Being Funny in a Foreign Language
Lead singer Matthew Healy posing on a car graffitied with chalk
Studio album by
the 1975
Released14 October 2022 (2022-10-14)
Recorded4 January – May 2022
Studio
Genre
Length43:26
LabelDirty Hit
Producer
The 1975 chronology
Notes on a Conditional Form
(2020)		 Being Funny in a Foreign Language
(2022)
Singles from Being Funny in a Foreign Language
  1. "Part of the Band"
    Released: 7 July 2022
  2. "Happiness"
    Released: 3 August 2022
  3. "I'm in Love with You"
    Released: 1 September 2022
  4. "All I Need to Hear"
    Released: 21 September 2022
  5. "About You"
    Released: 23 December 2022[4]
  6. "Oh Caroline"
    Released: 17 March 2023[5]
  7. "Looking for Somebody (To Love)"
    Released: 16 June 2023[6]

Being Funny in a Foreign Language is the fifth studio album by English band the 1975. It was released on 14 October 2022 by Dirty Hit.[7] The album was recorded primarily at Real World Studios in Wiltshire. The band released the lead single "Part of the Band" on 7 July 2022, which was followed by the subsequent singles "Happiness", "I'm in Love with You", "All I Need to Hear", "About You", "Oh Caroline", and "Looking for Somebody (To Love)".

The album received acclaim from critics, with many reviewers naming it some of the band's strongest work. It debuted atop the UK Albums Chart as well as reaching number one in Scotland, Ireland and Australia. It also reached the top 7 on the US Billboard 200, as well as top 10 in New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the Netherlands. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2023 Brit Awards.[8]

Background

Many of the band's 2020 shows that were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic were ultimately canceled on 12 January 2021. During this time, lead singer Matty Healy teased future music under their previous name "Drive Like I Do", and said that the band was working on their fifth studio album. However, there was no indication as to when writing, recording, or mixing would be finished.[9]

On 14 February 2022, the band deactivated their main social media accounts, hinting at new material.[10][11]

The album title and track listing were revealed to select fans through postcards. The band released its first single from the album "Part of the Band" on 7 July 2022.[12] The second single, "Happiness", was released on 3 August 2022.[13][14][15] The third single, "I'm in Love with You", was released on 1 September 2022.[16] The fourth single, "All I Need to Hear", was released on 21 September 2022.[17]

Recording and production

"Every record I've made, I convinced myself that I had so much to prove, so it had to be about everything that ever happened, everything that's happening now, and everything that could ever happen. But on this record, I said, 'Instead of a magnum opus, what about more like a polaroid?"

—Matty Healy, on Being Funny in a Foreign Language[18]

Writing sessions for what would eventually become Being Funny in a Foreign Language started in 2021, when the band worked on-and-off with producer BJ Burton, whom Healy admired for his production work on Bon Iver's 22, A Million (2016) and Low's Double Negative (2018) and Hey What (2021). During their time together, Burton noticed that his creative process varied greatly from the band's, as they would "[pull] up songs from Spotify, or [check] another reference for a chord progression" while writing.[18] He set out to align their differences, and eventually they did record what amounted to be "sparks where songs were being bred ... a bunch of early demos", but after Burton heard that the band began working with producer Jack Antonoff, he ended the sessions.[18] In an August 2022 interview with Pitchfork, Burton indicated that the band's creative pivot still "stung", though Healy indicated he was hoping to rekindle his working relationship with Burton for a future album.[18]

When recording with Antonoff, the band was determined to focus on their instrumental strong-suits and keep things as live and unadulterated by computers as possible. In an interview with Apple Music 1, Healy amounted the process to outright defining the true sonic identity of the band, while host Zane Lowe described it as the next step for a band with "such restless energy" as the 1975. Lowe cited that the band had "exhausted" their stylistic exploration and had reached a point of reflection on their improved technical skill in this record.[19] Similarly to Burton, Healy sought out to work with Antonoff, whom he called the "biggest producer in the world" out of respect for his production capabilities, specifically his work with American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey.[18] However, Healy made it clear to Antonoff that he retained full creative control of the recording process while working together.[18][19]

Promotion

To support the album, the band embarked on a world tour titled At Their Very Best in 2022.[20][21] This was followed by an arenas tour titled Still... At Their Very Best the following year.[22]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[23]
Metacritic82/100[24]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[25]
Clash8/10[26]
Dork[27]
Evening Standard[28]
Gigwise10/10[29]
i[30]
NME[31]
Pitchfork8.0/10[32]
The Skinny[33]

Being Funny in a Foreign Language received critical acclaim upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 82 out of 100, based on reviews from 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[24] The album was rated an 7.6 out of 10 on the aggregator AnyDecentMusic?.[23]

Brady Brickner-Wood of Pitchfork wrote that the album "tames the group's taste for excess and plays up their fundamentals: goopy '80s guitars, pumping drums, schmaltzy saxophones, and infuriatingly good hooks" and praised the band's experimentation, noting that "even when their songs reek of camp, Healy has enough moxie to elevate a potentially horrible idea into an eloquent exclamation point".[32] El Hunt, writing for NME, noted how the band "tightened things up" on Being Funny in a Foreign Language, calling Healy's songwriting on the album "his most contradictory and intriguing yet, frequently turning his pen back on himself", concluding that the record "feels like the right next step after pushing experimental excess to its logical conclusion, and is comparatively lean with just eleven tracks to its name. 'The 1975: At Their Very Best' – the lofty, and slightly tongue-in-cheek title they’ve given to their upcoming tour – might be infuriatingly, brilliantly cocky, but let’s face facts: it’s also pretty accurate."[31]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of Being Funny in a Foreign Language
Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard The 50 Best Albums of 2022 16 [34]
Clash Clash's Albums of the Year 48 [35]
DIY DIY's Albums of 2022 8 [36]
Entertainment Weekly The 10 Best Albums of 2022 10 [37]
Esquire The 25 Best Albums of 2022 * [38]
Far Out The 50 Best Albums of 2022 46 [39]
Gigwise Gigwise's 51 Best Albums of 2022 3 [40]
Insider The 20 Best Albums of 2022 11 [41]
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums of 2022 26 [42]
Los Angeles Times The 20 best albums of 2022 * [43]
New York Times Best Albums of 2022 * [44]
NME The 50 Best Albums of 2022 10 [45]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2022 33 [46]
Rolling Stone Best Music of 2022 * [47]
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Albums of 2022 37 [48]
Slate The Best Albums of 2022 * [49]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2022 17 [50]
Under the Radar The 100 Best Albums of 2022 21 [51]
Uproxx Best Albums of 2022 13 [52]
Variety The Best Albums of 2022 9 [53]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Matthew Healy and George Daniel. Co-writers noted below

Being Funny in a Foreign Language track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The 1975"
4:10
2."Happiness"DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ5:03
3."Looking for Somebody (To Love)"
2:58
4."Part of the Band"Squire4:20
5."Oh Caroline"
3:32
6."I'm in Love with You"Adam Hann4:22
7."All I Need to Hear"Squire3:30
8."Wintering"Jacob Bugden2:45
9."Human Too"
  • Squire
  • Leftwich
  • Hogarth
3:44
10."About You" 5:26
11."When We Are Together"Rob Milton3:36
Total length:43:26
Japanese Version
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."All I Need to Hear" (Demo)Squire2:54
Total length:46:20

Personnel

The 1975

Additional musicians

  • Jack Antonoff – guitar, piano, drums, backing vocals, violin, programming, string arrangements
  • Tommy King – keyboards, synthesizer
  • BJ Burton – synthesizer, programming
  • James Squire – backing vocals, piano, Wurlitzer, Clavinet, synthesizer, organ, acoustic guitar
  • John Waugh – saxophone
  • Evan Smith – brass
  • Bobby Hawk – strings
  • Warren Ellis – strings, string arrangements
  • Michelle Zauner – backing vocals
  • Oli Jacobs – Wurlitzer
  • Carly Holt – additional vocals
  • Zem Audu – saxophone
  • Sabrina the Teenage DJ – programming
  • Bobby Hawk – string arrangements
  • Ben Hudson – additional programming (track 10)

Technical

  • Jack Antonoff – production
  • BJ Burton – co-production (tracks 1, 5)
  • Robin Schmidt – mastering
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing
  • Chris Galland – mixing
  • Laura Sisk – engineering
  • Oli Jacobs – engineering
  • Andrew Gearhart – additional engineering
  • Dave Gross – additional engineering
  • Evan Smith – additional engineering
  • Jon Gautier – additional engineering
  • Jeremie Inhaber – mixing assistance
  • Robin Florent – mixing assistance
  • Scott Desmarais – mixing assistance
  • Dani Perez Carasols – engineering assistance
  • Dom Shaw – engineering assistance
  • Freddy Williams – engineering assistance
  • John Rooney – engineering assistance
  • Katie May – engineering assistance
  • Liam Hebb – engineering assistance

Visuals

  • Samuel Burgess-Johnson – artwork, creative direction
  • Samuel Bradley – photography
  • Patricia Villirillo – creative direction
  • Ed Blow – creative direction

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Being Funny in a Foreign Language
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[81] Gold 100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The 1975 Battle Anxiety with Acerbic Tunes and Sax Magic on 'Being Funny in a Foreign Language'". Rolling Stone. 13 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "The 1975: Being Funny in a Foreign Language". Pitchfork.
  3. ↑ "Album Review: The 1975 - 'Being Funny In A Foreign Language'". When The Horn Blows. 17 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "BBC - Radio 1 Playlist". Archived from the original on 26 December 2022.
  5. ↑ "BBC - Radio 1 Playlist". Archived from the original on 21 March 2023.
  6. ↑ "BBC - Radio 1 Playlist". Archived from the original on 18 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Album release date confirmed via YouTube video description". 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022 – via YouTube.
  8. ↑ Smith, Carl (12 January 2023). "BRIT Awards 2023 nominations REVEALED". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  9. ↑ Reilly, Nick (12 January 2021). "The 1975 cancel entire 2021 tour – but confirm work on new album". NME. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  10. ↑ "The 1975 hint at new music by deleting social media accounts". NME. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "Album title and track list revealed via postcard". NME. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  12. ↑ Garcia, Thania (7 July 2022). "The 1975 Shares First Single and Music Video From Upcoming Album, 'Being Funny in a Foreign Language'". Variety. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  13. ↑ Ackroyd, Stephen (3 August 2022). "First listen: The 1975 – Happiness". Dork. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  14. ↑ Jones, Abby (3 August 2022). "The 1975 Announce Tour Dates, Ponder "Happiness" on New Single: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  15. ↑ Skinner, Tom (3 August 2022). "The 1975 share 'fun' new single 'Happiness' and announce North American tour". NME. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  16. ↑ Dailey, Hannah (1 September 2022). "The 1975 Clown Around With Phoebe Bridgers in 'I'm In Love With You' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  17. ↑ Skinner, Tom (22 September 2022). "Listen to The 1975's tender new single 'All I Need To Hear'". NME. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dombal, Ryan (9 August 2022). "The 1975's Matty Healy Turns On, Tunes In, and Logs Off". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  19. 1 2 "Matt Healy, of The 1975, on "Happiness"". Apple Music 1. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  20. ↑ "The 1975 announce huge arena tour for 2023". Radio X. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  21. ↑ Spinelli, Adrian (3 August 2022). "The 1975 Announce The 'At Their Very Best' North American Tour". Uproxx. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  22. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (13 June 2023). "The 1975 Are Still at Their Very Best for New North American Tour Dates". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975 reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  24. 1 2 "Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  25. ↑ Collar, Matt. "The 1975 - Being Funny in a Foreign Language Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  26. ↑ Mellen, James (10 October 2022). "The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language". Clash. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  27. ↑ Ackroyd, Stephen (10 October 2022). "The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language". Dork. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  28. ↑ Smyth, David (14 October 2022). "The 1975 - Being Funny in a Foreign Language review: Finally, an album that leaves us wanting more". Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  29. ↑ Giouras, Philip (11 October 2022). "Album Review: The 1975 - Being Funny in a Foreign Language". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  30. ↑ Solomon, Kate (10 October 2022). "The 1975, Being Funny In a Foreign Language review: A surprisingly tender record". i. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  31. 1 2 Hunt, El (10 October 2022). "The 1975 – 'Being Funny In A Foreign Language' review: back to their very best". NME. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  32. 1 2 Brickner-Wood, Brady (14 October 2022). "The 1975: Being Funny in a Foreign Language Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  33. ↑ Tuck, Dylan (12 October 2022). "The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language". The Skinny. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  34. ↑ Billboard Staff (6 December 2022). "The 50 Best Albums of 2022: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  35. ↑ Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; ClashMusic (15 December 2022). "Clash Albums Of The Year 2022 | Features". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 24 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  36. ↑ "DIY's Albums of 2022". DIY. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  37. ↑ Bucksbaum, Sydney; Greenblatt, Leah; Lamphier, Jason; Myers, Owen; December 08, Allaire Nuss; EST, 2022 at 07:25 PM. "The 10 best albums of 2022". EW.com. Retrieved 24 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  38. ↑ "The 25 Best Albums of 2022". Esquire. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  39. ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2022". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  40. ↑ "Gigwise's 51 Best Albums Of 2022 | Gigwise". www.gigwise.com. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  41. ↑ Ahlgrim, Callie. "The best albums of 2022". Insider. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  42. ↑ Bugel, Safi; D'Souza, Shaad; Snapes, Laura (23 December 2022). "The 50 best albums of 2022". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  43. ↑ Wood, Mikael (4 December 2022). "The 20 best albums of 2022". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  44. ↑ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (30 November 2022). "Best Albums of 2022". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  45. ↑ NME (9 December 2022). "The 50 best albums of 2022". NME. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  46. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Pitchfork. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  47. ↑ "Best Music of 2022: Staff Picks". Rolling Stone. 27 December 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  48. ↑ Slant Staff (7 December 2022). "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  49. ↑ Wilson, Carl (9 December 2022). "The Best Albums of 2022". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  50. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2022". Stereogum. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  51. ↑ "Under the Radar Magazine". www.undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  52. ↑ "Uproxx Music Critics Poll 2022: Albums". UPROXX. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  53. ↑ Aswad, Chris Willman,Jem; Willman, Chris; Aswad, Jem (9 December 2022). "The Best Albums of 2022". Variety. Retrieved 11 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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  55. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  56. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  57. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  58. ↑ "The 1975 Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
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  61. ↑ "Top Albums (Week 42, 2022)". SNEP. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
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  63. ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
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  65. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2022-10-24" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  66. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of October 19, 2022". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 October 2022.
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  73. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  74. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  75. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  76. ↑ "The 1975 Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  77. ↑ "The 1975 Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
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