“One of the greatest albums of the 2000s” Samara, 16, reviews The Killers: Hot Fuss (2004).

From catchy classics such as “Mr Brightside” to electronic excellence such as “On Top”, The Killers are one of the biggest bands to emerge from the 2000s.

Releasing six continual chart topping albums, the Las Vegas five piece have truly taken the world by storm, which all stemmed from the release of their incredible debut album “Hot Fuss”.

Released in June 2004, the album is a tale of love, confusion and acceptance, after learning that a partner has committed infidelity. 

It opens with the captivating “Jenny Was A Friend of Mine” and closes with the meaningful “Everything Will Be Alright.” The album also went on to create four Killers’ Classics that all fans know and love: “Mr Brightside”, “Smile Like You Mean It”, “All These Things That I’ve Done” and “Somebody Told Me”.  

One of my personal favourites on the album is “Smile Like You Mean It”. The song explores the impact of superficial feelings and how society forces us to present ourselves in a light that is not true to our real selves. 

This is an issue made all the more prevalent with the emergence of social media. People are forced to present themselves as being happy and content with the life that they lead, no matter how much the reality of their lives might misalign with this perception. 

Another one of my favourites on the album is “All These Things That I’ve Done”, a song where the lead vocalist, Brandon Flowers, sings about the acceptance of his mistakes and wanting to move forward with his life. 

The lyrics are relatable as we are able to link our own personal experiences to them. Mistakes are a basic human flaw that illustrate our ability to grow and evolve, and I think that this is highlighted fantastically within this song. 

My final recommendation on this album would be “Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll”. The song explores stereotypes and how people sometimes feel obliged to conform to listening to a certain type of music in order to fit in. 

This is another issue that the rapidly developing media has caused – people feel pressured to maintain a certain appearance, just so they are accepted by society. Although this is unpleasant to witness, it is something that social media influencers have the power to draw attention to and attempt to remedy.

I believe that “Hot Fuss” is one of the greatest albums to be released during the 2000s. It explores a vast spectrum of themes and messages that we can all learn from; this is precisely why I regard The Killers as one of my favourite rock bands of the 2000s. 

Samara, 16, is a student of The King Alfred Academy.