In a time when politics is becoming the forefront of the media, artists and musicians have taken it upon themselves to commentate on the increasingly tense environment. While The 1975’s upcoming album, “Notes on a Conditional Form” is not to be fully released until Feb. 21, 2020, the band has already set out a resolute statement with their two teaser singles, “The 1975” and “People.” 

The 1975 is classified as an English Pop Rock band, consisting of lead vocalist Matthew Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross Macdonald, and drummer George Daniel.

Like all pre-existing albums by The 1975, the band released the first single in the same way they always do, by beginning with their self-titled track. While “The 1975” remains consistent throughout all past albums, this version features a monologue presented by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old global-awareness activist. 

“Now is not the time for speaking politely or focusing on what we can or cannot say. Now is the time to speak clearly.” The 1975 make their stance on climate change policy eminently understood. 

Like all powerful speeches, the track ends with a call to action, highlighting the urgency to act now. Lyrics are featured as follows:

“So, we can no longer save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed. Everything needs to change, and it has to start today. So, everyone out there, it is now time for civil disobedience. It is time to rebel.”

While some may feel that combining politics with entertainment is contributing to the issue of mass politicization, there really is no avoidance when the current political environment is growing increasingly tense and dooming; especially when it comes to matters concerning climate change. 

Following a similar theme to the opening track, The 1975’s latest release, “People” conveys a prominent message of impending doom in a rough and angsty composition. It opens with the following lyrics:

 “Wake up, wake up, wake up, it’s Monday morning and we’ve only got a thousand of them left,” and “Wake up, wake up, wake up, we are appalling.”  Healy implies the uniform message of time slipping through our fingers. 

Additionally, the band’s frontist utilizes rhetorical irony and understatements in lines like, “The economy’s a goner, republic’s a banana, ignore it if you wanna,” as a way of highlighting the pure negligence that the majority of the public showcases towards imminent dangers such as climate change. 

As a band that most commonly caters to young adults, I find The 1975’s use of their platform to be of great significance. By spreading messages of making change to younger generations, an increasing amount of teens and young adults are likely to be more inclined educate themselves and to participate in the current political climate. 

While “Notes on a Conditional Form” has yet to be released in its entirety, from the direction of the aforementioned singles and the ambiguious album title, it can be inferred that the remainder of the work will continue to follow the theme of urgency for change.