The 1975 is notorious for catchy indie pop tunes with witty, yet sometimes incomprehensible, lyrics. However, on their newest album Being Funny In a Foreign Language, released on October 14th, lead singer Matty Healy once again proves that he can deliver clever lyrics that are aware politically, socially, and personally. And he can do so in a way free from mumbling or slurring: the lyrics are impossible to ignore. Poised to embark on their North American tour entitled “The 1975 At Their Very Best,” The 1975 and their new record have proved that they truly are at their very best. Here are some of the lyrics from the album’s tracks that best exemplify Healy’s profound lyricism. 

“The 1975”: “You’re makin’ an aesthetic out of not doing well/And minin’ all the bits of you you think you can sell”

On social media and in real life, people are tempted to aestheticize their pain. Glamorizing struggles allows people to distance themselves from their pain, but it does little to address the root of the issue. Further, Healy calls out hustle culture which serves as a tool of capitalism to force individuals to monetize every aspect of their life. Capitalism preaches that you should be selling any skill you have for profit. For Healy, this manifests as expounding his personal issues in music, thus selling his personal pain for profit. For everyday people, this can mean selling your hobbies, such as art or writing, instead of doing art for art’s sake. 

“Part of the Band”: “I know some Vaccinista tote bag chic baristas/Sitting in east on their communista keisters” 

Healy invokes the stereotypical image of a trendy young person: a stylish tote bag-wearing individual who constantly drinks lattes (with oat milk, of course). However, he also pokes fun at this image: these same people who claim to be anticapitalist or communist have their identities tied inextricably to material possessions. Healy calls on listeners to examine their beliefs and values separate from physical appearances. While it is fun to drink an oat milk latte and wear a cute new tote bag, these factors should not be main sources of identity. 

“When We Are Together”: “Oh, the truth is that our egos are absurd/I thought we were fightin’/But it seems I was gaslightin’ you/I didn’t know that it had its own word” 

Healy acknowledges toxic behaviors that he has performed in relationships. In reflecting on what he originally thought was a normal fight, he realizes that he was gaslighting his partner. At the time he did not realize what gaslighting was, but he later learned that gaslighting was a manipulation tactic used to distort the truth and make someone question their own feelings. He performed this subconsciously, but that does not make its effects any less real. Healy had to overcome his ego and educate himself to acknowledge that what he did was wrong. 

“I’m in Love With You”: “I’m in love with you”

This simple lyric, which also serves as the title of the song, was recently cited by Healy in an interview with Amelia Dimoldenberg as one of his favorite lyrics he has written. Dimoldenberg poked fun at Healy for choosing such a basic phrase that everyone says as his favorite lyric. However, its universality is what makes this lyric so great. Amidst an album that tackles complex issues of capitalism, identity, and relationships, acknowledging that love can still be found among the chaos is extremely important. Despite how crazy the world is, love is a persisting force that everyone can experience. 

Being Funny In a Foreign Language highlights Healy’s way with words in his native language. The record is witty, profound, and extremely aware of the current world we live in. The 1975 did not lie when they said they were at their very best.