BY: Alexis Eichelberger

The wait for The 1975’s fourth album just keeps getting longer — but that doesn’t mean our excitement has diminished a bit.

The British alt-rock group has postponed the release date for their 2020 record Notes on a Conditional Form almost more times than we can count. For now, its scheduled to drop May 22 — still more than a month away. Thankfully, the group has already released six of the 22 songs on the tracklist, all of which differ radically from the rest.

Here’s a breakdown of each song released from The 1975’s upcoming record so far:

“The 1975”

As is customary for every album from The 1975, the title of the first track is simply the band’s name. However, this is the first time the song has been released prior to the album, and the first time it’s differs so dramatically from previous versions. Though the audio is the expected twinkly synth sounds we’ve come to associate with the band, the voice of the track is climate activist Greta Thunberg. For almost the entirety of the five-minute song, she reads an essay about the urgency of the fight against global climate change.

“People”

The most obvious word that can be used to describe The 1975’s second single of the NOACF era is: unexpected. The angry, anti-establishment anthem is a thoroughly metal experience. Frontman Matty Healy positively screams throughout, chanting insistent protests like, “Stop fucking with the kids.” The band, and Healy in particular, was lauded for their experimental jump into the harsh new style when the song dropped in August 2019.

“Frail State of Mind”

As startlingly different “People” was, the band’s next single was everything we’ve come to expect from The 1975. Their signature string-like synth sounds and wavy guitar pair with a groovy shuffle beat and delicate vocals. Healy croons about worldly and social anxieties alike in an apologetic tone.

“Me & You Together Song”

The final track of The 1975’s third album, “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)” exposed a soft early 2000’s pop sound much unlike the group’s previous releases. “Me & You Together Song” revisits that charming film credit-esque sound. It’s a sweet, romantic tune about a lifelong crush, and it is thorough Brit pop in every way, from the playful strums of the guitar-driven melody to the almost indecipherably soft vocals.

“The Birthday Party”

“The Birthday Party” is one of The 1975’s most intriguing examples of songwriting. Healy has described the song to be about the “interesting social minutiae of house parties.” Through its meandering melody and half-sun lyrics, it captures the humdrum experience of attending a party you don’t want to be at and getting intoxicated because that’s simply the thing our culture says we should do.

“Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America”

For the latest release from NOACF, Healy dueted with sad indie queen Phoebe Bridgers. The two sing a deeply melancholy tune about existential dread, musings on the existence of a higher power, and unrequited crushes. It’s a soft acoustic tune with a hint of country western, and it explores religion and Americanism in both lyric and sound in ways not unfamiliar to the band.