When I first heard The 1975, I believe I was a sophomore or junior in high school. I remember seeing a song of theirs pop up on my Tumblr feed and falling in love with it and later, the band itself. High school is when a lot of people start to really shape who they are and The 1975 has been the soundtrack to me growing up and going through life, even up until this day. I became so infatuated with the music and aesthetic of the band that it became a part of my life and I think makes me part of who I am today.
The 1975 is constantly evolving in their music as well as messages, which has kept me and many others invested (emotionally and financially) for so many years. The band seems to have grown as I have grown as a person. In high school, their debut self-titled album was mellow and a “black and white” sound of its own. Freshman year of college, the band’s second album “I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it”, tested out different sounds delving into new-wave and some acoustic sounds relating to their neon pink and white album.
As of right now, the band’s third album, “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships”, has been relating back to some of their original sounds that fans fell in love with while evolving their messaging and visuals to correspond to their first album. The band’s logo/symbol is a rectangle, which has evolved visually especially on social media. As I mentioned before, the band has gone away from its dark, black and white imagery to more colorful and unique photos and writing. The 1975 was praised from the start as a “social media” band meaning that its evolution on Tumblr helped them become an international phenomenon.
A lot of people see The 1975 as a band that is odd or different, which the band embraces. The messages in the albums the band has produced, have grown and evolved over time like many of the fans of the band. For instance, the lead singer Matty Healy has been open with his struggles of addiction and depression, which got out of hand especially in his rise to fame, but is now under control and is something he grew from. This evolution takes place between the first and second album, as well as the upcoming third album. The band prides itself on aesthetically pleasing visuals but more recently has been focused on advocating for justice in the world, for instance; the #metoo movement, police brutality, LGBTQ rights, addiction and much more (especially seen in their latest music video).
Whether you like pop music or alternative music, the band creates new sounds with powerful lyrics that provide comfort in reality. The 1975 provides a soundtrack to life whether its nostalgic or present. The messaging The 1975 provides is unique from any other band and stands by human rights, equality and is able to relate many people of different backgrounds. No matter who you are, The 1975 is a band that can offer a new perspective on music and the world. Hopefully if you haven’t already, you’ll give my favorite band, The 1975, a try.