What even is going on with The 1975?
For weeks, Matty Healy of The 1975 has been posting the cryptic message: “June 1 – The 1975” on his Twitter account. On May 31, just one day before the anticipated date, the lead singer posted a comic strip, which some diehards are interpreting as the demise of the breakout UK band.
UPDATE: They're back! And they're pink now!
“SO WE MUST LEAVE, WITH A PARTING ‘WE LOVE YOU’ — WE ARE ALREADY GONE,” the picture reads. It also depicts a black figure, “Old Matty,” strangling the pink “New Matty,” likely an allusion to the all-pink image that had become his Twitter icon and header recently.
On the same night, The 1975 erased their entire social media presence: their Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and webpage have all gone dark.
So what exactly is going on? This mysterious message comes after Healy’s statement this past January on his Twitter that “[The 1975’s] second album is about the preservation and cultivation of love” and their April hint at working on a new album.
The 1975’s fans have been speculating about the future of the band, predicting anything from name changes to a total breakup. In the past, the band has maintained a purely black and white aesthetic, and some fans think Matty’s change to pink could signal the beginning of a new era.
The band are no stranger to name changes, having formerly gone by Talkhouse, The Slowdown, Bigsleep, and Drive Like I Do.
Healy has said in a 2013 AP exclusive that the band settled on their current name after seeing an inscription in the back of a poetry book reading “1st June, The 1975,” which certainly explains the choice of date.
As for the future of their music, Healy promised the band’s second album for “2016, definitely, February to April,” in an interview with Music Feeds in January. However, with no announced upcoming tour dates for the future, fans will have to wait for any concrete updates from the band themselves—but apparently not via their now missing social media accounts!
