5 Seconds of Summer address a toxic relationship in ‘Easier’

“Is it easier to stay is it easier to go?” is the question 5 Seconds of Summer is posing in their brand new song. On Thursday (May 23), following days of teasing and cryptic posts, the Australian band released their first new song in over a year. Titled “Easier,” the latest track finds the group addressing a toxic relationship and all the ways they are still drawn to it, though they are trying their hardest to escape the poisonous merry-go-round.

In conjunction with the track’s release, the foursome also unveiled the dark and gloomy clip for the song. Coming in at three minutes, the Grant Singer-directed video finds the four guys in different situations that are obvious metaphors for the toxic union. The viewer watches as the guys come close to drowning in a body of water, get tied up to a stone wall (well, frontman Luke Hemmings does), and even get stuck in a cave which gives the impression of suffocating.

The last minute of the clip finds the guys escaping the situations and walking down a long hallway lined with portraits of themselves. As they pass by the pictures, they each catch fire symbolizing not only the end of that toxic relationship but also their Youngblood era.

Watch the music video for “Easier” above.

“Easier” is currently available for purchase on all digital music platforms. No word yet on whether this is another standalone single or if it will be part of the band’s in-the-works fourth studio album. It looks like it might be the latter with the group revealing that they would like to release a lot of the song from the forthcoming release before they hit the touring circuit later this year.

“Before the end of this year, we would love to have at least half the record released through single,” the group said in a statement.

Back in February, the group joined forces with the Chainsmokers for their current radio hit “Who Do You Love.”

In support of the joint song —and what looks to be some kind of partnership— the two acts previously announced plans to embark on an extensive tour this fall. Dubbed the World War Joy tour, the trek will find both bands performing at venues across the continent throughout September, October, November, and December.

The 41-stop jaunt begins on Sept. 25 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati and concludes two and a half months later on Dec. 6 at Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The full list of tour dates can be found here.