From their new album, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, “If I Believe You” is a song that stands out. Covering subjects such as religion, sexuality, and finding yourself in lyrics that can hit home with anyone, The 1975 really took a plunge with this one. They say that “if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you” (Nietzsche, “Beyond Good and Evil”) and that rang true with the band members when creating a song of this caliber. It is rare that you come across a song that covers so many subjects with so few words. The song can appeal to virtually any audience with no problem, but generally those of the millennial age group fall into their target audience. The band conveys the most feeling and appeals to pathos the most with the tempo, instruments, and sounds used throughout the piece. In the beginning, the speaker is solely Healy, but as the song progresses, a choir of people join in and the theme changes from a confused kid to a bunch of confused adults. The rhetorical mode of this song is audio (the audiences experience this song auditorily) and the media by which the product is distributed is radio.

The meaning of If I Believe You might not grab your attention initially, but the idea behind it is to show that adults struggle with figuring things out to; being confused isn’t limited by age. The lyrics saying “If I’m lost, then how can I find myself” (AZ Lyrics) repeat over and over to communicate meaning to the audience. It is important to note that the key in which the composition is written resolves at the very end. What I mean by this, is that: you listen to the song in its entirety and wait for something, but you don’t necessarily know exactly what it is that you’re looking for, but something is missing. By the time you reach the end of the song, the instruments and vocals come together to make a more pleasant tune and that is how the song ends, hopefully putting the audience in a better mood than they were before. Another aspect of this song would be its impact on the band’s image. If I Believe You has had a positive effect on the group’s brand. Including topics that could reach a multitude of audiences and using culturally diverse instruments in the song, created a product that can be appreciated by many. The lyrics to this song incorporate pathos, logos, and ethos. The song aims to connect with people on an emotional level, question their previously established logic that could host stigmas, and address whether or not someone is credible based on their sexuality.

            One of The 1975’s most recent performances of song Loving Someone Live at the O2 in London  has gotten the most attention from traditional media and social media. The tune in general has great meaning, but the set that the group uses while performing is what really caused the song to gain the most attention. Each song is accompanied by a certain color behind the band when they perform, but Loving Someone is provided a rainbow. This is one of the many stands The 1975 has shown for the LGBTQIA+ community. Creating something with lyrics addressing love and how it isn’t bound to sexuality and adding a set to promote that message even more strongly is what makes The 1975 such a diverse and well-rounded band. Matt Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann, and Ross MacDonald are all straight males who perform with makeup on, use a stage that is rainbow colored, and who have no problem telling the world loving someone for who they are not what gender they prefer are commendable people.

The band appeals to peoples’ logos by challenging what they were most likely taught as kids and having them question whether or not the negative stigma of homosexuality is ethically correct. All of the band members support those that struggle with their sexuality and show that through their tweets, performances, and interviews. Displaying these views have both helped and hurt the band’s brand. The mode by which this artifact was created is audio-visual, because it is a live performance that people both watch and listen to. The medias by which this performance is dispersed are social media, television, and traditional media. Millions of people have become more accepting when it comes to homosexuality, but millions of people are still against it. I think that it has been beneficial to The 1975’s image to stick with what they say and do and to stand by their morals even in the spotlight of the media.

            Furthermore, the type of merchandise the band has released is something that also defines them. Putting flowers on a shirt would generally make it feminine, right? According to The 1975 that is not true, as they have a Pink Roses shirt listed as unisex. This is an alternate way that the group displays support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Each of the band members has worn this specific shirt at meet and greets, performances, and out in public to show that no matter the gender, a shirt is just a shirt. In a society that is still progressing, being a proactive, supportive part of the movement is helpful to thousands of people. For example, the band is aware of the many people that listen to them and their aim is to generate positivity when it comes to being gay, or even just being different. The mode by which their merchandise is seen is mostly visual (face-to-face) when people are seen wearing the merchandise in public. The media used to spread the merchandise globally is social media. Across the globe, Matt Healy is known as an idol with some of the most incommensurable views and the fact that his band’s merchandise can reflect those progressive and inclusive views is admirable.

            In contrast to other bands, The 1975 is very raw and always real with its listeners. If one glances at their Twitters and/or Instagram accounts, the effort that goes into informing and pleasing their fans cannot go unnoticed. Furthermore, unlike many celebrities’ social media accounts, the band members of The 1975 do not have “run” accounts – they post everything that is on each profile personally. Being able to connect with an audience of young people like they do changes lives more often than they know. They utilize their ability to create products in ways of music, merchandise, and media content to keep them universal.

            Overall, The 1975 is an alternative rock group that is considered a Pop Culture icon because their work has contributed to the versatility of genres. Appealing to pathos, ethos, and logos in the majority of their released music is a feet, but The 1975 seamlessly pulls it off. Often times people ask themselves what the purpose is for what they are doing: for this band, their main purpose or goal is to show all people that no matter what you look like or where you come from, you are still worthy to be loved and there are more ways than one in which you can find success. With all of the aforementioned artifacts, The 1975 is its own band. If one or all of these things were to be taken away, the image of the band would be different and its message would be distributed differently. In some of The 1975’s songs, such as Girls, there is a struggle shared with the lyrics and throughout the song, the band explains how even though you may have had a job as a manager, that doesn’t matter. The positivity surrounding these artists is comparable to the British Invasion’s, The Beatles, just not as well-known worldwide, yet.