Courtesy of rollingstone.com
They took the world by surprise after going ghost on all forms of social media for some time and dropping vague, cryptic messages about their disappearance. Fans prepared themselves for what they thought might be the end of a beautiful era as well as a band they had come to not only know, but grow with. Various theories rose out of this act of disappearance, but most souls were put at ease when the band account, along with its members, resurfaced in a new color based on an entirely new mindset. The 1975 is the band that was able to pull off this reincarnation and emerge in a new light that no one ever saw coming.
When people first heard The 1975, they envisioned a typical boyband surrounded by hormonal teenage girls in pursuit of a love that may never be. Admittedly, the band’s fan base is heavily weighted on the female end. This is not what it aimed to be identified with, and it is not what it envisioned people viewing them as. By deleting all forms of social media and essentially reinventing themselves, the members of the band have given people the opportunity to reject social norms and view them first for who they are as a band, along with the music they put forth, rather than labeling them in regards to their fan base.
The music in itself speaks clearly about their ideas about society and even challenges the way that people view them, whether or not they think they know who The 1975 is. Before the release of their latest album, I Like it When You Sleep for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It, fans and media were granted the opportunity to get to know the band and the vision behind the album through numerous pop-up shops, interviews and listening parties. This humble, generous effort has allowed people to get a better sense of what the new era is all about.
It goes without saying that The 1975 is phenomenal when it comes to their artistry and their hunger to remain themselves despite the criticism they face. This sets them apart from other artists in the media. Their constant effort to enhance their aesthetic is evident in their performance, and it is exactly what makes them an absolute joy to watch live. There are many bands that rise in fame and fall behind the scenes never to be heard from again, but The 1975 is a band that could rise and fall with people still willing to move mountains to hear from them again. The beauty in their performance is so innocent and pure that it will change a person’s outlook on the world for days to follow. Santa Barbara natives have the chance to witness this beauty first-hand Thursday, April 21 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, and because the band is in demand in numerous parts of the world, there is no question that missing this show is a decision you’ll regret.
