Hellooo! Back on the 24th May, 5 Seconds of Summer announced that they would be releasing a limited edition flexidisc of their latest single, Easier! Now I LOVE a good limited edition and I've never heard of a flexidisc, so I thought I'd order one to find out what it was! The description for the item said 'limited edition transparent blue “Easier” flexidisc + digital download and 24-page art booklet featuring exclusive photos, official lyrics, and more' and I was very intrigued! It was stated as a 'pre-order' and said that it would be shipped in 5-7 weeks. As this was from the American online store, the price was $8.99, with $8.25 postage, working out to £14.17 in total when converted.
This leads me on to a bit of a little rant! On the 30th, the flexidisc was posted onto the UK online store for £7.99 with a release date of 26th July. I don't understand why they didn't post it on both stores at the same time! I'm not too fussed about the fact that I ended up paying more than I needed to
however, due to it being posted from the USA, it's most likely going to take longer to arrive and there's a higher risk of it being damaged or lost in the post.
Anyways, my order was dispatched on the 10th July and arrived on the 16th July, quicker than I thought it would be! It also arrived before the UK release date, so I guess it was worth it ordering it from the USA after all! I received an email with a link to track the journey of my package however, it went into my junk folder so I didn't see it until after it had arrived. The flexidisc and art booklet were posted in a black cardboard sleeve and once it arrived, the corners were a little battered but nothing too major. The art booklet is filled with stylised photos of the band and again, one corner of mine is a little battered from the journey. A red, black and blue theme runs throughout the booklet and I like the experimental style of the images. One page features lyrics to the song and I like that the back page is plain black with a couple of lyrics along the bottom. The printing is of high quality and the booklet is made of thick pages, with a more matte than gloss finish.
Onto the flexidisc itself! The flexidisc is in a clear plastic sleeve and I would've liked it to be contained within a more substantial sleeve to protect it, due to it being quite fragile. It is square shaped and is made of a kind of thin, flexible plastic, with it being thinner and more fragile than a regular vinyl record. I love the shade of blue chosen for the flexidisc, which works well with the translucent material and the red writing printed in the centre of the flexidisc shows up well against the blue. Once placed onto a record player, it plays a lot better than I expected! It was a bit of a squeeze getting it onto the metal rod in the centre of the turntable but once it was on, it played without a problem. However, I don't know how it would fare in the long term if it was played regularly due to it's fragility but it's a great collectors item! I also LOVE the song Easier! I wasn't too sure about it when I first listened to it however, it definitely grew on me!
I didn't really know what to expect from a 'flexidisc' however, I wasn't expecting it to be literally flexible! I love that 5 Seconds of Summer decided to create something unique for the release of Easier and this was definitely unique! The styling of the art booklet ties in well with the music video for Easier and the overall aesthetic for the current 5 Seconds of Summer era and I like that everything is pulled together well. I'm VERY happy with my purchase but I do wish it came in a case or a thicker sleeve to protect it.
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
