18 November 2025
Ashton Irwin hated 5 Seconds of Summer being called a “boyband” because it felt “emasculating”.
Ashton Irwin didn’t want 5SOS being called a boyband
The Australian pop rockers formed in 2011 and went on to sell more than 10 million albums worldwide but drummer Ashton is adamant being labeled a pop group stunted their growth and made then feel as if they would never be taken “seriously”.
He told The Independent newspaper: “[The boyband label felt like] psychological prodding … All we ever thought about was songwriting and these noble, pure pursuits of creativity.
“We fought back against it [being called a boyband] because we were kids with a dream of being in a group that has a substantial impact on pop culture, but not a cheesy one …
“And it also felt emasculating. It felt like, how are we ever going to grow up? It’s the curse of Peter Pan. It’s like: ‘I hope one day someone takes me seriously.’
“What an awful burden to put on a kid.”
His bandmate Michael Clifford added: “The connotation around a ‘boyband’ was that it was manufactured and fake.”
The group amassed a strong following among teenage girls after landing a slot supporting One Direction on tour – and Ashton admits the stars of 1D helped them navigate their success.
He explained: “I’m grateful for One Direction, because we were looking at them dealing with it times a thousand. They were our mentors in the sense that they were graceful, well-spoken and good at dealing with being extremely famous, and leaders of their teams at a young age.
“It’s probably one of the reasons we’re still together, because of those early lessons in how to walk the walk in this music world, and with having such an intense audience.”
Michael added: “It was so inspiring to watch one of the biggest acts of all time from the inside when we were at a very impressionable age … We were like, ‘Let’s work our a**** off forever until we can get as close to what that was.'”
However, Ashton did hope they would be able to expand their fanbase beyond young female supporters, explaining: “You just hoped they bring their boyfriends or something – you don’t want the men to have the ick …
“It’s not to say we don’t appreciate our female fanbase – it’s 80 per cent women. We looked at bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and all these massive bands that had predominantly female fan bases for the first 15, 20 years of their careers and when you’re still playing 25-30 years down the line, it’s amazing to have all the sexes involved in your concerts.”
