No, You Can’t Enjoy The 1975 & Vote for Trump: The Difference Between the Fan and the Critic
With as politically charged as the band's music is, how can one call themselves a fan and still vote against everything it represents?
With as politically charged as the band's music is, how can one call themselves a fan and still vote against everything it represents?
Though hard to write (and even harder to stomach) Donald Trump is president once again. Having been sixteen when Trump was elected in 2016 I honestly didn’t fully grasp the reality of the situation. I knew obviously he was a racist and a misogynist but as a junior in high school I was truly more focused on doing my PSAT’s and getting a four on my APUSH exam. Now eight years later much has changed. I’m twenty-four and I like to think that I’m much more in tune with socialist and leftist causes. Interestingly enough though it’s through becoming more politically aware that I’ve looked at the 1975’s music less as a fan and more as a critic. This doesn't at all mean that I like the band’s music any less than I did when I listened to them when I was in high school and college. I still love the band as much if not more than I did back then. I like to think though that there’s a big difference between being a fan and being a critic. Those that are genuine and deep enjoyers of a specific artist and their music identify more with the “critic” label whereas those that are “fans” tend to only look at the music with a surface level pov. These “fans” could have been to dozens of their shows, steamed their music for thousands of hours, and even have a box tattooed on their arm. But if they still at the end of the day support the policies of a president who goes against everything the band stands for, are they even actually listening to the music? It’s by looking at music through a critical lens that in my opinion you can actually enjoy it as a work of art. Enjoy the small details and intricacies that many who tend to lack critical thinking skills often overlook.
A song by the band that I’ve been listening to quite a bit since this morning is “Love It If We Made It”. Released in 2018 during the middle of Trump’s first (still crazy to say out loud) term the lyrics are still incredibly relevant in 2024. One specific part of the song that I love is the third verse and outro where Matty sings,
"I moved on her like a bitch"
Excited to be indicted
Unrequited house with seven pools
"Thank you, Kanye, very cool"
The war has been incited
And guess what, you're all invited
And you're famous
Modernity has failed us
And I'd love it if we made it
The beginning of the verse being a direct reference to Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood tape and his stance on indictment are lyrics that are extremely critical of him. In the same verse Matty sings about war being incited and the public being brought into it with no actual choice in the manner. Again another statement that could be attributed to the war hawk that was Trump in the White House in 2018. The outro “And I’d love it if we made it” is repeated throughout the song and is probably one of my favorite lyrics the band has ever written partly because of the ambiguity involved. Is it being hopeful that there’s a rainbow after the storm? Or is it supposed to be read with doubt? That our political fight is futile and the only people we can trust and turn to is each other. It’s not only “Love It If We Made It” but countless other songs of theirs and interviews that Matty has done that showcases just how politically left the band is.
“Fans” of the 1975 who vote for a man who the band has been extremely critical of in the past do it because of both a lack of an understanding of the band's music and also what the band had always stood for. They don’t see this criticism of Trump nor the band’s continued support of Black and LGBTQ+ causes as anything other than words sung in a song that they like. This refers back to my earlier argument about the difference between being a fan and a critic. A fan (even one who may be bigger of a fan than I am), listens to the song whereas a critic really analyzes the music from an artistic point of view. A critic really looks at what’s being expressed in the music and actually learns something and figures out how they can take what’s being said and apply it to their life. And isn’t that what art’s supposed to do at the end of the day? To make you think? To teach you something you didn’t know prior?
Music is political. Simple as that. And I do think it’s important for us to start looking at it through a more critical lens. It’s by doing this that I strongly believe we can get people to be more politically aware. I know the majority of Americans aren’t going to pick up Chomsky or The Communist Manifesto but I do know Americans listen to music. And through listening to music, really listening, and becoming critics rather than fans, I think we can make great political change in this country.
Signed,
Kid who has the box tattooed on his arm