The UK’s sensational pop rock band The 1975 are back today, 22nd May, with their latest studio album ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’. Much anticipated, the release includes singles ‘If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)’ as well as last week’s ‘Guys’, gaining popularity quickly with 2 million Spotify streams.
This, their fourth LP, comes at an interesting time considering the current circumstances around the world regarding Covid-19, climate change, and politics. And yet, the band decided to include these topics in song form with a clip of Greta Thunberg in the eponymous opening track. Seamlessly, a transition is made from themes such as this, to lyrics detailing sex, addiction, and more.
// N O T E S O N A C O N D I T I O N A L F O R M – O U T N O W // L O V E https://t.co/CMaYOANpbx pic.twitter.com/PDDyFErNZi
— The 1975 (@the1975) May 22, 2020
In an interview with Pitchfork, lead singer Matty Healy discussed his inspiration behind the album, revealing that he has many different influences. These include his fellow band members and friends, cultural references, and other artists such as Mick Jagger, Joan Didion, and Brian Eno.
A total of seven singles were released prior to ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’; though out of 22 tracks, this is a small piece of what the album has overall turned out to be. The most popular song is, surprisingly not the first, nor the second single to come out, but the third: ‘Me & You Together Song’. With 20 million streams, the song came out on 16th January and was premiered as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World on BBC Radio 1.
Yesterday, 21st May, the music video for single ‘Guys’ debuted on YouTube with a heartwarming montage of band members Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross McDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums). Both the song and video show the friendships which have formed within the band, and their incredible experiences with fans.
Healy spoke to NME about the future of live music after the Covid-19 pandemic, saying “That big show that we did at The O2 and stuff – that’s gone. Like, that is already a thing of the past, and it’s gonna require me, and huge artists like Travis Scott, Billie Eilish, Drake, to reinvent what that spectacle is.” Like numerous bands and artists including Coldplay, The 1975 are hoping to find new ways of performing live that are not damaging to the environment.
