Calum Hood, longtime bassist of 5 Seconds of Summer, makes a powerful entrance into solo territory with his debut single “Don’t Forget You Love Me,” out now via Capitol Records. The track serves as a striking prelude to his first solo album, ORDER chaos ORDER, arriving June 13.
Best known for his quiet intensity and evocative songwriting within 5SOS, Hood trades the band’s arena-fueled anthems for something far more intimate: cinematic melancholy and stripped-down vulnerability. Co-written with Jack LaFrantz (Benson Boone) and produced with hitmakers TMS (Lewis Capaldi, Ed Sheeran, Niall Horan), the single blends ‘80s synth-laced nostalgia with a modern emotional edge.
But it’s Hood’s voice—husky, raw, and unexpectedly naked—that anchors the track and gives its emotional weight. Rather than tiptoeing heartbreak, he barrels into it head-on. “I’ve tried enough to call you / and I’m scared that you’ll pick up,” he sings, each line trembling with guilt, grief, and bruised sincerity. “’Cause I know that I don’t want you to / ‘Cause baby I would have to own up / To everything I’ve done to you.” This isn’t performance. It’s a desperate plea for understanding, wrapped in layers of guilt, fear, and aching sincerity.
However, this contrast feels deliberate and deeply personal. As Calum Hood puts it, the album was born “in a tumble dryer of knowing and not knowing.” “I started out with a vision — order — but quickly became overwhelmed by the process — chaos. Eventually, I learned to embrace both.,” he shares in a statement.
What emerged from that chaos is a body of work rooted in ache, introspection, and unfiltered accountability—a stark departure from the polished confidence of 5SOS’s arena anthems. ORDER chaos ORDER reaches into the quietest corners of Hood’s life: his upbringing, his family, and the often unseen weight of fame. These are stories he’s never been able to tell — until now….
“Don’t Forget You Love Me” doesn’t simply mark a new chapter—it feels like the book has been cracked wide open. And if the rest of the album continues in this vein, it won’t just be a strong debut of an artist. It’ll be a rare moment in pop where vulnerability isn’t a detour—it’s the destination.
Watch the official video for “Don’t Forget You Love Me” now!
