On November 30th, British indie rock band, The 1975, led by frontman Matthew Healy, released their 3rd studio album, "A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships," following their 2nd album "I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it" released in 2016.
Featuring singles you might have already heard such as "Love It If We Made It," "TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME" and "Sincerity Is Scary," The 1975 swayed away from their 80's inspired vibes in their previous album and decided to steer toward a more experimental direction, conveying different moods and genres throughout the album.
The 1975 - Love It If We Made It (Official Video)www.youtube.com
If you follow the band, it might be no secret that Matt Healy has been very open about his various struggles with addiction, including alcohol, cocaine, and especially heroin. In fact it has been rumored before that ex-girlfriend Ashley Frangipane (AKA Halsey) wrote her hit song "Colors" about her relationship with Matt Healy, stating " I hope you make it to the day you're 28 years old" as well as referencing pills and smoke in the chorus.
You can explore those lyrics here: https://genius.com/Halsey-colors-lyrics
Luckily, he did make it past 28 years, but decided to detox and finally get clean after years of abuse before he and his band would start recording their 3rd album, what would become "ABIIOR."
According to an interview with Billboard, Matt Healy checked himself into a rehab clinic in Barbados last November and December in order to switch his life around for good.
You can read the full interview here: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-f...
Subsequently, this album deals with all the raw emotions: pain, happiness, struggle, sadness, depression, euphoria, longing, etc that comes with drug addiction and the journey to become clean. I feel this album is extremely important for everyone to listen to, even those who haven't had drug issues in the past or present. The 1975 is not holding back on these songs, mixing in that journey with references towards the title of their album, "A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships."
Matty points out that the "big heroin" song on the album is "It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)."
The 1975 - It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) Official Videowww.youtube.com
The chorus of the song goes:
And all I do is sit and think about youIf I knew what you'd do
Collapse my veins, wearing beautiful shoes
It's not living if it's not with you
The heroin is what is "collapsing his veins" but is disguised as "wearing beautiful shoes" meaning that he knows the drug is bad for him, but it is disguised as something beautiful and inviting that he wants, despite the consequences.
However, the album also deals with Matty's success and his journey to accept himself, as what can be taken from their first single off the album, "Give Yourself A Try." Why don't you "give yourself a try?" he repeats.
The 1975 - Give Yourself A Trywww.youtube.com
The album is an emotional rollercoaster but it's raw and pure of heart, making the sometimes erratic genre changes (there's even a track voiced entirely by a "Siri" like robotic voice!) flow and fit neatly into the whole package of their album that only The 1975 could pull off. The quartet truly has stepped out of their comfort zones with this one, and it has paid off. No matter if you're new to the band or a longtime fan, dealing with addiction, or happily sober, The 1975 has a way of touching a nerve on every single listener, providing escape, comfort, and healing to numerous fans, just as Matthew Healy found his own.
For some, the genre benders may be too much to handle, and the first full album listen may be a little off putting, even disappointing, but by the second listen, you're hooked. Some of their songs rely on superficial meanings, such as "TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME" with the lyrics:
I swear that I (Swear that I)
I only called her one time
Maybe it was two times?
I don't think it was three times
It can't be more than four times
I think we need to rewind
You text that boy sometimes
Must be more than three times
I didn't mean to two-time you
Others, you'll need to dig a little deeper, but that's okay, especially in reference to their closing track "I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)." I'll let you listen to that one yourself.
Overall, The 1975's new album celebrates success but doesn't romanticize the struggles and emotions involved in the path towards it, as well as calling out issues relevant to today's "modern world."
