Matthew Timothy Healy (born 8 April 1989) is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

band

the 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...

. He is recognised for his lyricism, musical eclecticism, provocative onstage persona characterised as

performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

, and influence on

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

music. Born in London and raised largely in the

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

village of

Alderley Edge Alderley Edge is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cheshire, England, north-west of Macclesfield and south of Manchester. It lies at the base of a wooded sandstone escarpment, ''The Edge'', overlooking the Cheshire Plai ...

, Healy formed the 1975 in 2002 with his schoolmates at Wilmslow High School. After signing with

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

Dirty Hit Dirty Hit Limited is a British independent record label founded in February 2010 by Jamie Oborne, Chuck Waite, Brian Smith, and former England national football team, England footballer Ugo Ehiogu. Based in London since 2009, it has expanded op ...

, the band released four extended plays before releasing their self-titled studio album in 2013. They followed it with ''

I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It ''I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It'' (stylised in sentence case) is the second studio album by English band the 1975, released on 26 February 2016 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records, Polydor. In 2014, fro ...

'' (2016), '' A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships'' (2018), '' Notes on a Conditional Form'' (2020) and '' Being Funny in a Foreign Language'' (2022). Each of their studio albums reached number one on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

and charted on the ''Billboard'' 200, garnering critical praise and appearing in numerous publications' year-end and decade-end lists. A vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights and

climate change mitigation Climate change mitigation (or decarbonisation) is action to limit the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that cause climate change. Climate change mitigation actions include energy conservation, conserving energy and Fossil fuel phase-out, repl ...

, Healy's songs and performances also deal with themes including

internet culture Internet culture refers to culture developed and maintained among frequent and active users of the Internet (also known as netizens) who primarily communicate with one another as members of online communities; that is, a culture whose influence ...

masculinity Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as Social construction of gender, socially constructed, and there i ...

, the social and political milieu as well as his personal life and relationships. He has been described as a "spokesperson for the millennial generation" by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

,'' "the enfant terrible of pop-rock" by ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

,'' "a cannily self-made bad boy" by NPR, an "expert provocateur" by ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

,'' and "iconoclastic" by ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

''. Healy is the recipient of four Brit Awards, and two

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...

including Songwriter of the Year, and has also been nominated twice for the

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...

and

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

Early life

Matthew Timothy Healy was born on 8 April 1989 in

Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the London Borough of Barnet, northwest London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient Manorialism, manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has ...

, north London. He is a son of actors Tim Healy and Denise Welch; they divorced in 2012. Both are of Irish descent. His maternal grandfather was a

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...

, and younger brother, Louis, is an actor. He lived in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

from the ages of two to four but spent most of his early years living on a cattle farm in Hedley on the Hill, Northumberland. The family moved to Alderly Edge in Cheshire when he was nine. Healy's parents were working actors of stage and television for much of his childhood, with his mother becoming a celebrity figure in his teens. He himself had no interest in acting but did appear as an extra in his parents' television shows including ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'', '' Byker Grove'' and '' Waterloo Road''. His parents were music fans, introducing him to

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

, and his father socialised with many musicians including Brian Johnson of

AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...

(who became Healy's godfather),

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakema ...

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is the one of the two members who stayed during the band's existence ...

Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals, lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums, percussion). Th ...

, and

Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is the co-founder and, latterly, sole member of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) which was formed in 1970. He has written all of ...

Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangement ...

Peter Hook Peter Hook (born 13 February 1956) is an English musician. He was the bassist and co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division and its successor New Order. He often used the bass as a lead instrument, playing melodies on the high strings wi ...

Joy Division Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...

and New Order was a neighbour. His mother's godfather, screenwriter Ian La Frenais, introduced him to

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...

. The first guitar Healy ever played was used by Dire Straits to record "

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

". He has said this early proximity to musicians meant the possibility of "being a rock star was part of my reality." Healy was a quiet child, with recurring vivid nightmares. He got his first drum kit when he was five, and started doing karate by seven eventually earning a black belt by his teens. For the first twelve years of his life he was an only child "so there were a lot of video games, a lot of

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

videos, a lot of singing and dancing to myself and self-involvement." Unlike his younger brother, Healy "grew up in a party house" and has recalled sleeping "in the bar" of London's Groucho Club on numerous occasions. He has remembered this aspect of his childhood as "exciting" rather than "distressing". His parents both had issues with alcohol and his mother used cocaine to self-medicate during periods of acute depression, including

postpartum The postpartum (or postnatal) period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to last for six to eight weeks. There are three distinct phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasting for six to twelve hours after birth; the ...

. Privately educated at Lady Barn House School and King's School, Macclesfield, Healy was expelled from the latter for starting a fight club. He won a King's School talent contest at age 12, with renditions of songs by

the La's The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from 1983 until 1992. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group are best known for their hit single " There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike ...

and

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentWilmslow High School, where he met and befriended his future bandmates. He obtained

GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...

in Music and English, subsequently attending music college for three months before dropping out. The Academy of Contemporary Music website lists Healy as a 2007–2008 alumnus, obtaining a Vocals diploma. Years later, Healy called school "a tedious imposition, getting in the way of me being a pop star".

Career

2002–2011: Beginnings, and early years of the 1975

In 2002, at the age of 13, Healy was recruited by Adam Hann to be the drummer of a band he was forming with Ross MacDonald at Wilmslow High School. When their potential lead singer dropped out after a rehearsal, Healy also became the lead vocalist. He eventually met George Daniel who took over as the band's drummer. Daniel recalled that Healy was "the most outwardly passionate person in school — endearing, and intimidating". Before making their own music, the band covered punk and emo songs while hanging out at their school's music hall and at Healy's house. Their first performance for 200 people was as part of the council-run

Macclesfield Macclesfield () is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East, Cheshire, England. It is sited on the River Bollin and the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east; the town lies south of Ma ...

Youth Bands. After leaving school, Healy persuaded his bandmates to attend universities in Manchester to keep the band together. While he briefly attended music school, he had short-lived jobs at

FatFace Fat Face Limited, trading as FatFace, is a British lifestyle brand, based in Hampshire, which creates product ranges across women's, men's, kids, footwear and accessories. FatFace is a multichannel retailer, with an international digital bus ...

, as a barista at Caffè Nero, and as a delivery boy at a Chinese restaurant. Healy's mother worried about his future but his father "believed in imunquestioningly".

2012–2014: Rise to fame

Before settling on the band name the 1975 in 2012, they played under various names – Talkhouse, the Slowdown, Bigsleep, Drive Like I Do – around

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester. ...

. Healy recounted that the final name came from the scribblings found on his copy of the novel ''

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagoni ...

'' by

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian ...

that were dated "1 June, The 1975". Matty_Healy_-_15954480489

The 1975 were rejected by every major record label, with executives confused by the band's genre-hopping approach. Healy later remarked: "We create in the way we consume. We're from this generation, and we don't want to be from another time." After years as the band's manager, Jamie Oborne set up his own independent label,

, and signed the band for 20 pounds. The band subsequently released four extended plays from 2012 to 2013 – '' Facedown,'' '' Sex,'' '' Music for Cars,'' and '' IV''. The band began to build momentum in late 2012. Radio DJ

Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...

, who was then at the BBC, gave airplay to the EP ''Facedown'', and the band had radio success with " Sex" and "

Chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

", and released their debut album, ''

The 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...

'', in 2013. Healy said the album was inspired by John Hughes and was intended to be "almost a soundtrack to our teenage years." In reviewing the album, Michael Hann of ''The Guardian'' said "the best of the writing here – and it works better at length – is fabulous." The album reached number one on the UK Album Chart. The band sold out three nights at London's Brixton Academy, supported

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

at Hyde Park, and played the Pyramid Stage at

Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...

2015–2017: Breakthrough

The band released their second album, ''

'', in 2016. It landed at No.1 at the

and also topped the

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

with 108,000 equivalent units sold, becoming the longest album title at No. 1 in the chart history. They premiered the lead single, " Love Me", simultaneously scheduling a support tour in Europe, North America, and Asia. They premiered the second single, " UGH!", on 10 December on Beats 1. The album's third single, " The Sound", debuted on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

on 14 January 2016. The 1975 released the fourth single, " Somebody Else", on 15 February on Beats 1 before the album's release. "A Change of Heart" premiered on Radio 1 on 22 February, four days prior to the album's release. Their performance at Glastonbury Festival in 2016 was highly praised with ''

'' hailing Healy as "Britain's Greatest New Popstar". Alexis Petridis of ''The Guardian'' praised Healy's "witty self-awareness and deprecation" elaborating that he "has an eye for a prosaic detail that undercuts the air of bustling self-importance". The album reached number one in both the UK and US, earned

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

and Brit Award nominations, in addition to being shortlisted for the

. Healy directed the music video of

Pale Waves Pale Waves are an English Rock music, rock band from Manchester, formed in 2014. Lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie met drummer Ciara Doran while attending university in Manchester and they formed a band. Guitarist Hugo Silvani and ...

single "

Television Romance "Television Romance" is a song by the English Indie Music, indie pop band Pale Waves, released on 16 August 2017 to promote their debut album, ''My Mind Makes Noises'' (2018). The song, written by Heather Baron-Gracie and Ciara Doran and produc ...

", which he also co-produced.

2018–2021: Critical acclaim

'' A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships'', the band's

-nominated third studio album, was followed by '' Notes on a Conditional Form'' in 2020; both of which topped the

. In 2019, Healy received a

nomination for Best Rock Song for "Give Yourself A Try" from their third studio album, ''A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships''. The album also won a Brit Award for British Album of the Year. In 2020, the band won Band of the Decade, Best British Band, and the Innovator Award at the

NME Awards The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding o ...

The_1975_-_2019158235934_2019-06-07_Rock_am_Ring_-_2335_-_AK8I7685

Healy's most critically acclaimed songwriting is the song " Love It If We Made It". The song's lyrics are inspired by tabloid headlines of articles covering social and political events of that period, such as

police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or Public order policing, a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, b ...

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...

("selling melanin and then suffocating black men"), the death of Alan Kurdi and the refugee crisis in Europe ("a beach of drowning three-year olds"),

Colin Kaepernick Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and former professional football quarterback. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he gained na ...

's anthem protest against racial injustice in the US ("kneeling on a pitch"), verbatim quotes from

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

(" I moved on her like a bitch"), as well as direct quotes of Trump's tweets ("thank you Kanye, very cool") and a quote from Trump's presidential campaign t-shirt ("fuck your feelings"). The song also refers to

post-truth politics Post-truth politics, also described as post-factual politics or post-reality politics, amidst varying academic and dictionary definitions of the term, refer to a recent historical period where political culture is marked by public anxiety about w ...

attention economy The attention economy refers to the incentives of advertising-driven companies, in particular, to maximize the time and attention their users give to their product. Attention economics is an approach to the management of information that treats ...

, prison system in the US,

information overload Information overload (also known as infobesity, infoxication, or information anxiety) is the difficulty in understanding an issue and Decision making, effectively making decisions when one has too much information (TMI) about that issue, and is ...

, and the death of rapper

Lil Peep Gustav Elijah Åhr (; November 1, 1996 – November 15, 2017), known professionally as Lil Peep, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He was a member of the hip-hop collective GothBoiClique, and is credited as being a leading figure of ...

. Healy has described it as "a montage for the times, but it's not going to change the times. It doesn't provide a solution." The song's lyrics earned Healy the Best Contemporary Song award at the 2019

, where he was also awarded Songwriter of the Year. Healy and George Daniel of the 1975 co-produced

No Rome Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez (born 30 August 1999), better known by his stage name No Rome, is a London-based Filipino musician from San Francisco del Monte. He is best known for his 2021 single " Spinning", which featured Charli XCX and the 197 ...

's EP ''RIP Indo Hisashi'', which was released in August 2018. In 2021, he and Daniel produced Beabadoobee's solo EP '' Our Extended Play'', which was released in March 2021. In October 2021, Healy guest- opened for friend

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...

at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on her Reunion Tour where they performed the first live duet of the 1975 " Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America".

2022–present: Further success

In 2022, Healy wrote and produced, with Daniel and Jack Antonoff, the 1975's fifth studio album, '' Being Funny in a Foreign Language'', which gave the band its fifth consecutive number one in the UK. It has also reached number one in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, Ireland and Australia. It debuted at number 7 on the US

, as well as top 10 in New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the Netherlands. For his work on the album, he was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2023 Brit Awards, Songwriter of the Year at the

, and won the British Rock/Alternative Act at the 2023 Brit Awards. In April 2023, the band released '' Live with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra'', which reached number two in the UK. Healy embarked on a world tour entitled At Their Very Best, to support the band's new album. The set included a life-size house, and two distinct acts and a narrative interlude, the first being the show and then the concert. The show part, which Healy served as writer and director, received unanimous critical acclaim with five star reviews from the ''Rolling Stone'', ''

'', ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'', ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

'', ''

Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...

'', and '' Metro'' among others. In a review of the tour, ''

'' wrote, "Healy and co. have set an extremely high bar for other gigs this year. Part performance art, part rock show, all bolstered by some of the best pop songs to have emerged in the last decade. It should be considered a defining blueprint on how to do arena shows." In 2022, "Sleep Tight", a Healy and Rob Milton composition, was released by Holly Humberstone in April 2022, and two tracks written by Healy, "Pictures of Us" and "You're Here That's the Thing", are in Beabadoobee's album ''

Beatopia ''Beatopia'' is the second studio album by Filipino-English singer and songwriter Beabadoobee. It was released on English independent label Dirty Hit on 15 July 2022. It features collaborations with singer PinkPantheress, Matty Healy and Geor ...

'' in July 2022. Healy also co-wrote an unreleased song with

Lewis Capaldi Lewis Marc Capaldi (born 7 October 1996) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. In March 2019, his single "Someone You Loved" (2018) topped the UK Singles Chart where it remained for seven weeks, and in November 2019, it reached number ...

for his '' Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent'' album, and he worked with

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

on some material for her 2022 album, ''

Midnights ''Midnights'' is the tenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 21, 2022, by Republic Records. She conceived ''Midnights'' as a concept album about nocturnal ruminations inspired by her sleepl ...

''. In 2023, Healy provided additional vocals and drums for the Japanese House singles "Sunshine Baby" and "Boyhood" respectively. In August 2023, Healy and the band headlined

Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...

for the third time with a "10th Anniversary Performance" of their self-titled debut album released in 2013. This was followed by a concert tour entitled Still... At Their Very Best which commenced across arenas in North America and Europe in September 2023 and ended in March 2024.

Artistry

Influences

HIStory History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

show at Wembley Arena in 1996 was Healy's first concert and he has described it as "one of the most memorable and important experiences I think I've ever had." He has named

the Streets The Streets is an English musical project led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner (musician), Mike Skinner. The project was founded in the early 90s, while Skinner was still a teenager; however, no music would formally eventuat ...

as the artist that made him know " ewas going to start a band." " All My Friends" by

LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem is an American Dance-punk#Contemporary dance-punk, dance-punk revival band from Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy (electronic musician), James Murphy, of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals ...

is his "forever song" and he has tried to replicate it "technically" and "emotionally" throughout his career. Healy has always been drawn to 1980s music "when pop stars weren't so encumbered with self-awareness. I know that time had its decadence, but there's a real freedom in those records." When the band was recording their debut album, they tried to capture the mood of a John Hughes movie — "the apocalyptic sense of being a teenager". In 2013, Healy listed his ten all-time favourite albums for '' Louder Than War''. As well as mentions of the Streets and Michael Jackson, Healy listed albums by Glassjaw, My Bloody Valentine, Alexander O'Neal,

the Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the ...

, Hundred Reasons,

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...

and

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...

. He has described "darker garage music" like Wookie, Lain, MJ Cole and

Four Tet Kieran Miles David Hebden (born September 1977), known as Four Tet, is an English electronic musician. He came to prominence as a member of the post-rock band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist with charting and critically acc ...

as "so influential to me" and describes "a World Cup, garage or dubstep" as "the only things that make me proud to be English." In 2020, Healy recorded a podcast series interviewing his musical heroes; he had conversations with

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasing the album ...

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer best known as a pioneer of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, and canons. Reich descr ...

Kim Gordon Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Born in Rochester, New York, she was raised in Los Angeles, Califor ...

Mike Kinsella Mike Kinsella (born March 4, 1977) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He has been involved in many Illinois-based bands and is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the emo band American Football. Career Kinsella's first ...

Conor Oberst Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes (band), Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos (band), Desaparecidos, the Faint (previou ...

and Bobby Gillespie. Healy has also cited the Blue Nile as his "favourite band of all time", and

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

and

Sigur Rós Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band that formed in 1994 in Reykjavík. It comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Jónsi, Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal soun ...

as influences. Healy has also been influenced by literary figures including

Joan Didion Joan Didion (; December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021) was an American writer and journalist. She is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism, along with Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom Wolfe. Didio ...

, Jack Keruoac,

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish Irish poetry, poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his best-known works is ''Death of a Naturalist'' (1966), his first m ...

, and

Arthur Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he s ...

, describing Rimbaud's work as "dense and revolutionary". He has discussed how stand-up comedy is the biggest influence on his songwriting.

Voice

Healy possesses a

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...

, with a rasp from his cigarette smoking.

stated that he is "undeniably one of the best and most elastic vocal performers of his generation".

The Recording Academy National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

has described him as having "nimble vocals". ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' stated that Healy has a "shape-shifting voice" where "he croons and wails and screams and murmurs, shading his delivery with a variety of personae". His voice has also been described as "supple", "mellifluously melodic", and "always raw, with emotion".

Songwriting

The lyricism of Healy is known for its wit, humour, and self-awareness. His musical eclecticism is accompanied by lyrics that are "complex, clever, catchy" streams of consciousness and tongue-twisters, in addition to being "topical, explicit, and relentlessly self-referential." ''Clash'' noted that Healy's "lyricism alone finds him a cut above almost all of his peers", and ''

'' stated that he is "undoubtedly, one of this generation's finest wordsmiths." ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' has characterised him as a prose poet, with '' Consequence'' declaring him "rock's poet laureate of heartbreak, growing up, and fucking up." 1975INDY1

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' has described Healy as "one of the best contemporary writers — especially outside of rap — on the process of consumption, whether it's drugs or culture or goods". '' Pitchwork'' stated that Healy "is cursed with a self-awareness that can turn a simple idea into a galaxy-brain

diatribe A diatribe (from the Greek ''διατριβή''), also known less formally as rant, is a lengthy oration, though often reduced to writing, made in criticism of someone or something, often employing humor, sarcasm, and appeals to emotion. Hist ...

". ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. History and work It is owned by T ...

'' described his songwriting as having "layered, claustrophobic lyrics

hich Ij () is a village in Golabar Rural District of the Central District in Ijrud County, Zanjan province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq ...

reveal a man obsessed with fear and fragility, success and failure, endlessly looking for answers about himself and the pop-culture world he uncomfortably inhabits". '' GQ'' has dubbed Healy "the poster boy for overthinkers", with Ann Powers of '' NPR'' describing him as "an astute social observer who doubles as a confessionalist, offering disclosures that are always suspect: He might be lying every time he opens his mouth." ''The Guardian'' has remarked upon his "lyrical frankness: he wrote not about the party life of the 20-something, but about the fallout from the party," adding that "Healy is often his own sharpest critic. He uses

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...

in his songs – half-real, half-invented – to interrogate himself. Integral to his commitment to honesty and self-awareness is the knowledge that honesty and self-awareness can turn into just another shtick if you are not careful ... eis one of few songwriters who can examine internet culture without rendering you paralysed by embarrassment, because his music sounds the way the modern world feels: overstimulated, lurching between excitement and anxiety." Healy has stated that he used to consider himself a

beat poet The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-World War II era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by members o ...

, before describing his job as "curating my life through music". '' NPR'' has noted that he "has long treated writing songs for the 1975 as his diary". Healy often writes about the

millennial generation Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ...

, current affairs, as well as his own life and relationships. He has also written songs about his drug abuse, most notably "

" (marijuana), " UGH!" (cocaine) and " It's Not Living (If It's Not with You)", a song about his heroin addiction and recovery. " Lostmyhead" and the " Ballad of Me and My Brain" were written about his mental state. He has described his songwriting partnership with bandmate Daniel as "

symbiotic Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biolo ...

": "We've got a shared musical vocabulary. Even if we're both working remotely, we're both working together." Daniel has described himself as the "primary producer" and Healy as the "primary songwriter" of the band. He is known to write songs using typewriters as well as pen and paper for the "commitment that goes with the ceremony" of writing.

Performance style

Widely known for his

charisma () is a personal quality of magnetic charm, persuasion, or appeal. In the fields of sociology and political science, psychology, and management, the term ''charismatic'' describes a type of leadership. In Christian theology, the term ''chari ...

, stage presence, and showmanship, the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

has characterised Healy as "one of the most iconic frontmen of his generation". ''

'' has described him as "a compelling rock star, a gifted multi-instrumentalist... whose self-questioning lyrics and uninhibited stagecraft ensured that it was hard to take your eyes off him". ''

'' declared him as "one of music's most compulsively watchable provocateurs thanks to his inescapable charisma, open-mouthed honesty and his band's self-aware and sparkling 80s pop-rock." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' has characterised Healy as "a rock star for a generation that's too clued-in to believe in rock stars," noting that "onstage, he deconstructs his own performance as he goes along". ''

'' has described him as "a performer who is just as likely to show up onstage in an oversize parka and tulle skirt as he is shirtless with skinny jeans." Healy has stated that when he is "on stage, the showman in imtakes over," and is known to smoke and drink from a bottle of red wine, and flask in concerts. He plays a character while performing saying: "I do the

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...

thing a bit, but I know that you know that I know that this isn't real." He is interested in playing with contemporary audiences' awareness of rock star cliches: "That ridiculousness, and the elephants in the room are always the things that I find the most interesting. Everything apart from the music is ridiculous, because we all know too much." '' Vox'' describes Healy's stage persona as "a self-aware, ironic performance of fame and authenticity in the social media age". Healy, who describes his private self as "soft and quiet", has acknowledged that his " meta-layered" approach to performance means there are public "misconceptions" about him. The 1975's At Their Very Best world tour in 2022 and 2023, which Healy wrote and directed, included a commentary on contemporary masculinity: "It's about how if you're a single guy and you've spent a year or so alone on the internet, you go mental. The show is about looking at masculinity, looking at being famous. It's about being what's real and what's sincere and not sincere." ''

'' has described it as "part performance art, part stage play, part

Charlie Kaufman Charles Stuart Kaufman (; born November 19, 1958) is an American screenwriter, film director, and novelist. Having first come to prominence for writing ''Being John Malkovich'' (1999), ''Adaptation (film), Adaptation'' (2002), and ''Eternal Sun ...

movie about a rock star in crisis." Clips from the show went viral on

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

and other social media platforms, prompting wide media coverage of his onstage actions, dubbing him "a sleazeball" or a "sensitive dirtbag". In ''Rolling Stone'''s review of the performance, the magazine stated that Healy delivered "a

subversive Subversion () refers to a process by which the values and principles of a system in place are contradicted or reversed in an attempt to sabotage the established social order and its structures of power, authority, tradition, hierarchy, and socia ...

and surreal take on modern masculinity

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

when viewed in isolation on social media, that all-importance nuance is entirely absent." The performance included him eating a raw steak, depicting

masturbation Masturbation is a form of autoeroticism in which a person Sexual stimulation, sexually stimulates their own Sex organ, genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. Stimulation may involve the use of han ...

and delivering 20 press-ups in immediate succession. In the US leg of the tour, Healy got a tattoo on stage that read "iM a MaN". Healy has also invited both male and female members of his audience to kiss him during his performance of the song "

Robbers Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...

" and, on one occasion, sucked a fan's thumb. ''The Guardian'' said it sparked conversations regarding consent, fantasy and art in 2022, and noted that Healy asked for fans' permission first.

Legacy

Healy has influenced numerous music artists and has inspired several singer-songwriters with the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' describing him as "one of the younger generation's most influential artistic leaders".

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...

has said Healy was an early inspiration for her: "His show is the second show I ever went to in my life. He changed so much about who I am, how I write music." Halsey was "really influenced" by Healy's lyrical approach stating: "His lyrical content is a lot of dialogue, a lot of places. It's very descriptive and it creates this honest, authentic image."

is particularly drawn to Healy's "self-awareness" and is "envious" of his ability to write humorous lyrics: "He's incredible, I absolutely love him."

Sam Fender Samuel Thomas Fender (born 25 April 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in North Shields (near Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle), Fender discovered his passion for music during his teenage years and released sev ...

won a singing competition at 16 where Healy was a judge, and years later was quoted saying: "Every time I see Matty I can't help but

fanboy A fan or fanatic, sometimes also termed an aficionado or enthusiast, is a person who exhibits strong interest or admiration for something or somebody, such as a celebrity, a sport, a sports team, a genre, a politician, a book, a movie, a video ...

him really hard". Holly Humberstone has described him as a “musical genius”, while

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...

, who labeled the current music scene as "boring," singled out Healy as "the only commercially viable pop/rock star who is willing to be something other than beige," describing Healy as "unhinged, super smart, super talented".

has described Healy's lyrics to " She's American" as poetry, while

told Healy that " Love It If We Made It" was the kind of political song he wished he could write.

Lorde Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She is known for her unconventional style of pop music and introspective songwriting, and has been referred to ...

has described " Somebody Else" as a song that "really influenced ''

Melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

''. It influenced the tones and the colors and the emotions."

Shawn Mendes Shawn Peter Raul Mendes ( , ; born August 8, 1998) is a Canadian singer. He gained a following in 2013 when he posted song covers on the video-sharing platform Vine (software), Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist manage ...

has called Healy "the best frontman" he has ever seen, and stated that the band's third album was the inspiration for his single " If I Can't Have You". Michelle Zauner who is a "longtime 1975 fan" described him as "the perfect frontman" and admires his lyrical ability "to make something compelling and profound and smart that's also so on the verge of making people hate him."

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban ( né Urbahn; 26 October 1967) is an Australian and American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Recognised with four Grammy Awards, he has also received 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Jim Reeves Int ...

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...

Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His showmanship, artistry, and flamboyant fashion have had a Cultural impact of Harry Styles, significant impact on popular culture. Styles's musical ca ...

, Hayley Williams,

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

, Ice Spice, Baby Queen and

Sabrina Carpenter Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring on the Disney Channel series ''Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). She signed with the Disney Music Group, Disney ...

are known admirers of his work.

Healywave

Healy and the 1975's influence on the

scene has been termed "Healywave" by ''

.'' Described as "deftly plucked, palm-muted guitar line, hop, skip and jumping its way across shimmering pop synth work and third-wave emo lyricism," ''

The Big Issue ''The Big Issue'' is a United Kingdom–based street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991 and published in four continents. ''The Big Issue'' is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer ho ...

'' added that it's a "dreamified take on Eighties pop-rock". "Healywave" acts named by the ''NME'' include

, Fickle Friends, and the Aces among others. Healy has also mentored artists such as

, Beabadoobee, the Japanese House, and Heather Baron-Gracie, and co-produced their early works. Beabadoobee has stated that Healy has given her “really good advice" about songwriting, adding: "I think he has a way of finding a sentence that really fucking hits you.” In 2021,

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

singer Georgia Twinn released the single "Matty Healy", which has been described by '' Clash'' as "a potent alt-pop banger" that leans on "glossy Healywave" vibes. In 2023,

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

-based singer Knox released the

track "Not The 1975" inspired by a woman commenting "That's cool but you're not Matty Healy," after telling her he's a musician. The following year, Los Angeles-based indie pop singer Lina Cooper released the single "Matty Healy".

Political views and activism

Healy identifies as a liberal and a traditional progressive, and has been outspoken in his support of progressive issues since the start of his career. By 2022, Healy, who reaffirmed that he is "definitely on the left," had become "suspicious of woke-ism as a viable worldview or device to make things better" and wanted to communicate to younger fans the perils of overly rigid moral standards: "You will make mistakes, you will hurt people, you will do things that some people will perceive as rotten. It's this standard that I'm trying to break down. I'm just a bloke, so are you." "I'm not afraid to apologise or change my mind in public ..I can only know a certain amount of things, and if one of them's wrong, what can I do? I've got to grow and say ‘That was stupid’, and that I'm sorry." While onstage in Denmark in 2023, Healy referred to comedians and social critics

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...

Bill Hicks William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian and satirist. His material— encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy— was controversial and ofte ...

and

Lenny Bruce Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-wheeling, and critical style of come ...

as "staples of the left" and his "heroes" who exposed social hypocrisy with vulgarity, adding: "I do feel that if the left loses its ability to fuck shit up then we leave too much space for the right." In 2017, Healy publicly encouraged voting Labour despite saying he does not know "how to use is‘platform’ in order to incentivise democracy". He did not publicly support Labour ahead of the

2019 United Kingdom general election The 2019 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 12 December 2019, with 47,074,800 registered voters entitled to vote to elect 650 Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Un ...

and later said he was "disillusioned. I don't like

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...

, I don't like

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...

, I didn't trust either of them." In 2023, Healy criticised "the apathy of the left" in contemporary British politics: "The Labour Party here can't even get behind the rail workers and dockers' strikes." On stage in the same year, Healy urged the audience to resist the demonisation of strikers. While performing in Scotland in January and May, Healy spoke in support of

Scottish independence Scottish independence (; ) is the idea of Scotland regaining its independence and once again becoming a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom. The term Scottish independence refers to the political movement that is campaignin ...

. When performing the 1975's 2017 song " Loving Someone" on stage, Healy regularly prefaces the song with comments on

social issue A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...

s; the song has variously been dedicated to victims of the 2016

Orlando nightclub shooting On , 2016, 29-year-old Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States before Orlando Police officers fatally shot him after a three-hour standoff. I ...

, used to express solidarity with Black, Muslim and gay Americans following the 2016 US election results, used to decry the "regressive ideals" of

Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...

, and dedicated to the people of

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

and London following the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.

LGBTQ rights

Healy has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights. In 2018, Healy and his bandmates made what ''The Guardian'' described as a "significant" donation to an LGBTQ community centre for London. In June 2019, Healy won Ally of the Year at the Diva Awards for using his platform to promote LGBTQ rights. In 2020, he appeared on the cover of ''

Attitude Attitude or Attitude may refer to: Philosophy and psychology * Attitude (psychology), a disposition or state of mind ** Attitude change * Propositional attitude, a mental state held towards a proposition Science and technology * Orientation ...

''’s Activists & Allies Issue. In December 2022, he performed at the 8th annual Ally Coalition benefit show in support of LGBTQ youth. The_1975_-_Southside_Festival_2023_-_DSC04664

The_1975_-_Southside_Festival_2023_-_DSC04664

In August 2019, Healy was banned from

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

after displaying a pride flag and kissing a male fan onstage to protest Dubai's anti-LGBT laws, an act that was punishable by ten years in prison. In a subsequent interview, he reflected that he "felt pretty irresponsible" but ultimately dismissed it. In 2023, Healy as well as the rest of the 1975 were briefly imprisoned and banned from

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

and forced by the authorities to prematurely end their performance at the Good Vibes Festival after he criticised the country's widespread anti-LGBT laws and kissed fellow band mate Ross MacDonald on stage. The organisers subsequently cancelled the rest of the three-day festival, on government orders, citing that Healy's "controversial conduct and remarks" are "against the traditions and values of the local culture". The protest was met with both criticism and praise. Healy addressed the incident in during the band's concert in Dallas stating: "If you truly believe that artists have a responsibility to uphold their liberal virtues by using their massive platforms, then those artists should be judged by the danger and inconvenience that they face for doing so, not by the rewards they receive for parroting consensus. There's nothing particularly stunning or brave about changing your fucking profile picture whilst you're sat in your house in LA." Human rights and LGBT activist

Peter Tatchell Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is an Australian-born British human rights campaigner, best known for his work with LGBT social movements. Tatchell was selected as the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party's Parliament of the United Kingdo ...

, writing for ''

'', wrote that criticism of Healy and the band "deflect attention from where the criticisms should be most urgently directed: against the

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...

of the

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

regime." He also expressed that Healy is no white saviour for showing solidarity to the community as "queer rights are a universal human right, not a western one". The organisers of the festival sued the band in the High Court for breach of contract and sought £1.9 million in damages. Healy has criticised the transgender laws of Mississippi calling it "bullshit" in an onstage speech during their Still... At Their Very Best tour in 2023.

Climate change mitigation

Healy is outspoken on

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

issues. In 2020, he invited

Greta Thunberg Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3January 2003) is a Swedish climate activist, climate and political activist initially known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to climate change mitigation, mitigate the effec ...

to record a speech about

for a 1975 track. Conservative MP David Davies accused Healy of "hypocrisy" given his touring schedule but Healy responded: "The idea that no one should say anything or try to help if they haven't 100% figured out how to be carbon neutral, along with the rest of the world, is a really illogical way of thinking about the problem." Healy and the 1975 use an "eco-management" company when touring; a tree is planted for every ticket sold in their Music for Cars tour, the crew catering is sustainable, there are no plastic, and an area is set up in each venue where people can learn about "proper recycling". The band's four shows at

the O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as The O2, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London, England. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the third-highest seat ...

in London in 2024 will mark the world's first-ever carbon-removed events. This involves

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...

generated by the events being sucked out of the air, as well as planting trees and spreading carbon dioxide-absorbing volcanic rock on farmland.

Gender issues

Healy has been outspoken about

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

, particularly as it relates to the music industry. In 2018, Healy apologized after stating that "the reason

misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...

doesn't happen in rock and roll anymore is because it's a vocabulary that existed for so long that it got weeded out". He later described his comments as "ignorant" and "wrong, just outright misinformed." When the 1975 won Best British Group at the 2019 Brit Awards, Healy used his acceptance speech to criticise misogyny in the music industry, quoting a piece by ''The Guardian'''s journalist Laura Snapes. Also that year, Healy denounced Alabama's anti-abortion laws during a concert in the state. In 2020, he pledged to only play at music festivals with a gender-balanced lineup. Healy has spoken about young men being radicalised into anti-feminist communities: "I do know that the right wing is more successful with the acquiring of young men than the left is, and as somebody who's definitely on the left, it's interesting to watch, because the left don't seem to have nideal masculinity, whereas the right have a very, very easy one." He has remarked that in contemporary pop culture, the celebrated man is "some meta-performance piece about deconstruction": "The only form of masculinity that is celebrated is one that deconstructs it. So: in a dress. I don't know what it is to be a man if you're not just deconstructing being a man and having that ecelebrated."

Religion

Healy was not raised in a religious household and identifies as an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

. He is a patron of

Humanists UK Humanists UK, known from 1967 until May 2017 as the British Humanist Association (BHA), is a charitable organisation which promotes secular humanism and aims to represent Irreligion in the United Kingdom, non-religious people in the UK throug ...

, a charitable organisation that promotes

secular humanism Secular humanism is a philosophy, belief system, or life stance that embraces human reason, logic, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism, while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basi ...

, human rights and represents

non-religious Irreligion is the absence or rejection of religious beliefs or practices. It encompasses a wide range of viewpoints drawn from various philosophical and intellectual perspectives, including atheism, agnosticism, religious skepticism, ration ...

people. In 2014, Healy, who described himself as "profoundly anti-religion", tweeted: "

ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

are cutting little girls heads off and you want to challenge a non-religious, humanist perspective? I don't understand the world at all". When challenged by a nineteen-year-old Muslim woman operating a

–themed Twitter account, he said he "resent dbeing 'educated' on religion by a Harry Styles fan account." When asked about the resulting controversy in 2015, Healy said: "I may not be as progressive as I'd like to be. There are some innate structures of thought within me that I'm really embarrassed about. I'm not as bright as I'd like to be." By 2018, Healy's position on faith had evolved: "I used to be an ATHEIST, now I'm like an atheist. It's not that I have softened on the logic or anything, but I'm really understanding and quite sensitive of the culture of religion. Because culture is a very different thing to

scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...

and

dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...

Public image

Healy has been described as a "spokesperson for the millennial generation" by ''

,'' "the enfant terrible of pop-rock" by ''

,'' "a cannily self-made bad boy" by NPR, an "expert provocateur" by ''

,'' and "iconoclastic" by ''

''. ''

'' has called him "the millennial

" and "the

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

of raising your blood pressure", with ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' observing that Healy's ability to provoke his audience is reminiscent of

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...

, despite not sharing his politics. Since rising to fame in the early 2010s Healy has been dubbed a heartthrob and

sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...

by several media outlets. ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'' has observed that "he actively subverts the role" with his eccentricities and onstage antics. Early in his career, Healy had been known for his ever-changing hairstyles and fashion which included wearing his collection of vintage shirts, and skirts on tour. He has described this period as him having an identity crisis, and his style as "sexually confused

Edward Scissorhands ''Edward Scissorhands'' is a 1990 American gothic romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as the title ...

". He has built a reputation as an unusually candid interviewee. ''

'' described the experience of interviewing him as "a wild ride ... isearnest craving to be understood creates a sense of intimacy disproportionate to the fact that we've only just met." ''

'' said Healy's "compulsion to say whatever is on his mind makes him a divisive figure – to some the mood board for a generation, to others a pretentious motormouth." Michael Hann of ''The Guardian'' has observed that Healy "must be a horror to handle" for his manager and publicist, commenting: "He says absolutely anything, sometimes contradicting himself from sentence to sentence. He makes up words ..and he's grandly, fabulously pretentious... It was one of the rare interviews that you find yourself fascinated to transcribe." In 2020, Healy said he did not intend to give any more interviews and reflected in 2023: "I think I'd gotten to a point where I didn't know how much I wanted to qualify my statements." Healy has been described by ''

'' as "the first, and last, great

frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

of the social media era". He first used the online pseudonym Truman Black as a teenager to prevent fans of his parents messaging him on Facebook, and later used it as his handle across his public social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Healy deactivated his Twitter account in 2020 because he no longer wanted to participate in the "culture war" and wanted to take a more considered approach to his public statements. Following the

murder of George Floyd On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a c ...

in 2020, Healy had tweeted: " you truly believe that 'ALL LIVES MATTER' you need to stop facilitating the end of black ones", and posted a YouTube link to the 1975's

protest song A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. ...

" Love It If We Made It". Amid online criticism that his tweet was self-promotional, Healy apologised and deactivated his account. He later reflected: "My reaction in the room to all that Twitter shit was like, 'Oh fuck off! You know that I'm not using this as an opportunity to monetise the half-a-pence I get paid for a fucking YouTube play'. What I'm saying is, 'Here's something I've really thought about', and all you've been asking for four days is 'Say something about it!' So I said, 'Here's what I think'." Healy remained active on Instagram. He partnered with

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

to raise awareness of various online petitions. According to ''

'', Healy also showed a "sensei-like mastery of ..

shitposting In Internet culture, shitposting or trashposting is the act of using an online forum or social media page to post content that is of "aggressively, ironically, and trollishly poor quality".: : : : : Shitposts are generally intentionally desig ...

": "His

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

stories have been awash with eyebrow-raising jokes, artful

trolling In slang, a troll is a person who posts deliberately offensive or provocative messages online (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a internet forum, forum, a chat room, an Multiplayer video game, online video game) or who performs similar be ...

of hardcore fans, and explicit attempts to get cancelled".

Tolentino Tolentino ( Maceratese: ''Tulindì'') is a town and ''comune'' of about 19,000 inhabitants, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region of central Italy. It is located in the middle of the valley of the Chienti. History Signs of the firs ...

of ''

'' noted that, on Instagram, Healy "constantly made fun of both himself and the fans who seemed obsessed with his morality." She described his resulting public persona as that of "a post- woke rock star, switching unpredictably between tenderness and trollishness". In January 2023, a video of Healy performing the band's song "Love It If We Made It" went viral. While singing the lyric "Thank you, Kanye, very cool", which is a direct quote of a tweet from

, Healy marched on the spot and raised his left hand, leading to online debate about whether the gesture was intended as a

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

salute. In November 2022, Healy had denounced West's recent

antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

remarks, saying that "grief" and "mental health issues" did not excuse them. Healy appeared on the

leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politi ...

irony Irony, in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what, on the surface, appears to be the case with what is actually or expected to be the case. Originally a rhetorical device and literary technique, in modernity, modern times irony has a ...

podcast '' The Adam Friedland Show'' in February 2023. He agreed to be a guest partly to provoke a reaction from his fanbase. During the episode, he laughed as co-hosts Friedland and Nick Mullen joked about the possible origin of Ice Spice's stage name and ancestry using various accents. These comments were later widely and incorrectly attributed to Healy. Ice Spice would later recall that Healy has personally apologised to her multiple times for his appearance and they remain on good terms. Healy also joked about watching

internet pornography Internet pornography or online pornography is any pornography that is accessible over the Internet; primarily via websites, FTP connections, peer-to-peer file sharing, or Usenet newsgroups. The greater accessibility of the World Wide Web from t ...

in which black women are "brutalised", supposedly from the controversial website Ghetto Gaggers. In a subsequent podcast episode, Friedland clarified that he himself mentioned the site simply due to finding its name humorous, and "did not even know" if Healy had ever visited it. In March 2023, Healy told

Jia Tolentino Jia Angeli Carla Tolentino (born 1988) is an American writer and editor. A staff writer for ''The New Yorker,'' she previously worked as deputy editor of ''Jezebel'' and a contributing editor at '' The Hairpin''. Her writing has also appeared in ...

in a profile for ''The New Yorker'' that the controversy was "people going, 'Oh, there's a bad thing over there, let me get as close to it as possible so you can see how good I am. He admitted to "oppositional" behaviour and "exaggeration of my shit" over the previous 18 months. ''

'' music critic

Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, Caramanica received his bachelor's degree ...

described the public response as an example of context collapse. By early April 2023, Healy stated during an

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

concert as part of the 1975's At Their Very Best tour: "The era of me being a fucking arsehole is coming to an end... I can't perform off the stage anymore." In October 2023, in an onstage speech at the band's concert in

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and Urban park, public park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018 and was listed on ...

as part of their Still... At Their Very Best tour, Healy has clarified that he had "performed exaggerated versions" of himself "in an often misguided attempt to fulfill the kind of character role of the 21st-century rock star. Because some of my actions have hurt some people, I apologise to those people, and I pledge to do better moving forward," he told the audience, adding, "You see, as an artist, I want to create an environment for myself to perform where not everything that I do is taken literally."

Personal life

Healy resides in northwest London. He had been in a relationship with Australian model Gabriella Brooks (2015–2019), and English singer

FKA Twigs Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born 16 January 1988), known professionally as FKA Twigs (stylized as FKA twigs), is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and dancer. She was a backup dancer for numerous musicians, and made her musica ...

(2020–2022). Since September 2023, he has been dating American model and musician

Gabbriette Gabriella Leigh Bechtel (born July 28, 1997), known professionally as Gabbriette, is an American model and musician. She first gained prominence as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the punk rock band Nasty Cherry before coming to wider recog ...

. They got engaged in May 2024. Matthew_Healy_of_The_1975_at_Southside_Festival_2014_in_Neuhausen_ob_Eck

Healy identifies as straight and has said he is not attracted to men in a "carnal, sexual way". In 2019, ''

Queerty ''Queerty'' is an online magazine and newspaper covering gay- and LGBTQ-oriented entertainment and news, founded in 2005 by David Hauslaib. As of June 2015, the site had more than five million monthly unique visitors. History ''Queerty'' was ...

'' reported that Healy had come out as an "aesthete". Healy issued a statement on Twitter, criticising the publication for misinterpreting his words: "I didn't come out as anything. ..I'm not playing a game and trying to take up queer spaces, I'm simply trying to be an ally and this headline makes me uncomfortable." Healy was a "gangly and effeminate" teenager and was drawn to

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and Michael Jackson rather than traditional figures of masculinity. Healy's parents were both in creative industries and "the kind of people that I aspired to be, happened to be gay": "I suppose it would make more sense for me to be gay or bi. But it's just kind of where I come from. I hope I never exploit that... The idea of making a self who is cis, white and straight more interesting by aligning themselves with that culture really makes me wince." Healy has had vision correction via

LASIK LASIK or Lasik (; "laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis"), commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. LASIK surgery is p ...

surgery. He has been clinically diagnosed with

ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple ...

. In a 2022 interview, he mentioned being in therapy, and referred to dealing with trauma from "some early sexual experiences that, as egot older, were really, really difficult to deal with." Healy is a recovering

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

addict, and has also had issues with

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

and

benzodiazepine Benzodiazepines (BZD, BDZ, BZs), colloquially known as "benzos", are a class of central nervous system (CNS) depressant, depressant drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. They are prescribed t ...

abuse. In late 2017, he spent seven weeks at an in-patient

drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines. The general int ...

clinic in Barbados, following an intervention by his bandmates. He has spoken openly about his drug use: "I don't want to fetishize it, because it's really dull and it's really dangerous. The thought of being to a young person what people like Burroughs were to me when I was a teenager makes me feel ill." As of 2022, Healy still smokes

marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...

Discography

The 1975

Extended plays

* '' Facedown'' (2012) * '' Sex'' (2012) * '' Music for Cars'' (2013) * '' IV'' (2013)

Studio albums

* ''

'' (2013) * ''

'' (2016) * '' A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships'' (2018) * '' Notes on a Conditional Form'' (2020) * '' Being Funny in a Foreign Language'' (2022)

Truman Black

* "And Then the Sand We Sink In" (2023) * "Loads of Crisps" (2024)

Other work

* 2015 – The Japanese House – '' Pools to Bathe In'' EP (co-producer) * 2015 – The Japanese House – '' Clean'' EP (co-producer) * 2017 – The Japanese House – '' Saw You in a Dream'' EP (co-producer) * 2018 –

– My Mind Makes Noises (co-writer and co-producer of "

" and '' There's a Honey") * 2018 –

– ''RIP Indo Hisashi'' EP (co-producer, vocals for "Narcissist") * 2019 – No Rome – ''Crying in the Prettiest Places'' EP (co-producer) * 2021 – Beabadoobee – '' Our Extended Play'' EP (co-producer) * 2021 – Holly Humberstone – "Please Don't Leave Just Yet" (co-writer, co-producer) * 2021 – No Rome – " Spinning" (vocals, co-writer, co-producer) * 2022 –

– " Pamplemousse" (additional vocals) * 2022 – Holly Humberstone – "Sleep Tight" (co-writer) * 2022 – Beabadoobee –

(co-writer for "Pictures of Us" and "You're Here That's the Thing", vocals, guitar) * 2023 – The Japanese House – " Sunshine Baby" (backing vocals) * 2023 – The Japanese House – " Boyhood" (guitar, additional drums) * 2024 –

Bleachers Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports-fields and at other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step enabling access to a ...

– "

Hey Joe "Hey Joe" is a song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics are from the point of view of a man on the run and planning to escape to Mexico after sho ...

" (piano) * 2024 –

– " I might say something stupid featuring the 1975 & jon hopkins" (co-writer, vocals) * 2024 –

Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...

– " The Karate Kid" (additional production)

Videography

* 2017 – "

" Music Video – Director * 2018 – "Ashleigh" Music Video – Co-director * 2019 – " Frail State of Mind" Music Video – Co-director * 2022 – " I'm In Love With You" Music Video – Creative director, writer * 2022 – "Happiness" – Creative director

Tours

Tour (2013–2015) * I Like It When You Sleep Tour (2016–2017) * Music for Cars Tour (2018–2020) * At Their Very Best (2022–2023, also writer and director) * Still... At Their Very Best (2023–2024, also writer and director)

Accolades

Among Healy's accolades are four Brit Awards, and two

including Songwriter of the Year. He has also been nominated twice for the

and

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Healy, Matty 1989 births Living people People from Hendon Singers from the London Borough of Barnet 21st-century English male singers British alternative rock guitarists British alternative rock singers British indie rock musicians English rock guitarists English male singer-songwriters English male guitarists Ivor Novello Award winners English rock pianists English keyboardists English singer-songwriters English tenors Brit Award winners English male pianists English experimental musicians English people of Irish descent English pop guitarists English pop pianists English pop singers English rock singers Singers from Manchester Polydor Records artists English male singers English record producers 21st-century English guitarists 21st-century English singer-songwriters 21st-century English singers English pop rock singers NME Awards winners British critics of religions English humanists English atheists People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder The 1975 members Musicians from the London Borough of Barnet