginning. I want this project to make people smile. I’m just out here doing a bunch of sidequests. Now that I’m a dad, everything other than that feels like a sidequest.”
With its tongue-in-cheek lyrics and slacker-pop feel, “Cool” dives headfirst into themes of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and that unshakeable question — am I actually cool enough to be here? It’s a track that finds humour in insecurity, and catharsis in imperfection.
The official music video, directed by Bobby Hanaford, brings that same tension to life. Featuring Clifford in a carousel of chaotic characters and costumes, the visuals flip the concept of image-driven celebrity on its head. “It’s rare you get to work with an artist who is willing to play a bit of the fool and turn a mirror on themselves,” Hanaford says. “The whole project is a breath of fresh air, especially in an industry more concerned with looking ‘cool’ than being authentic.
As a core member of one of Australia’s biggest pop exports of the 2010s, Clifford has nothing left to prove — but plenty to explore, judging by his debut solo single.
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