The 1975’s newest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, houses a sense of nostalgia, almost as though you are returning to a place you used to call home. The scents and sounds overwhelm you with memory as the floorboards creak beneath your feet.
“About You” is reflective of that nostalgia and reminiscence; it feels like life coming full circle, especially for people who’ve been listening to The 1975 since their debut album.
The song is a musical continuation of “Robbers,” from the band’s self-titled album, released in 2013. “Robbers” depicted a toxic dynamic between two lovers while “About You” feels like a healed revisitation of the past. The bridge, sung by Cary Holt, is especially reflective of that with lines such as, “There was something about you that now I can’t remember / It’s the same damn thing that made my heart surrender.” They recall the intensity of their feelings, but the specifics of the past cannot be recounted, likely because time and new experiences have offered them a new perspective and perception of their world. They still hold love for this person, and even though the memory isn’t clear, their presence is felt everywhere.
The theme of revisiting the past as a healed version of yourself is something that is also reflected in the listeners, particularly those who listened to The 1975 during the 2014 Tumblr era. For them, this furthers the feeling of life’s full circle moment.
When I first started listening to The 1975, I was in middle school––which is arguably a dangerous time to be on Tumblr, especially during its peak. Every emotion was characterized by an intensity that was consuming. The whole world felt as though it was only as big as our city lines, therefore, it was too small to house and understand our emotions.
“Robbers” has become representative of that time––the heightened awareness of yourself and the world but not really knowing your place in it. There is an intensity to that song similar to a compass’s actions on a magnetic anomaly; there isn’t one clear direction or guiding force.
For those of us who have been listening to The 1975 since the Tumblr era, “About You” feels like a connection to the past that allows our current selves to look back on that time. In a way that is kind, understanding, and––because time has made us far removed from that person––fond.