The 1975, a popular music group, released their new album, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, on November 30. The album has 15 songs that all delve into the idea of the modern world we live in and the struggles people are facing today, mainly from technology and politics.
Lead singer Matty Healy is one of this generation's most brutally honest lyricists and is not afraid to call out people in his songs for their wrongdoings toward others, even his own personal heroes (see Love It If We Made It).
Going through each song, you can tell that they convey the message of the album: the world needs more love, especially in this time we are in. Every song is so different, but so important.
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is available now on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Music, and many other streaming services. Even if you don't think you'd like this type of music, there is a song for every music lover on this record. Go give it a listen and hear what they have to say about the way we live today.
Track 1: The 1975
The self-titled track is the beginning song of every album they put out. The lyrics are the same, but if you listen to the background music and notes, you will be able to get an idea of what the album you're about to listen to will consist of. The 1 minute and 30 second song features a piano, Matty's own voice, then a lot of audio manipulation. After listening to the album in whole, this song is the perfect way to kick off the album. You can give the revamped version a listen here, or read the lyrics here.
Track 2: Give Yourself A Try
As you go through the album, you will hear a lot of melancholy songs that are slow-paced and have lyrics that will pull on your heart strings. The second track, however, is not that. Give Yourself A Try is a shout out to anyone who has ever given up on themselves and feel like they can't be who they really are. The song follows him in some of his pivotal moments, including when he was "25 and afraid to go outside" or when he was "29 and spiritually enlightened". This is a feel-good song and will boost your happiness in your day to day. You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 3: TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME
The third track, called TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME, is the first song on the record to delve into the many issues with social media and the social age we live in. It goes through as Matty tries to differentiate what is cheating and what is just being nice in regards to technology and social media. Another big part of the song is how the social media is driving their relationship apart. He talks about how his significant other "texts that boy sometimes", and how she was upset and said "he should have liked it" about an Instagram picture. The song is very upbeat and it's one of their only songs that you can actually dance to. The rhythm is upbeat and fun, but the lyrics talk about something much deeper. Also, the video includes fans from around the world just dancing to the song, which is really fun and one of their simpler videos, which is so refreshing to see. You can listen to the song here read the lyrics here.
Track 4: How To Draw/ Petrichor
To understand the meaning behind this song, you have to understand Matty. He has gone to rehab before for drug addiction and he has intense anxiety and depression, which he has talked about in the media and to fans before. The first part of the song, How To Draw, has a total of 15 words for the first 4 minutes of the 5 minute song. The lines are said to refer back to his anxiety fears about his art and his craft. He says he has "not learnt how to draw", and many fans speculate that is him saying even though he creates art in a certain way, he feels he should expand his art-making and include drawing, which could be taken metaphorically or literally. The second part of the song, Petrichor, refers to his time in a rehabilitation facility and what he had learned. Petrichor is "a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather". This is believed to be about the first time he got out of rehab and the newfound strength he had found with sobriety. You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 5: Love It If We Made It
Love It If We Made It was the second single off of this album, and I think it is so important that it was. This song delves into the world we live in, especially America and our political situation right now. Even if you just read the lyrics, you can see the hurt that Matty is feeling in regards to how we're living nowadays. He even calls out people like President Trump and Kanye West (for backing Trump), which he has said was extremely difficult because West was one of the most influential people in his life. Even though the song talks about all the things wrong with our world, you can sense an undertone of hopefulness. In the music video, the end is a bunch of teenagers, which to me means the next generation is coming and we are going to change stuff up. The song has a rhythm you can bop your head to, but a message you can totally get behind. Even if you don't listen to the song, I recommend you read through the lyrics and get inspired to change your community and the world. You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 6: Be My Mistake
Be My Mistake is track 6 on the album and it is the most vulnerable song, I think. The album is very heavy on an electronic feel; distorted drums, vocals, and guitar are on almost every track. However, this song is just Matty's vocals and a singular acoustic guitar. The song talks about how he wants a girl to "be his mistake" for the night, as in a sexual meeting. He has just broken up with his significant other, and he is trying to find another girl to fill the void he has because his girlfriend is gone. He says "I shouldn't have called, cause we shouldn't speak", which relates to his guilt after hooking up with this new girl. The song talks about the difference between love and lust, and in the end chooses lust as the better of the two. Even if they were broken up, he is still in love and he knew hooking up with this new girl would cause him guilt and be a mistake. You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 7: Sincerity Is Scary
Sincerity Is Scary is another single from the album and I think it was pretty important that this was. This song talks about how no one is as sincere as maybe they used to be. He talks about how hard it is to open up to people in situations where sincerity is expected, and how irony is a lot easier of a tool to use. This is another song where the message of the album is very clear: we all need to put love into the world. He talks about how you should mold and think about your relationships in a different way and instead of pushing people away, you should be "pulling them in". You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 8: I Like America & America Likes Me
Track 8 is called I Like America and America Likes me. If you don't know, the 1975 reign from the United Kingdom. However, Matty has a lot to say about the political climate of America. This song sounds like a breakdown that Matty has towards America. He yells "would you please listen?" six times in the song, which shows the emotion he has about the topic of how America is living. He has always been very vocal about his political views, but I feel this one is the most political, even more than Love It If We Made It.You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 9: The Man Who Married A Robot/ Love Theme
The Man Who Married A Robot is a spoken word piece and was received by many people in different ways. Some people who don't understand the concept of the album say that this track is unnecessary. However, after knowing the concept behind the album, you can tell this track was a missing piece that the album needed. It tells the story of a lonely man who finds solace in the internet he carries in his pocket. He found he wasn't lonely with the internet, but then you see him die, still being just as lonely because he didn't have any people in real life. The piece is pretty sad and you understand where you stand in regards to your social life outside of your phone. You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 10: Inside Your Mind
Inside your mind is another song off the album that pertains to love within a relationship. This song describes the desire to understand what's going on in your significant other's head. He describes the way he wants to do this, which is to literally crack her head open and look inside. In a lot of the 1975's songs, there is a psychopathic undertone where he has so much love for his lover that he just wants to kill her. There is an undertone of danger and morbidness in the love he has for her, and it is either enduring to people or downright scary. Either way, this song makes you feel things that you might not have been able to feel without it. You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 11: It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)
It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) is an upbeat song that at first glance is about a relationship. Even from just reading the song title, many assume it is about how he cannot live without his lover. However, once you dive into the song, you will realize it is about Matty's opiate addiction. The album talks about his struggle a lot, but a lot of it is hidden in metaphor. While this one is no exception to that, once you understand the meaning, you can tell Matty is pouring his heart out and in a way making his public amends that he has a problem. It is an upbeat song, but the lyrics almost make you want to cry. Also, the video corresponds with Sincerity Is Scary and shows him on drugs. You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 12: Surrounded By Heads And Bodies
This song is another song that is about Matty's time in rehab. He dedicates this song to a girl named Angela. He met Angela in rehab and he felt such a connection to this woman who was also struggling. He said he felt "I felt a real connection and an empathy with her". After they got out of rehab, they found they actually lived on the same road in the United Kingdom and they vacationed to the same place at the same time. He felt that some bigger force placed her with him in the same place for all the right reasons. The song title comes from a book that he read while his time in rehab.You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 13: Mine
This song is called Mine and it is another ballad to a lover. This is the second to last one on the album, but this one has a totally new sound that the band has never explored. It sounds very jazzy with trumpets, piano, and other instruments. The band said they got the idea to make a jazz song from their saxophonist. The song almost feels ironic when you know The 1975 and the ballads they make. The lyrics are very romantic and you can almost feel the love Matty feels. Even though you can see the irony, he totally opens up in this song. You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 14: I Couldn't Be More In Love
Here's another song masked in metaphor! Obviously, the song could be taken as a love song. However, the song is a ballad not to a lover, but to the fans of their band. After leaving rehab, Matty was terrified to lose the fans and to have let them down because he was gone and they thought they wouldn't like him as much because he was sober. You can hear the emotion in his voice and the fear. As a fan, this song makes me very emotional because while trying to get sober, you can understand he was worried to get out and see who he had left on his side. You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
Track 15: I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)
The last song on the album is the most beautiful and deep song. I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes) is a song that literally every single person can relate to. Even if you don't think you're all that suicidal, every single person has had the thought of committing suicide once in a while, even if it is just in a joking way. Matty describes how wanting to die/ wanting to kill yourself has become a joke on the internet. However, Matty says that if everyone had a light switch that if they flicked would kill them, every person would think about it. Even if it's not every day, people always want to die at certain moments in their life. The song is slow and picks up with rock beats. It is the perfect way to end the album and the thoughts Matty had in his head while writing this album. Even after the sad nature of the lyrics, he says you still need to try to survive.You can listen to the song here or read the lyrics here.
