The 1975’s newest album, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, was released Nov. 30, and I turned 22 in late December. Like any birthday, I felt a contrived sense of being older and wiser than I had before. The album scored my entire month, and I couldn’t help but think how The 1975 has changed through the years. Reflecting on the band’s journey made me realize that the world doesn’t revolve around perfection. Instead it relies on intention and understanding.
To say that the latter half of my high school experience was soundtrack-ed by previous albums by The 1975 would be an understatement. But, lead singer Matty Healy has been deemed a problematic fave by publications and fans alike, thanks to insensitive tweets and comments, and onstage incidents that left audience members worried for Healy’s well-being. Something seems different about this era of Healy, though, as he’s less frenetic and offers more clarity in his opinions and responses. Healy seems to have cleaned up his act, at least in regards to his Twitter presence.
When asked on Dec. 5 about the presence of misogyny and racism in music, he shared with his 866k followers that there were aspects he didn’t feel he could comment on because of his social privilege, stating, “What I believe is that I’m not educated enough to speak on THAT properly…” But Healy’s not ignoring the big issues in his work. He is at least attempting to amplify voices and opinions through his own music.
His attempt is evident in the single Love It If We Made It which was released July 19. The lyrics to the song reference Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling, Lil Peep’s death, Syrian refugees, and President Donald Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood recording. The song finishes each verse with the hook “Modernity has failed us… I’d love it if we made it.” The entire piece functions as a mirror to society, a reflection of daily life and its controversies, and the way that we, as a population, have reacted. It’s as if Healy is asking, begging and pleading for us to reconsider what we’ve done to create points of such conflict.
In addition to an increase in politically-charged songs, Healy has come clean about his past, including the popular song Medicine, which was featured in the movie Drive. The song, which many fans thought may be about the romance between the movie’s two main characters, features the lines “You rid me of the blues ever since you came into my life, cause you’re my medicine.” On Dec. 3, Healy tweeted, “I think I have to come clean and admit this was never a metaphor. It’s not about a girl. You know what it’s about. And I’ve always felt weird about it. And I’m kind of sorry.”
While anyone with internet access can ruminate on Healy’s past missteps or imagine a world where something goes wrong in the future, it feels more productive to look toward the positive and think about the desire to improve in daily life, as well as the desire to overcome mistakes and failures. For artists specifically, it is most important to consider the idea that music, or art in general, can be a bridge from talking about an issue to creating a change in our own world.
Who knows what the future may hold for Matty and The 1975 (technically, they plan to release another album before summer), but, for now, fans and listeners alike may rethink some of their own views by listening and learn something about themselves along the way. By examining the influences of popular cultures and our environments, taking into account various perspectives and attempting to learn as much as possible, we can improve our own lives one quick read at a time. So, here’s to 2019, and here’s to that.
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