As pop groups age, the question seems to be when and how some members will go solo, not if they will.

For 5 Seconds of Summer lead singer Luke Hemmings, it seems that was slightly out of his hands, as the band released their fourth album CALM last year, but the pandemic and global health crisis forced the band to scrap their tour indefinitely and it left a songwriter like Hemmings at home with little to do but turn to writing—writing what turned out to be own solo music and the foundation of his first album.

This week, he has shared a video for his debut single "Starting Line," and it's notable how seamlessly Hemmings transitions from mega-glossy boyband into a spotlight of his own. He doesn't shy away from his roots. The song is an unabashedly, big pop tune, with Hemmings' delivery somehow grownup yet vibrant, not drifting into the world of adult contemporary far too soon, à la "Sign of the Times."

"You’re reflecting on your youth and all of the madness and craziness," says Hemmings of the new song, produced by Maggie Rogers and Jessie Ware collaborator Sammy Witte. "It’s like you’re forgetting so many pieces of your life—not from vices or anything—but from the sheer volume. I had to figure out how to fill a lot of gaps for myself in a positive way. It’s the human condition to change everything up after so long. A lot of the album deals with the idea time is slipping away from you.”

The new song is from his debut album When Facing The Things We Turn Away From, which will be released in just a few short weeks, on Aug. 13.

Watch the video for "Starting Line" below.