This, their fourth LP, comes at an interesting time considering the current circumstances around the world regarding Covid-19, climate change, and politics. And yet, the band decided to include these topics in song form with a clip of Greta Thunberg in the eponymous opening track. Seamlessly, a transition is made from themes such as this, to lyrics detailing sex, addiction, and more.

// N O T E S O N A C O N D I T I O N A L F O R M – O U T N O W // L O V E https://t.co/CMaYOANpbx pic.twitter.com/PDDyFErNZi

— The 1975 (@the1975) May 22, 2020

In an interview with Pitchfork, lead singer Matty Healy discussed his inspiration behind the album, revealing that he has many different influences. These include his fellow band members and friends, cultural references, and other artists such as Mick Jagger, Joan Didion, and Brian Eno.

A total of seven singles were released prior to ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’; though out of 22 tracks, this is a small piece of what the album has overall turned out to be. The most popular song is, surprisingly not the first, nor the second single to come out, but the third: ‘Me & You Together Song’. With 20 million streams, the song came out on 16th January and was premiered as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World on BBC Radio 1.

Yesterday, 21st May, the music video for single ‘Guys’ debuted on YouTube with a heartwarming montage of band members Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross McDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums). Both the song and video show the friendships which have formed within the band, and their incredible experiences with fans.

Healy spoke to NME about the future of live music after the Covid-19 pandemic, saying “That big show that we did at The O2 and stuff – that’s gone. Like, that is already a thing of the past, and it’s gonna require me, and huge artists like Travis Scott, Billie Eilish, Drake, to reinvent what that spectacle is.” Like numerous bands and artists including Coldplay, The 1975 are hoping to find new ways of performing live that are not damaging to the environment.

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// A L B U M 1 – L I S T E N I N G P A R T Y – F R I D A Y 7 P M B S T // L O V E #the1975

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The band announced the news on Instagram, but it is currently unclear as to what platform will be used to host the event. The band released their debut album, ‘The 1975′, on September 2, 2013 via Dirty Hit and Polydor Records, The band’s self-titled debut album was produced by Mike Crossey, who worked with the like of the Arctic Monkeys.

The album topped the UK Albums Chart on September 8 and was certified platinum in 2014 by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of over 300,000 copies. The album features the singles ‘Sex’, ‘Girls’, ‘Settle Down’, ‘Robbers’ and ‘Heart Out’.

Last week, The 1975‘s Matty Healy revealed that he’s self-isolating in the studio where the band made their last two albums, and is working on new music. Speaking to Annie Mac on Radio 1, while premiering The 1975’s new single ‘If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)’, Healy revealed he was working on new music.

Healy said: “Like everybody else, I’m in the same situation and taking it day by day. I feel really, really lucky to keep being able to do what I do, when so many people can’t. I’m just trying to not take that for granted.”

The announcement of the listening party comes after they revealed they new release date of their fourth studio album, ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’. The album was originally scheduled to be released, on February 21, 2o2o, but after a set-back it was then postponed until April 24. The band recently confirmed that the album will be released, on May 22, 2020.

The announcement marks a serious change of plans for the band, who had previously confirmed that their third album would be called Music For Cars, and would mark the end of The 1975 all-together. The band was set to go their separate ways in order for Healy to focus on his side project Drive Like You Do, who he stated would soon release their debut album in a now-deleted tweet.

Healy confirmed the album release dates in an interview on Zayne Lowe’s Beats 1 show, and also explained why the third album was no longer called Music For Cars. He explained that he originally wanted the album to mark the end of an era for the band, and had used Music For Cars (the same title he had used for the band’s first EP) “because every writer wants a great ending, right?”.

However, he has come to see the move as “naive”, saying: “I was lying to myself. I’m not going to stop The 1975 next year – no way. I don’t want to do that”. Instead, Music For Cars has become the name of the era that the band are currently in, which includes both A Brief Enquiry and Notes on a Conditional Form.

Thankfully, Healy didn’t just leave fans to wait until October to hear new music. Instead, he released the first single, “Give Yourself A Try” from the upcoming album, which may soon be joined by another track, called “jesus christ 2005 god bless america”, that Healy teased on Instagram last year.