The 1975’s newest album, Being Funny In a Foreign Language, transformed the space in my mind into the set of a movie.

Each track felt like the perfect music to accompany an ensemble of characters in their non-descript journeys through the course of my imagined screenplay. My mind normally wanders when I listen to music but never have my fantasies felt so cohesive and poignant. 

The Intro: “The 1975”

The band has somewhat of a tradition of naming the lead-off track of their albums “The 1975’s.” Previously, a slightly altered version of the same song has been used, however, the band broke this pattern in their 2020 album Notes on a Conditional Form and continued to alter their prior song in this album. When their past rendition of “The 1975” has felt peaceful and somber, this song feels like running on train tracks in the fall—the perfect background to opening credits and a title screen, if you will.

The lyrics in the song add the perfect element of relatability; the words sung by lead vocalist, Matthew Healy, sent me into a wonderful fit of deep thinking. I want to always feel as understood, free-spirited, and at peace as this song makes me feel. 

The establishing scene: “Happiness”

“Happiness” is the type of song that would perfectly accompany a character’s dance break alone in their room after a long day. The kind of dancing that would prove to us they aren’t grumpy and miserable, just misunderstood. Despite the song desperately asking for love, the layering of lyrics and brassy horns makes “Happiness” the perfect upbeat addition to this album.

The underlying problem: “Looking For Somebody (To Love)”

With any movie, a good comment on society doesn’t hurt. This song lays out the problems of an emphasis on brawn and power. It pokes fun at the oddity of making violence “cool” and sarcastically portrays the toxicity of aggression. 

I respect the idea of poking fun at what some think masculinity should be, showing the idea of aggressive and violent control to be as ridiculous as it is. The intrigue of this song being recorded in an 80s pop style adds even more to the message of the music, it somehow demeans the concept of “what a man should be” even more. 

The Love Interest: “Part Of The Band”

Falling in love can be self-deprecating, and considering that’s the main theme of this song, I think it fits perfectly with the introduction of a love interest. I adore how songwriter Matthew Healy can poke fun at himself through his songs consistently, almost every line is a dig at himself. It’s reassuring knowing that someone as talented as he is has such a grasp of himself.

The montage of falling in love: “Oh Caroline”

“Oh Caroline” represents a love so intense that only movie characters could feel it. I can’t imagine someone being as beyond themselves with love as the lyrics in this song describe—as much as I’m sure someone is. It’s intriguing, it’s dark, but it’s human; yet again, I’m impressed by the representation of a more somber theme in such an upbeat melody. 

Nothing bad could possibly happen, right?: “I’m In Love With You”

This song is one you know 50% of the lyrics to if you’ve read the title, but it is one of my favorites. It does its job, placed excellently in the middle of the album, it feels good to listen to. It’s generally just a fun song, one that feels like nothing could go wrong. It’s the part in the movie where an intelligent viewer is anticipating the moment when the music fades and the conflict arises.

A sad conflict: “All I need to hear”

“All I need to hear” might just be my favorite song on the album. For the sake of my brain’s movie, it’s a sad piano ballad explaining the words the main character wishes they could say. However, this song could be interpreted in so many different ways: happy, sad, confused, and so forth. It’s different from the rest of the album—which could attribute to why it sticks out to me so much—but it’s simply beautiful and so satisfying to listen to.

All better now: “Wintering”

With how random and eccentric “Wintering” is, I feel it’s the perfect track to accompany a character raising themself up and living their life happily without the drama they’d been experiencing throughout the movie. The song really seems to be about the oddities of family, and the writing so creatively expresses that. It feels like a road trip song, or a good day at the lake song, really any event that distracts from the stressors of real life. 

Forgiveness/ resolution: “Human Too”

This song feels so genuine and raw, like a really good apology. This could be thanks to the actual apologies scattered in the lyrics, for fragility, insecurity, and a need for reassurance. This song acknowledges something that people in conflict often forget, good people aren’t perfect—to be human is to be flawed.

Everything’s actually all better now: “About you”

Whether the lyrics agree, to me “About you” provides so much peace. I could listen to the instrumentals on this track for hours—it’s the perfect piece for each character to get their closure. This song listens the way hope feels, and it reminds me so much of the songs that help wrap up my favorite 80s movies. 

Credits rolling: “When We Are Together”

Beautifully serious, yet light musically, and leaves a person thinking and reflecting—something any good credits song should do. This song was incredibly personal, although it thankfully didn’t feel like a hard conclusion. It allows for a desire for more, a hopefulness for music to come, and an inspiration to start the album over again and relisten. Intentional or not, The 1975 made an excellent choice with this. 

Whether you create a movie in your head, understand yourself on a deeper level, or just find a new song to play in the background of car rides, know that you will gain something from this album. All I can say is how grateful I am for the time my brain got to spend wandering through this album, and the space inside of my mind.