English Alternative pop band, The 1975, released an album this fall. This album called Being Funny In a Foreign Language is the band’s 5th album. The announcement of this album excited many fans, as The 1975 also announced a world tour at the same time. This album was produced by Matthew Healy, the lead singer of The 1975, along with critically acclaimed songwriter Jack Antonoff who has worked with artists such as Taylor Swift, Lorde and Lana Del Rey. The album was released by DirtyHit Records, which is the band’s record label. 

The 1975 is comprised of 4 members: Matthew Healy, Adam Hann, George Daniel and Ross MacDonald. The band formed in 2002 and started playing covers of songs released by other artists. They didn’t release their first album, titled The 1975, until 2013. The first song on each album of their albums is entitled The 1975 to homage to their first album and band name. The 1975 formed after meeting each other at local music gigs that were designated for teenagers to perform at them. Over the course of their career, they’ve been nominated for 2 Grammys, 4 BRIT Awards and 2 BBC Music Awards. In total, they’ve been nominated for 44 awards. 

Being Funny In a Foreign Language features 11 songs and has a listening time of 44 minutes. When asked about the album, Healy said it was tough to write. He said that “I was searching for our band’s magnum opus.” In typical The 1975 fashion, the opening track features an upbeat track with some dark references. Many of the tracks on this album have already gotten some critical acclaim, and the song About you has recently been trending on social media sites like TikTok. When asked about the contents of the album, Healy said “As you get older, life starts presenting you with different ideas, such as responsibility? Family? Growing up in general? It would be easy to do another record where I’m being clever and funny. What’s hard to do is just be real and super open.” 

Their new album is a contrast from their other albums like A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. This album is sincere and openly talks about controversial issues. This album demonstrates that even as the band members and their music mature, they’re still able to keep the same feel that the other albums have.