The 1975 Sounds Call to Action with "People"
Photo courtesy of The 1975 Facebook page
In August of 2019, the band The 1975 premiered “People”, a song that will appear on their new album “Notes on a Conditional Form”, scheduled for release in April. The song differs from the band’s other works; here, the lead singer's (Matty Healey) voice is loud. It’s powerful and captivating in that it draws your attention. “Wake up, wake up, wake up,” he screams. There is a notable lack of a melody that one could vibe or dance too, that their other commonly known songs, such as “Me & You Together Song '' and “Somebody Else”, do incorporate. This element forces emphasis on the lyrics. Healy wants people to listen to what he has to say—he sends his message loudly and clearly through “People”.
Some of my personal favorite lines, are “Well, I know it feels pointless and you don't have any money /But we're all just gonna try our fucking best/ Living in a sauna with legal marijuana/ Well, girls, food, gear/ I don't like going outside, so bring me everything here.” These lyrics add to the message that Healy wants to convey to the public- a message that we need to take action and create a positive change due to all the surrounding negativity. While Healy screams, “The economy's a goner, republic's a banana, ignore it if you wanna”, he does want to see more activism.
The 1975 has begun taking action to help with some of the difficult changes occurring today. While the band has recently paired with environmental activist Greta Thunberg, the two plan on calling for civil disobedience against climate change. Along with making a song like “People”, the band has changed their policy regarding apparel merch sales at their concerts. An article by Nick Rielly from NME magazine explains their new innovative idea—instead of selling new shirts, the band pushes fans to bring a shirt from home. Then at the concerts, fans can get the new logo and designs reprinted upon their shirts. They are also using extra t-shirts from previous albums to print their new designs—saving materials and excessive energy in factories and shipment.
In 2016 the band dedicated the song “Loving Somebody” to the LGBTQ+ community after a mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. During a performance of the song, the band displayed a rainbow flag behind, and ever since this has become an association with the song. And even with the song “Love it if We Made it” it fought against ideas of Donald Trump and against racism and misogyny. Constantly, the band never fails to stand up for important issues that they want to acknowledge. In the new song “The 1975” paired with Greta that will premier on “Notes on a Conditional Form” , there is a deeper focus on the needed attention towards climate change. Through the years, the 1975 have always used their platform to speak up for those that may not have the accessibility to use their voice. Their upcoming album will do the same as it speaks up for our environment and gives mother nature a voice.
The band has also recently released their upcoming tour dates for the North American Tour. With a neon yellow and all-caps font, the graphics for this tour seem to pair nicely with the band's new song. With other artists, Phoebe Bridgers and beabadoobee, The 1975 will be traveling all around America beginning with Houston, Texas and ending at Duluth, Georgia from April 27th to June 11th. While they are finishing up their tour in Europe, fans in America anticipate to see the change in the band.
“People” stresses the importance of taking action and the idea that we all need to help each other, and not just wait for things to occur and change. We need to create the change that we want to see happen. Our world is changing and evolving—it is seen in our politics, our environment and our entertainment. Healy wants us to take action and change the world for the better.