Bob Marley said it best: “One good thing about music; when it hits you, you feel no pain.” No matter whom you meet, where you travel, or what you experience, music will undoubtedly always be a part of your life.
Whether you find yourself going through a cringe-worthy boy-band phase, reminiscing over the coolest rap songs from your seventh grade years, listening to oldies that truly are the goodies, or silently obsessing over an underground artist you love too much to watch become mainstream, music and artists will always hold a piece of our hearts.
However, being a fan goes far beyond being able to recite a few basic facts about an artist. A true fan knows everything there is to know about a band; the struggle of their early years, the quirky things they do before taking the stage, the underlying messages behind the lyrics, and the exact day, hour, and minute until a new song is released.
The 1975 has been my band of choice since their early EP Album, "Music for Cars." I’ve been a die-hard fan since, going as far as even getting their symbolic rectangle and their lyrics tattooed on my body.
If you’re not quite sold on The 1975, their songs, or their new sound, here’s a list of 19 reasons why you should absolutely love, obsess and completely fangirl out over them and their new album “i like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it”:
1. Matty Healy.
Does this even need an explanation? He's got a beautiful face and a beautiful mind.
2. There are deep, hidden meanings behind their lyrics...
Honestly how can you hear something like “you got a pretty kinda dirty face” without your heart melting? And once you figure out what he’s saying, you quickly realize "Chocolate" definitely isn’t a song about their love for the candy bar.
3. ...Yet the mindless lyrics are still perfectly relatable.
There’s true wisdom behind the words “run run away from the boys in the blue.”
4. There’s a story behind every song.
When asked why it’s important for artists to talk about more than “precisely nothing,” Matty responded by stating that within music, “You have to talk about what it’s like to be a human being.” No matter how surface level and basic their songs may seem upon first hearing them, every song reflects a past experience or hardship.
5. "Robbers."
Just listen to it.
6. They continue to evolve.
The band focuses their music and their sound around their evolution through life; the struggle of finding one's self, experiencing heartbreak, and going through things that inevitably change you. Their music focuses on moving and changing through life. The more the band experiences and changes, the more they (and their music) does, too.
7. Their transition from black and white to color was...whoa.
8. They’re brave enough to make a statement.
Not only is Matty known for his controversial tweets and wild opinions that occasionally stir up social media, The 1975 also makes social statements within their music that not only challenges culture and society, but causes their listeners to really think.
9. Matty and George are total BFF goals.
Not only do the two tour the world together and live together while off tour, even their how-we-met story is adorable: “This weird kid turned up at school, he was really tall but looked about nine and had this odd character.”
10. Their music videos are absolutely addicting.
"Love Me" is a colorful '80s throwback that satirically highlights the flaws and backward concepts our culture has come to value while "Settle Down" explores the romance between two boys. Whether it’s a bold statement or a story, their music videos are intriguing.
11. The hair flip.
Seriously.
12. They honestly don't give a sh*t.
The band name was inspired by a supposed suicide note Matty found written in the back of a book, Matty’s recently discovered makeup (and looks really freakin’ great wearing it) and he never sets foot on stage without his bottle of wine. They’re also notorious for doing exactly what they want, despite what the record labels suggest.
13. Their stage aesthetic is breathtaking.
14. They genuinely care about their fans.
After seeing how quickly their tickets were being purchased by larger companies which then led to a HUGE increase in ticket prices, the band created a way to ensure their fans had a chance to buy tickets before tickets went on sale to the general public. Matty even carries around suitcases of fan letters he has received: “I have cases full of letters, from every tour. I try to keep everything.”
15. Every mood you experience will have a song to match.
"Girls" is a perfect song when you need some verification that all girls ever do is break hearts, "Menswear" is the perfect fit for the mornings you spend singing into your hairbrush in the bathroom, and "fallingforyou" comes in clutch when you’re ready to face the feels.
16. They're great to listen to AND great to look at.
17. They wear their heart on their sleeves.
If this isn’t apparent through their lyrics or the types of sounds within their songs, it’s obvious through interviews and drunken conversations held with the members. “All of my flaws and all the things that make me up are part of who I am...I stand for being an ambassador of that kind of honesty.” -Matty
18. They don't commit to one genre.
Although newly recognized as a pop band, The 1975 has experimented with rock, groove-based, alternative, and ambient music over their past 10 years of writing. Despite the pressure to stick to a certain genre, they’ve proved they’re not conforming or confining themselves to one thing in particular.
19. Matty Healy.
Enough said.
