The 1975 have opened all three of their previously albums with a self-titled, instrumental track. For the version of “The 1975” set to appear on the forthcoming LP, Notes on a Conditional Form, the band has instead chosen to highlight 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg.
Over a minimalistic piano track, Thunberg delivers a rallying monologue about the current “climate and ecological crisis” occurring. She emphasizes the need to call it what it is and accept that we are still learning what exactly is happening. “We must acknowledge that we do not have the situation under control and that we do not have all the solutions yet,” she says.
The Swedish teen paints a grim picture of what our world will look like if we do not take action now, but she also offers glimpses of hope, recognizing the history of successful grassroots activism. “To do your best is no longer good enough,” she continues, acknowledging that current laws around the world are not doing much to shift the course of what’s happening. “It is now time for civil disobedience. It is now time to rebel.”
“The 1975” is the first taste of Notes on a Conditional Form, but not the first single. With this track, the band have launched a 28-day countdown to the first single, which will premiere a day before they headline Reading Festival. NOACF follows up last fall’s A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.
