Generation Z. Millennials. The Lost Generation.

However you may think of us, we are arguably one of the most socially aware, progressive generations to come along, and this is proven time and time again. We acknowledge problems, we push for change, and we stand up for our rights and beliefs, and those of others.

Given that our generation so openly strives for social change, it is so important that people who have any form of influence over us, and over the generations after us, are speaking in ways that will encourage us to continue to do what is right. That being said, one of the biggest sources of influence for people our age and even more so for minds younger than ours, who are still incredibly impressionable, is music.

As of 2017, 84% of people ages 18-24 reported listening to music every day. There is a lot of music being consumed by a lot of millennials.

In other words, 84% of millennials listen to the music that is released by extremely influential entertainers every single day, and even if we do it subconsciously, our brains are absorbing whatever is being fed to us, which leads me to the main topic of this article.

With their next album set to be released this November, the 1975 stand as one of the most popular bands among teens and young adults. Having released their first album in 2013, the band secured themselves as an alternative to the more mainstream pop music, for example, that was, and still is, widely popular. Today, they present lyrics offering striking, satirical, and truly significant comments on society, and their latest releases have not broken the trend.

Their recent single "Love It If We Made It" is a passionate protest against the tragedies of the times, and is praised for calling out Donald Trump for his degrading comments towards women as well as for offering a commentary on violence against people of color. The most talked about verse offers the following lines:

"I moved on her like a b*tch" / Excited to be indicted / Unrequited house with seven pools / "Thank you Kanye, very cool" /The war has been incited, and guess what? / You're all invited / And you're famous / Modernity has failed us

Here, the band includes one of Trump's dehumanizing and disgusting comments about a woman, as well as his tweet responding to Kanye West's support. Even further, though, the line "The war has been incited, and guess what? You're all invited" references the war against racism, prejudice, misogyny, sexism... all forms of inequality and injustice, and in fact, this is the band's call to action to their listeners, encouraging us to use our voices and get involved, because these are issues which affect all of us. Complacency is unacceptable.

Another portion of the "Love It If We Made It": "Saying controversial things just for the hell of it / Selling melanin and then suffocate the black men / Start with misdemeanors and we'll make a business out of them"

These lines appear in the very beginning of the song, launching the audience right into The 1975's masterfully crafted world of satire. These lines are powerful in their own right, but when the band released the music video for this song, the meaning became something even larger. As the band sings "suffocate the black men", a clip of Eric Garner's death rolls onscreen, so that anyone listening who may not have made that connection is now forced to. Some may call this extremely forward, and it is extremely forward, and for that, I praise The 1975 because we need straightforwardness. We need to be upfront about things and address them head-on, especially issues that often get brushed aside or skated around.

"Give Yourself A Try" offers another satirical comment regarding political conversations, saying "I found a grey hair in one of my suits / Like context in a modern debate, I just took it out". This references the idea of debates excluding essential information, and ultimately spiraling into negative, mal-intended arguments in lieu of educated discussions.

Going back to "Loving Someone" off of their last album in 2016, the 1975 offers the lyrics "My heart is telling me the telly isn't telling me anything / I need but it needs to keep on selling me / Besides celebrities lacking in integrity / Holding up the status quo instead of showing the kids / That they matter", which raises the idea of the media presenting topics that will "sell" rather than information that is of use to the general public, referencing television as "telly". They also include a comment towards celebrities "holding up the status quo" rather than defending the concept of individuality and embraces oneself.

Slightly later in this verse, the band uses satire to comment on sexuality, saying "It's better if we keep them perplexed / It's better if we make them want the opposite sex" in regards to anti-gay mindsets.

All of the lyrics I have examined so far contribute greatly to the band's influential image as advocates for social change. Being that they have an audience of over 5 million people spanning across social media platforms, they do have a great deal of influence over those of us who see their posts and listen to their music. That being said, I find it incredibly admirable that they are using their voice and their influence in a productive and progressive way, drawing attention to issues that deserve such attention.

On another note, our generation is also one with striking issues regarding self-esteem and mental illness, and in fact, some refer to us as the "anxious generation". That being said, The 1975 are extremely important for a whole other reason: encouragement of self-love.

Let's return to "Give Yourself A Try". The title itself is a statement of encouragement, and the ultimate message of the song is to stop questioning and doubting yourself.

Recent single "Sincerity is Scary" comments on the defense-mechanisms we may use in order to avoid "seeming too human", so to speak:

You lack substance when you say / Something like "Oh, what a shame" / It's just a self-referential way that stops you having to be human

Here, bandleader Matty Healy is examining how we set aside our emotions and use meaningless phrases such as the one the band uses here- "What a shame". In doing this, we are ignoring our feelings in order to not have to acknowledge them, and this is the main point of the song.

Later in the song, listeners are greeted with "Why would you believe / You could control how you're perceived / When at best you're intermediately / Versed in your own feelings", which furthers the idea that we suppress our emotions. Here, the band presents its audience with a question: how could you possibly believe that you can control the way others see you when you refuse to even deal with your own emotions? In a sense, this is challenging listeners to become better "versed in our feelings", by learning to acknowledge and accept our emotions rather than using cheap humor and undercuts to suppress them.

Up until recently, it seemed to be a general rule that you either loved the 1975, or saw them as a band that sang only about "drugs and sex". Interestingly enough, today, it seems that most people I mention the band to refer to them as "mainstream". This strikes me because, realistically, the only thing that is mainstream about them is the fact that they are so popular. The construction of their music is in no way mainstream, and their lyrics certainly aren't. The 1975 discusses issues that are prevalent and pressing, rather than skating around them with surface-level ballads and love songs just because that's what sells.

Actually, saying that "that's what sells" isn't even a relevant excuse anymore, because The 1975 are getting down and dirty talking about things that matter, and quite frankly.... they're doing pretty well for themselves.