Being Funny in a Foreign Language | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 14 October 2022 | |||
Recorded | 4 January – May 2022 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 43:26 | |||
Label | Dirty Hit | |||
Producer | ||||
The 1975 chronology | ||||
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Singles from Being Funny in a Foreign Language | ||||
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Being Funny in a Foreign Language is the fifth studio album by English band the 1975. It was released on 14 October 2022 by Dirty Hit. [7] The album was recorded primarily at Real World Studios in Wiltshire. The band released the lead single "Part of the Band" on 7 July 2022, which was followed by the subsequent singles "Happiness", "I'm in Love with You", "All I Need to Hear", "About You", "Oh Caroline", and "Looking for Somebody (To Love)".
The album received acclaim from critics, with many reviewers naming it some of the band's strongest work. It debuted atop the UK Albums Chart as well as reaching number one in Scotland, Ireland and Australia. It also reached the top 7 on the US Billboard 200, as well as top 10 in New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the Netherlands. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2023 Brit Awards. [8]
Many of the band's 2020 shows that were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic were ultimately canceled on 12 January 2021. During this time, lead singer Matty Healy teased future music under their previous name "Drive Like I Do", and said that the band was working on their fifth studio album. However, there was no indication as to when writing, recording, or mixing would be finished. [9]
On 14 February 2022, the band deactivated their main social media accounts, hinting at new material. [10] [11]
The album title and track listing were revealed to select fans through postcards. The band released its first single from the album "Part of the Band" on 7 July 2022. [12] The second single, "Happiness", was released on 3 August 2022. [13] [14] [15] The third single, "I'm in Love with You", was released on 1 September 2022. [16] The fourth single, "All I Need to Hear", was released on 21 September 2022. [17]
"Every record I've made, I convinced myself that I had so much to prove, so it had to be about everything that ever happened, everything that's happening now, and everything that could ever happen. But on this record, I said, 'Instead of a magnum opus , what about more like a polaroid?"
—Matty Healy, on Being Funny in a Foreign Language [18]
Writing sessions for what would eventually become Being Funny in a Foreign Language started in 2021, when the band worked on-and-off with producer BJ Burton, whom Healy admired for his production work on Bon Iver's 22, A Million (2016) and Low's Double Negative (2018) and Hey What (2021). During their time together, Burton noticed that his creative process varied greatly from the band's, as they would "[pull] up songs from Spotify, or [check] another reference for a chord progression" while writing. [18] He set out to align their differences, and eventually they did record what amounted to be "sparks where songs were being bred ... a bunch of early demos", but after Burton heard that the band began working with producer Jack Antonoff, he ended the sessions. [18] In an August 2022 interview with Pitchfork , Burton indicated that the band's creative pivot still "stung", though Healy indicated he was hoping to rekindle his working relationship with Burton for a future album. [18]
When recording with Antonoff, the band was determined to focus on their instrumental strong-suits and keep things as live and unadulterated by computers as possible. In an interview with Apple Music 1, Healy amounted the process to outright defining the true sonic identity of the band, while host Zane Lowe described it as the next step for a band with "such restless energy" as the 1975. Lowe cited that the band had "exhausted" their stylistic exploration and had reached a point of reflection on their improved technical skill in this record. [19] Similarly to Burton, Healy sought out to work with Antonoff, whom he called the "biggest producer in the world" out of respect for his production capabilities, specifically his work with American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. [18] However, Healy made it clear to Antonoff that he retained full creative control of the recording process while working together. [18] [19]
To support the album, the band embarked on a world tour titled At Their Very Best in 2022. [20] [21] This was followed by an arenas tour titled Still... At Their Very Best the following year. [22]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.6/10 [23] |
Metacritic | 82/100 [24] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [25] |
Clash | 8/10 [26] |
Dork | [27] |
Evening Standard | [28] |
Gigwise | 10/10 [29] |
i | [30] |
NME | [31] |
Pitchfork | 8.0/10 [32] |
The Skinny | [33] |
Being Funny in a Foreign Language received critical acclaim upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 82 out of 100, based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [24] The album was rated an 7.6 out of 10 on the aggregator AnyDecentMusic?. [23]
Brady Brickner-Wood of Pitchfork wrote that the album "tames the group's taste for excess and plays up their fundamentals: goopy '80s guitars, pumping drums, schmaltzy saxophones, and infuriatingly good hooks" and praised the band's experimentation, noting that "even when their songs reek of camp, Healy has enough moxie to elevate a potentially horrible idea into an eloquent exclamation point". [32] El Hunt, writing for NME , noted how the band "tightened things up" on Being Funny in a Foreign Language, calling Healy's songwriting on the album "his most contradictory and intriguing yet, frequently turning his pen back on himself", concluding that the record "feels like the right next step after pushing experimental excess to its logical conclusion, and is comparatively lean with just eleven tracks to its name. 'The 1975: At Their Very Best' – the lofty, and slightly tongue-in-cheek title they’ve given to their upcoming tour – might be infuriatingly, brilliantly cocky, but let’s face facts: it’s also pretty accurate." [31]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Billboard | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 16 | [34] |
Clash | Clash's Albums of the Year | 48 | [35] |
DIY | DIY's Albums of 2022 | 8 | [36] |
Entertainment Weekly | The 10 Best Albums of 2022 | 10 | [37] |
Esquire | The 25 Best Albums of 2022 | * | [38] |
Far Out | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 46 | [39] |
Gigwise | Gigwise's 51 Best Albums of 2022 | 3 | [40] |
Insider | The 20 Best Albums of 2022 | 11 | [41] |
The Guardian | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 26 | [42] |
Los Angeles Times | The 20 best albums of 2022 | * | [43] |
New York Times | Best Albums of 2022 | * | [44] |
NME | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 10 | [45] |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 33 | [46] |
Rolling Stone | Best Music of 2022 | * | [47] |
Slant Magazine | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 37 | [48] |
Slate | The Best Albums of 2022 | * | [49] |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 17 | [50] |
Under the Radar | The 100 Best Albums of 2022 | 21 | [51] |
Uproxx | Best Albums of 2022 | 13 | [52] |
Variety | The Best Albums of 2022 | 9 | [53] |
All tracks are written by Matthew Healy and George Daniel. Co-writers noted below
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The 1975" |
| 4:10 |
2. | "Happiness" | DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ | 5:03 |
3. | "Looking for Somebody (To Love)" |
| 2:58 |
4. | "Part of the Band" | Squire | 4:20 |
5. | "Oh Caroline" |
| 3:32 |
6. | "I'm in Love with You" | Adam Hann | 4:22 |
7. | "All I Need to Hear" | Squire | 3:30 |
8. | "Wintering" | Jacob Bugden | 2:45 |
9. | "Human Too" |
| 3:44 |
10. | "About You" | 5:26 | |
11. | "When We Are Together" | Rob Milton | 3:36 |
Total length: | 43:26 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "All I Need to Hear" (Demo) | Squire | 2:54 |
Total length: | 46:20 |
The 1975
Additional musicians
Technical
Visuals
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [81] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"About You" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fifth studio album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language (2022). The song was released on 8 December 2022 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the fifth single from the album. It was written by band members Matty Healy and George Daniel, who also produced the song alongside Jack Antonoff. The song features additional vocals by Carly Holt, who is married to the 1975's lead guitarist Adam Hann, as well as string arrangements from musician and composer Warren Ellis of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Musically, "About You" is a pop rock ballad featuring shoegaze-inspired production; Healy cited U2, Phil Spector and David Cronenberg as influences for the track.
Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead singer of rock band Bleachers, and was the guitarist and drummer in the pop rock band Fun. He was previously the lead singer of the indie rock band Steel Train. Aside from his work with Bleachers and Fun, Antonoff has worked as a songwriter and record producer with various artists, including Taylor Swift, The 1975, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Abstract, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Chicks, Tegan and Sara, and Clairo. Antonoff has often been credited with having a significant impact on the sound of contemporary popular music since the mid-2010s.
The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy, Adam Hann, Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel. The name of the band was inspired by a page of scribblings found in Healy's copy of On the Road by Jack Kerouac that was dated "1 June, The 1975".
"Oh Caroline" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fifth studio album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language (2022). The song was released on 17 March 2023 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the sixth single from the album. It was written by band members Matthew Healy and George Daniel alongside Ilsey Juber, Jamie Squire, Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Jimmy Hogarth. Production of the song was handled by Healy, Daniel and Jack Antonoff.
Bleachers are an American rock band from New Jersey and the official stage name of songwriter and record producer Jack Antonoff. Bleachers' early music was heavily influenced by the late 1980s and early 1990s, plus the high school-based films of John Hughes while still using modern production techniques. Their debut single "I Wanna Get Better" was released in February 2014, followed by four studio albums: Strange Desire (2014), Gone Now (2017), Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night (2021), and Bleachers (2024).
English rock band the 1975 have released five studio albums, two live albums, five extended plays, 35 music videos and 34 singles. The band consists of lead vocalist, principal songwriter, and rhythm guitarist Matty Healy, drummer and primary producer George Daniel, lead guitarist Adam Hann, and bassist Ross MacDonald.
I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It is the second studio album by English band the 1975, released on 26 February 2016 through Dirty Hit and Polydor. In 2014, frontman Matty Healy released a series of cryptic tweets containing lyrics from the album, revealing its title the following year. After their social accounts were deleted and reinstated with a new visual identity, the band officially confirmed the album in September 2015, a month before "Love Me" was released as the lead single. Over the course of five months, "Ugh!", "Somebody Else" and "The Sound" were released as singles, with "A Change of Heart" released four days prior to release. "She's American" and "Loving Someone" were later released in November 2016 and February 2017 as the final singles.
"It's Not Living (If It's Not with You)" is a song by English band the 1975 from their third studio album, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships (2018). The song was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, and produced by Daniel and Healy. It was released on 18 October 2018 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the fifth and final single from the album. Contributions are featured from the London Community Gospel Choir, who provide the choir vocals, and Amber Bain–known professionally as the Japanese House–who performs several instruments and provides the background vocals. Healy was reluctant to write a song about his former heroin addiction, which prompted him to develop the narrative around Danny, a character meant to represent Healy's struggle with heroin.
"The Archer" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, and Republic Records released it for streaming and download on July 23, 2019. The track has a 1980s-influenced minimalist, midtempo production and is a synth-pop ballad incorporating dense, echoing synthesizers and insistent kick drums. Critics also identified elements of synthwave and dream pop. The lyrics are about Swift's acknowledgement of her past mistakes and contemplation of her identity.
"Part of the Band" is a song by English band the 1975. It was released on 7 July 2022 through Dirty Hit as the lead single of their fifth album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language. Reviewers identified the song as breaking new ground for the band, containing aspects of different pop, folk and rock genres. String instruments play throughout the acoustic song, with additional incorporation of woodwind and jazz instruments. The lyrics, in a stream of consciousness style, explore Healy's relationships and himself without a chorus.
"Happiness" is a song recorded by English band the 1975. It was released on 3 August 2022 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language (2022).
"I'm in Love with You" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fifth studio album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language (2022). The song was released on 1 September 2022 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the third single from the album. It was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel and Adam Hann. Production of the song was handled by Healy, Daniel and Jack Antonoff, while American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers provides backing vocals. Initially written to include an ironic, tongue-in-cheek tone, Healy was challenged by his co-writers to create a song that was earnest and unabashedly about falling in love. Using his relationship with FKA Twigs as inspiration, Healy wrote the song with the notion that love supersedes all cultural and political differences within a relationship.
"All I Need to Hear" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fifth studio album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language (2022). The song was released on 21 September 2022 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the fourth single from the album. It was written by band members Matty Healy and George Daniel alongside Jamie Squire. Production of the song was handled by Healy, Daniel and Jack Antonoff. Inspired by Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" (1976), Healy sought to replicate Simon's sincerity and earnestness by crafting a songwriting exercise where the singer deliberately omitted sardonic and humorous lyrics, aiming to make the song sound akin to a cover.
Midnights is the tenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 21, 2022, by Republic Records. Swift conceived it as a concept album about nocturnal ruminations inspired by her sleepless nights. The autobiographical songwriting explores broad emotions such as regrets, self-criticism, fantasies, heartbreak, and infatuation, using confessional yet cryptic lyrics that allude to her personal life and public image.
"Vigilante Shit" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her tenth studio album Midnights (2022). Produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, the track is a dark pop tune with elements of industrial and hip hop. Its minimalistic production is driven by trap beats composed of pulsing snare drums and light bass and electronic tones. The lyrics are about a noirish vengeance declaration, taking aim at an enemy and encouraging other women to do the same.
At Their Very Best was the fourth concert tour by English indie art pop band the 1975 in support of their fifth studio album Being Funny in a Foreign Language (2022). It had a total of seven legs with 93 cumulative shows across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
Matthew Timothy Healy is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter of indie art pop band the 1975. He is recognised for his lyricism, musical eclecticism, provocative onstage persona characterised as performance art, and influence on indie pop music.
George Bedford Daniel is a British drummer and record producer. He came to prominence as a founding member, principal producer, and drummer of the indie art pop band the 1975.
"Looking for Somebody (To Love)" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fifth studio album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language (2022). The song was released on 16 June 2023 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the seventh and final single from the album. It was written by band members Matthew Healy and George Daniel alongside Ilsey Juber and Jamie Squire. Production of the song was handled by Healy, Daniel and Jack Antonoff.
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