4 Years of Being Funny In A Foreign Language

I'd like to think of this particular blog post as a structured review of the album, but its so hard for me to look at this album, this band in general, trying to be objective. I've been listening to The 1975 since the release of their first album in 2013, and in my opinion, this is their most important work. Don't get me wrong, you could make an argument for any of the albums being their most important, but the message that this album is trying to send really shows how far this band has come.

I'm sure I'll write about The 1975 a few more times going forward, this is my favorite band after all. Many fans especially the older fans will talk about the tumblr era, around the time of their first album. Then there was the "I like it when you sleep era," which is my favorite era. The neon lights, the 80's synth sounds. I could go on and write about their albums' relevance to the time each was released, but their latest album is the topic of discussion.

The 1975's fifth studio album, Being Funny In A Foreign Language, released on October 14, 2022, explores the idea of being able to connect with people, in a society where people often tend to disregard authenticity because it comes off as cringey or odd. This album begs the question: Can you truly find love and connection in the modern age of social media and socially constructed expectations? Well, maybe its just me but making friends nowadays seems harder than ever or being able to communicate feelings is near impossible because you can't find someone you feel is trustworthy enough. So, we sell ourselves short by advertising the version of ourselves that we feel meets a certain person or certain people's needs. And all for what?

Every track contributes to this idea in some way. As mentioned above, I can only be so objective. Much of this is going to be what the songs mean to me. There are eleven* tracks.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 1 - ᴛʜᴇ 1975

If you're a fan of this band, you know every opening track on every album is titled "The 1975." Front man Matty Healy has stated its this idea of a startup sound, and this sound will set the tone for where the band feels they are at that moment in time. The album starts with the iconic LCD piano rift from "All My Friends." It gives you that "here we go" feeling, like we know Healy is going to say something very important and philosophical, in this case, it's "I think I've got a boner but I can't really tell." Just as important, the song touches on the idea of doom and despair. "Making an aesthetic out of not doing well," or "mining all the bits of you you think you can sell," refers to romanticizing and packaging your vulnerabilities and mental health struggles into a 45 second tiktok. Its controversial. It's The 1975. Oh, I almost forgot, if you're seventeen, I'm sorry, really.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 2 - ʜᴀᴘᴘɪɴᴇꜱꜱ

Alright, out of the doom and gloom we call the intro, were introduced to this up beat 80's sound, with jazzy percussions. This was my favorite song on the album for a while, because although it sounds like a play on words, I think the lyrics juxtapose the "get up and dance" sound of this track. The line "I would go blind just to see you," is a cringey hyperbole that really showcases top-tier yearning. "Her body's like a modern art," I mean almost every line in this song is about admiring a certain someone, but I really love the lines "I'm gonna stop messin' it up, feeling like I'm messing it up" because they represent the panic and anxiety that make you question whether or not this "happiness" is sustainable. Stop overthinking, my partner loves me, nothing is wrong. Right?

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 3 - ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴏᴍᴇʙᴏᴅʏ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ

Words can be misleading, is the best way I can describe the title of this song. Every song, in some way, alludes to finding authentic connection. Its a goal of ours because it can save us from whatever sadness or loneliness we are feeling. I like to think of this song as the aftermath of how wrong things can go when that connection is denied or is felt to be unattainable. Specifically the lyrics "the boy with a plan and the gun in his hand was looking for somebody to love." But again, if you listen to the song, it'd be hard not to dance to the 80's synth pop sound. So much so that the lyrics enter in one ear and quickly out the other. Until you really understand what the lyrics are telling you, you wouldn't know how dark and troubling the meaning of the song really is.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 4 - ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɴᴅ

You know that sinking feeling of joking about random things and one of the jokes being said actually describes you, but you just laugh along. That's kind of how I'd describe this song. It's jokingly sarcastic but not in a way that makes you say "I agree" more like, "damn that's me." Part of the band is Matty's reflection of himself and society through a modern lens. As mentioned, its sarcastic but ironic. Lyrics such as "I know some vaccinista tote bag chic baristas, sitting east on their communista keisters, writing about their ejaculations" refers to the stereotypes surrounding a certain type of socially conscious, trendy individual. Yeah, it's mean, I guess, but Matty isn't writing this in a way that is meant to attack people. Its a reflection where he's recognizing that he's a part of the same culture he's criticizing. And towards the end of the song, "Am I unironically woke" and "calling his ego imagination" convey the same idea. If you're really a fan of the band, I wouldn't be surprised if you told me this is the best song on the album.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 5 - ᴏʜ ᴄᴀʀᴏʟɪɴᴇ

If you love someone so much to the point where you depend on them for everything, is that considered healthy? In other words, the feelings you posses for another person begin to consume you, and you'll do anything just to be with them. Lyrics like "I'll do anything that you wanna, I'll try anything that you wanna" suggests this emotional sacrifice in return for love and affection, as if your feelings are a form of currency. I think it's fair to say this is a very aggressive song. Are you really willing to love someone so much, they basically become your whole identity? Despite everything I said about this song, I can almost guarantee that when you hear it, your body will begin to move.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 6 - ɪ'ᴍ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ

Well, this may very well be the first song since track two, that is cheerful and soft both lyrically and sound wise. I think the song being so simple is what makes it so good. It's groovy, it's lighthearted, it's authentic. After all these years of listening to the album, every time you get to this song, you're reminded that this album is just so good. It's almost like this album is a rollercoaster, a mixed bag of emotions that ultimately contribute to that one central idea, and when you get to this song, the album somehow manages to get even better. The music video is so representative of what I'm trying to say. From the black and white theme, to chasing a romantic interest dressed a clown, to the choreography, to the Phoebe Bridgers cameo. It's all just so happy.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 7 - ᴀʟʟ ɪ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀʀ

"All I Need to Hear" is the first track on the album where the sound is softer and slower. A ballad like tune that almost carries a nihilistic perspective. I mean almost every line is just saying nothing else matters. It's like what this person says to me doesn't matter, how these people regard me doesn't matter. It only matters if its you. I think the line "I don't care if you're insincere, just tell me what I wanna hear," reverberates loudest because it's so relatable to those so lost in love.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 8 - ᴡɪɴᴛᴇʀɪɴɢ

Straight back into a fast paced indie sound, "Wintering" is a humorous conversation that over exaggerates the stress of Christmas and the holidays. Saying exaggerates is me trying to be objective, but I really do think the holidays are just way too overstimulating. It really is a stressful time generally speaking. Shopping for gifts, preparing food, having family over, traveling. I think its somewhat safe to say these are common experiences most families share. I love the lyrics "I just came for the stuffin', not to argue about nothin' but mark my words I'll be home on the twenty-third." It's like yeah I'll be there, but I just want to eat. I can personally vouch for that, considering my birthday is on the twenty-fourth.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 9 - ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴛᴏᴏ

In "Human Too," Healy addresses himself, acknowledging his mistakes. He also reminds us that as humans we are flawed and imperfect. When Matty sings "And don't you know that I'm human too? Should know that you're human too," he's asking to meet him on common ground. I don't even know how to address the elephant in the room, so I put an asterisk when I said there were eleven tracks. Technically there are now only ten. Healy has stated he feels this song just doesn't resonate with the rest of the album. I personally really liked this track. It showcases his vocals, and in terms of the meaning behind the song, he's trying to be empathetic.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 10 - ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ

One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. I think it goes without saying it's the most popular song on the album, and one the band's most popular songs in general. The sounds, that insane drop in the intro, the lyrics, Carly's bridge, the outro. Everything about this song attacks you emotionally, it just takes over. "We get married in our heads" alludes to this idea of maybe in another life, and "hold onto to hope that we find our way back in the end" makes me realize hope is actually beautiful. For a very long time I used to think hope was a sad thing, but sometimes it's all we have left, reminding us that those feelings were real. What we shared was real.

ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ 11 - ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ

I love how the album ends with a folky sound. I always imagined this song as meeting your ex lover and reminiscing about your relationship. Like small talk about the little things we used to say or do. The dynamic of knowing each other so well where everything just reminds you of them, but ultimately not being together anymore. The line "the only time I feel I might get better is when we are together" captures a melancholic feeling where the only person who can heal you, is no longer with you.

I've been listening to all their albums for a long time. I still can't fathom this album is four years old. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (3rd album) and Notes On A Conditional form (4th album) are both pushing ten years old, and yet the messages and themes from those albums are still so relevant. Messages such as we live in the age of internet culture which affects how we deal with loneliness, or how society uses political activism amidst the current political climate. But this album, not saying its completely different, is less about calling things out and more about vulnerability and self-reflection. There is a level of sincerity in Healy's vulnerability. I'm asking the question again: Can you truly find love and connection in this modern society? Can you put aside what others will think about you, your ego, in order to understand someone better. Shifting away from playing it safe in exchange for something more intimate.