"I Like America & America Likes Me" | |
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Song by the 1975 | |
from the album A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships | |
Released | 30 November 2018 |
Genre | |
Length | 3:26 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | |
Lyric video | |
"I Like America & America Likes Me" on YouTube |
"I Like America & America Likes Me" 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, while Daniel and Healy handled the production. Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez provides the background vocals. The song was created as a homage to SoundCloud rap, while the title is a reference to an art performance by Joseph Beuys, titled I Like America and America Likes Me .
An experimental power ballad, "I Like America & America Likes Me" is composed in the genres of electronic and alternative R&B. The production combines atmospheric synths, hi-hats and a dense trap and hip hop beat. The song also incorporates elements of hip hop, SoundCloud rap, trap and ambient music. Healy delivers the lyrics, which dissect his relationship with fame and plead for a world without gun violence, in a heavily-autotuned stream of consciousness style. Thematically, the song deals with social issues such as consumerism, mass shootings and gun control, among others.
Upon release, "I Like America & America Likes Me" received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Praise was directed toward the song's sonic experimentation and sharp lyricism, comparing it to the work of Bon Iver. The song reached number 29 in New Zealand and number 44 on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. To promote the song, the 1975 performed it at several music festivals and on The Late Late Show with James Corden . An accompanying lyric video was released on 18 January 2019. It features the song's lyrics superimposed over footage of cityscapes, social media messages and weather apps, among others.
"If everybody did what I did for a job, there would be less of a divide. That sounds like a really fucking massive statement to make, but what I'm saying is: If you do the same thing in different places all the time, it's exactly the fucking same thing."
—Healy, on the differences between the United States and the rest of the world. [1]
The 1975 released their second studio album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It in February 2016 to critical and commercial success. [2] Domestically, it topped the UK Albums Chart and the Scottish Albums Chart. [3] [4] In the United States, the album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, Top Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums charts. [5] [6] [7] The album received positive reviews and is considered by various publications as one of the best albums of 2016. [8] [9] In April 2017, the band announced their third studio album would be titled Music For Cars, set for release in 2018. [10] In April 2018, posters promoting Music For Cars began emerging around London and Manchester. [11] However, in May, Healy announced that Music For Cars would now represent an "era" composed of two studio albums. [12] The first, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships (2018), was released in November of the same year and includes "I Like America & America Likes Me". [13]
Speaking to Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork , Healy said that "I Like America & America Likes Me" was originally written as a tribute to SoundCloud rap. Describing the genre as the current sound of the US to him "at the moment", the singer had originally planned to release the song composed entirely of mumble lyrics, hoping to find "how far [he] could take it". Regarding the song's use of Auto-Tune, Healy said he enjoyed how the tool stops, compresses and punctuates his voice, turning it into an instrument. When asked by Sodomsky if touring has affected his perception of the US, the singer said he found similarities in every country the 1975 visits, saying: "Every night looks, smells, sounds, reacts, and operates exactly the same way." He told the interviewer that despite differences in personality and appearance, most people were united by their fear of dying. [1]
Musically, "I Like America & America Likes Me" is an experimental power ballad, [14] [15] composed in the genres of electronic and alternative R&B. [16] [17] The song has a length of three minutes and 26 seconds (3:26). [13] The production comprises a dense trap and hip hop beat, [18] skittering hi-hats, [19] synth chords, synth drums, [20] twinkling electronic elements and fizzing, atmospheric synths. [21] It contains elements of hip hop, SoundCloud rap, trap and ambient music. [19] [22] [23] Healy's vocals in "I Like America & America Likes Me" are heavily autotuned, transforming into a series of slogans. [24] [25] Salvatore Maicki of The Fader described the singer's vocals as "cranked to a point where it nearly sounds like he's gasping for air", [24] while Will Richards of DIY noted that he uses autotune in a "lyric-masking extreme", [26] and Dan Stubbs of NME said the song is "Kanye-level in its virtuosic use of autotune". [27] Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez–who has the stage name of No Rome–provides the background vocals. [28] The title is a reference to an art performance by Joseph Beuys entitled I Like America and America Likes Me , in which Beuys remained in a room with a coyote for three days. [29]
Lyrically, "I Like America & America Likes Me" dissects Healy's relationship with fame and pleads for a safer world without the constant threat of gun violence. [24] [30] The song features impassioned, frank observations about youth culture. [31] Thematically, the track deals with the anxieties of modern living and gun violence in the US. [32] "I Like America & America Likes Me" is delivered in a stream of consciousness style; [33] only a few lines are discernable as the beat nearly overpowers Healy's vocals, with Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork saying: "It's impossible to tell exactly where his actual voice ends and where the digitized effects take hold." [18] [25] The song is composed of short phrases that tackle social issues such as consumerism, [20] mass shootings, [34] gun control ("Kids don't want rifles, they want Supreme" and "No gun required, or will this help me lay down?"), [24] Healy's mortality ("I'm scared of dying!") and the anxieties of modern life ("Am I a liar?! / Will this help me lay down?!"). [25] [35] [36] Throughout the track, Healy repeatedly exclaims the phrase "Would you please listen!", near-begging the listener in heavily-processed vocals. [26] [29]
Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times classified "I Like America & America Likes Me" as "aggro-R&B", [37] while Juan Rodriguez of No Ripcord deemed the song a half-convincing ode to Soundcloud rap, [19] and Conrad Duncan of Under the Radar called it "mumble rap but pop". [38] Joe Goggins of Drowned in Sound said the beginning of the song is reminiscent of Sigur Rós but the end has the "sort of aggressively electronic flourish that wasn't part of the musical lexicon until a couple of years ago". [23] Eve Barlow of GQ said the chorus reminded her of riding the bus at 1 am with nothing but a "dirty kebab and Burial's Untrue [(2007)] for company", writing that lyrics such as "Believe and say something" provide the momentum for such nights. [35] Claire Biddles of The Line of Best Fit compared the line "I'm scared of dying / it's fiiiiiine!" to "a friend who is only able to tell of their darkest thoughts in the context of a joke on Twitter". [18] Nicole Almeida of Atwood Magazine said the lyrics speak to the increasing anxiety felt by the younger generation post-Brexit and Donald Trump. [39] Eddie Fu of Genius noted the references to the streetwear brand Supreme were possibly inspired by the 2018 March for Our Lives rally, where a teenager brought a sign that read: "It's easier to buy a gun than buy Supreme". [36]
Upon release, "I Like America & America Likes Me" was met with generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. In his review of A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, Goggins noted the 1975 "truly soars" when exploring new sonic ground, with him using "I Like America & America Likes Me" as an example. He specifically praised Daniel's production, calling it "musically the beating heart". [23] Richards praised the song's "roared" chorus, saying Healy "[refuses] to accept any millennial stereotypes". [26] Mike Watkins of Clash deemed the track one of the album's moments of "all-encompassing brilliance". [40] Ross Horton of musicOMH said "I Like America & America Likes Me" sounds "fresh". [41] Chris DeVille of Stereogum compared the song to the work of Bon Iver. [15] In his review of the album, Issac Feldberg of The Boston Globe noted the band sounds "creatively unmoored" on songs such as "I Like America & America Likes Me", which he said sounds like Bon Iver-adjacent autotune. [42] Dombal called the song a "trap remix of a Bon Iver ayahuasca trip" and interpreted the meaning of the track to be a "meter [reading] of a society that's moving too fast to process anything in a meaningful way". [25]
Harry Harris of The Skinny deemed "I Like America & America Likes Me" one of the three standouts from A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. He viewed the song as a companion to the 1975's "Love It If We Made It" (2018) that explores the same anxiety, but also a "desire to try and work your way out of it. To try and take some responsibility." [29] Rodriguez praised the track for taking the band's songwriting in an unexpected direction, saying: "Given how both [t]he 1975 and much of the mumble rap class share a love for emo music, it's as if they're bidding farewell to their foundational core before they entirely abandon it." [19] Stubbs called the lyrics "razor-sharp". [33] Maicki opined that the autotune used on Healy's vocals in "I Like America & America Likes Me" serves to emphasizes the futility of the song's message. He did observe a faint amount of hope in the track's desperation, but ultimately felt it "contends that hope is not enough". [24] Barlow wrote: "The song is a shocking reflection of how America's youth feel going to school every day in the year of the Parkland shooting." [35] Shannon Cotton of Gigwise said Healy "continues to exercise his well informed perspective on world politics", while comparing the track's synths to the 1975's early EPs. [21]
In a mixed review, Micah Peters of The Ringer compared "I Like America & America Likes Me" to Trippie Redd and said "the song is about, feels like, and sounds like overstimulation". [43] Houston Wiltsey of The Reader said the song represents one of the album's few missteps, describing it as over-processed and noting the track lacks replay value. [44] In a negative review, Chris Conaton of PopMatters called "I Like America & America Likes Me" musically inert, saying: "It's like Healy thought that his snippets of statements were so important that they didn't need an actual song to buttress them." [20] "I Like America & America Likes Me" debuted at number 29 in New Zealand and number 44 on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. [45] [46]
To promote "I Like America & America Likes Me", an accompanying lyric video was released on 18 January 2019. [47] The video features glitchy footage of cityscapes, social media messages and weather apps, among others, while the lyrics scroll across the screen. [48] In April 2019, the 1975 performed the song as part of their setlist at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. [37] The track was also included as part of their setlist at Rock Werchter on 29 June 2019. The band played an early afternoon slot on the main stage, while the production was stripped back to a lone light up box. Ali Shutler of Dork praised the performance's energy, saying: "It feels dangerous but still makes perfect sense on giant stages." [49] The 1975 performed the song again at Mad Cool in July 2019, accompanied by disquieting lyrics that flashed up behind them. Stubbs called the performance a "stunning, stark and serious moment". [50]
On 22 July 2019, the 1975 appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden to perform "I Like America & America Likes Me". [51] The performance began with Healy wearing an electric blue jumpsuit and red Converse high-tops, accompanied by two female backup dancers, synchronized flashing lights and echoing synths. [51] [52] The singer began the performance on the stage with the other band members before taking a seat in James Corden's chair. As he sang the opening lines, the backup dancers began to perform. [51] Healy put his feet on the desk and gave a thumbs up before jumping onto the desk. The singer looked down into the camera as he danced and sang, pouting before pushing the lens to highlight the other members. [51] [52] After rejoining the 1975, he climbed onto the kick drum for a few lines, ending the performance with a hug from Corden. [51] Marissa Matozzo of Paste praised the "impassioned" performance, commending Healy for using his platform to bring awareness to gun-related trauma. [52] Gil Kaufman of Billboard labelled the performance "intense". [51] Katrina Nattress of iHeartRadio called it a spirited performance and noted the band broke the show's conventional stage layout. [53] Similarly, Winston Cook-Wilson of Spin called the performance spirited and theatrical, while saying that Healy "tapped into his seemingly endless [fountain] of energy". [54]
On October 10, 2022, the band recorded a live performance version of the song at the Real World Studios. The first minute of the video sees Healy and the band set up the performance and testing the former's vocals. The song features new production, with the electronic sound being replaced for a "stripped-down piano version". [55]
Credits adapted from A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships album liner notes. [28]
Chart (2018–19) | Peak position |
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New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [45] | 29 |
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [46] | 44 |
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 band's name 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".
"Love Me" is a song by English band the 1975 from their second studio album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016). The song was written by Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald. Mike Crossey handled the production alongside Daniel and Healy. It was released on 8 October 2015 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the lead single from the album. Written two years before its release, the song was inspired by the band's adjustment to their newfound celebrity status, having found themselves in a scene where fame was prized as currency. The track's production was inspired by the music of the 1980s, specifically the work of Trevor Horn, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Oingo Boingo.
"The Sound" is a song by English band the 1975 from their second studio album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016). It was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann, and Ross MacDonald. Mike Crossey handled the production alongside Daniel and Healy. The London Community Gospel Choir provide the song's choir vocals. The song was released on 19 February 2016 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the fourth single from the album. Inspired by the pop albums of his youth, Healy sought to channel the memorable melodies from them and create an "unabashed" pop song. Healy first presented the song to One Direction, who declined, so the band decided to record it.
"She's American" is a song by English band the 1975 from their second studio album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016). The song was written by Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald. Mike Crossey handled the production alongside Daniel and Healy. The song was released on 4 November 2016 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the sixth single from the album. Healy was inspired by the interplay between the British and Americans, creating a tongue-in-cheek song about the subtleties involved in a British rockstar courting an American woman. Containing a 1980s-style beat, futuristic synths and a saxophone solo, it is a retro funk, pop and synth-pop song with elements of disco, yacht rock and synth-funk.
A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is the third studio album by English band the 1975. It was released on 30 November 2018 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records. Initially titled Music for Cars, the album was intended as the follow-up to I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016). The term later denoted an era encompassing both their third album and Notes on a Conditional Form, released in 2020. The band halted recording of the first part after lead singer Matty Healy left for a drug rehabilitation clinic in Barbados, seeking treatment for his heroin addiction. Following the singer's return, the band spent several months completing the album in Northamptonshire and Los Angeles.
"Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form (2020). The song was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, while Daniel and Healy handled the song's production. It was released on 2 April 2020 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the fifth single from the album. The song features guest vocals from singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. Healy re-wrote the song several times, focusing on the prison–industrial complex and the religious oppression of young people, while the final version was created as a patchwork from each iteration. After meeting Bridgers, the band invited her to record vocals for the song, turning it into a duet.
"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.
"Give Yourself a Try" 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, while Daniel and Healy handled the production. It was released on 31 May 2018 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the lead single from the album. The band was inspired by the works of Joy Division, specifically their track "Disorder", which Healy said stemmed from both acts originating from Macclesfield. He wrote the song using a mix of autobiographical and fictional elements, wanting to capture the health and social anxiety experienced by millennials.
Notes on a Conditional Form is the fourth studio album by English band the 1975. It was released on 22 May 2020 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records. Initially titled Music for Cars, the album was intended as the follow-up to I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016). It later came to denote an era spanning two albums. The first, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, was released in November 2018. The band recorded much of the second album in London, Los Angeles, Sydney, Northamptonshire and in a mobile studio on their tour bus. The album faced several delays and was submitted only weeks before the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
"Love It If We Made It" 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 Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, while the production was handled by the former two. It was released on 19 July 2018 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the second single from the album. Daniel created the song's production in 2015, while Healy collected daily tabloid headlines from 2016 to 2018 to use as lyrics. They became too humorous, so he rewrote the song to summarize the volatile social and political events in that period, using Prince's "Sign o' the Times" as an inspiration.
"TooTimeTooTimeTooTime" 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 Matty Healy, George Daniel, and Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez, who has the stage name of No Rome, while production of the song was handled by the former two. It was released on 15 August 2018 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the third single from the album. The beat originated from an accident that occurred during "Narcissist", the band's collaboration with No Rome. Having developed a skeletal song structure, the band created the song to celebrate their varied discography and fondness of pop music.
"Sincerity Is Scary" is a song by the 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, while Daniel and Healy handled the song's production. It was released on 13 September 2018 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the fourth single from the album. Contributions are featured from Roy Hargrove, who performs the trumpet, and the London Community Gospel Choir, who provide the choir vocals. Healy was inspired to write the song to confront his fear of sincerity, using postmodernism in the lyrics to denounce sardonicism and irony, choosing to portray vulnerability and honesty instead.
"I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)" 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. Daniel and Healy handled the production alongside Jonathan Gilmore. Healy began the songwriting process at his home using an acoustic guitar, while the production was built around the song's opening guitar riff. Inspired to create a cinematic, gritty version of Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", the band worked with David Campbell, who conducts the string arrangements.
"Frail State of Mind" is a song by English band the 1975. It was released on 24 October 2019 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the second single, following "People" (2019), from their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form (2020). It was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, while Daniel and Healy were responsible for the song's production. "Frail State of Mind" is an experimental UK garage and electronica ballad. Its ambient production is composed of a brisk dubstep beat, a heavy, shuffling drum line, cascading synths, chopped vocal melodies, and influences from a variety of electronic, modern rock, and electronic dance music subgenres. Lyrically, the single revolves around Healy's social anxiety and the themes of depression, fear, apprehensiveness, disappointment, insecurity, and anti-social behaviour.
"People" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form (2020). The song was released on 22 August 2019, through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the lead single from the album. It was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald. Production of the song was handled by Daniel and Healy alongside Jonathan Gilmore. An anarcho-punk and screamo song, it features an intense, heavy rock instrumentation consisting of desert-rock guitar riffs, straightforward chords, breakneck drums and "renegade" percussion. Lyrically, it is a protest song that calls for change and rebellion to deal with global, political and environmental turmoil, and deals with themes of desperation, urgency and anxiety.
"The 1975" is a 2019 song by the English band of the same name from their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form. It was released on 24 July 2019, and included on the album as the opening track in May 2020. It continues the tradition of the band's albums opening with an eponymous song, but whereas the previous three had a shared set of lyrics sung by Matty Healy, the 2019 song uses different lyrics delivered by the environmental activist Greta Thunberg. She calls for civil disobedience in response to climate change, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in a modified version of her speech "Our House Is on Fire" from the 2019 World Economic Forum.
"Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form (2020). The song was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, while the production was handled by Daniel and Healy. The London Community Gospel Choir provide the song's choir vocals. Its creation was inspired by J Dilla and self-reflection, with the band wanting to fulfill their responsibilities as artists by challenging ideas.
"Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy)" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form (2020). The song was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald alongside Guendoline Viray Rome Gomez and Hiroshi Sato. Daniel and Healy handled the production of the song. It originated from an a cappella sample, with the band gradually merging different pieces of music together to create the final version. Healy was inspired by the Backstreet Boys, producer Max Martin and rapper Kanye West, along with the melodic music of Brandy, Whitney Houston, SWV and TLC.
"If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form (2020). The song was released on 23 April 2020 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the sixth single from the album. It was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald. Production of the song was handled by Daniel and Healy alongside Jonathan Gilmore. FKA Twigs provides operatic background vocals on the song's ambient new-age introduction, Rashawn Ross performs the trumpet and flugelhorn in the choruses, and Bob Reynolds performs the tenor and alto saxophone solo in the bridge. Videos of the band performing the song were widely circulated on social media several months prior to its official release, quickly becoming a fan-favourite, and resulting in a high degree of anticipation among their fanbase.
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