Album Anniversary: “I Like It When You Sleep” by the 1975
by Shannon Dutra
The 1975’s I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it Turns 10
The 1975 released I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it ten years ago today, on February 26, 2016. A decade later, the sophomore album by the band is still setting the bar for synth-pop.
I like it when you sleep… saw The 1975 add pink to their lexicon of color palettes. Each track on the album had a neon pink sign created for it. The visual presentation of this album’s artwork offers clues to the meaning of each track. We see this, for example, in the artwork for the track If I Believe You. In the album artwork, there’s a photo of a neon pink sign reading “If I Believe You” inside a church. This photo alludes to the track’s themes: grappling with your faith and questioning the place of religion against life’s hardships.
Sonically, I like it when you sleep… was a change from the band's drum-driven, guitar-heavy debut album released three years earlier. The pink is the perfect color to represent this album of tracks that ooze bubblegum pop and tracks that are sometimes genreless. But don’t let the color fool you—this album has more up its sleeve than just a pleasing aesthetic.
NME had been critical of the band on their first release, but praised I like it when you sleep… for its ambition. "Any record that burrows as deep into your psyche as 'I Like It...' should be considered essential. It's hugely clever and wryly funny, too." NME was right. Many tracks on I like it when you sleep… are distinctly catchy. However, many tracks are also two-fold because they address other poignant social topics, such as standing in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community (“Loving Someone”), criticizing our obsession with fame (“Love Me”), and disguising drug use in a track deemed a poignant love track (“Paris”) to unknowing listeners.
The first indication that this album would be successful was “Love Me”. Released as the album’s first single in October 2015, the track was certified gold in the United Kingdom and peaked at 20 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, the track reached number 7 on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. This track isn’t for everyone, though. “Love Me” did not sound like anything The 1975 had put out before. The introduction is driven by intense synthesizers that may not appeal to some listeners. The guitar solo in the middle is distorted and harsh. “Love Me” also combines many genres and effects at once, with hints of funk and electropop, and bright guitars. It also features a dynamic drum fill from drummer George Daniel and highlights the vocal range of lead singer Matty Healy.
Lyrically, “Love Me” draws on the band’s experience as a celebrity while critiquing the culture that makes celebrity exist. “You look famous / let’s be friends and pretend we possess something important / And do the things we’d like.” Celebrity is a concept that exists because we want it to. We make people famous. Befriending someone just because they’re famous doesn’t make you a good person; instead, it inflates egos and further drives delusion. Overall, the track is successful and meaningful. “Love Me” critiques the banality of celebrity, pokes fun at superficiality, and reminds us that celebrity culture is shallow and genuinely uninteresting.
I like it when you sleep… does include some underrated favorites. The title track off the album “I like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it” is part shimmering instrumental, part commentary on relationships. “Before you go (please don’t go) turn the big light off” are the only lyrics. Ultimately, this track leaves interpretation up to the listener, which is fun and unexpected. There’s also a strangely calming effortlessness to this track that is deeply soothing. What’s also fun is that the latter half of this track includes distorted lyrics that fans have been trying to decipher for years.
“Lostmyhead” is another track that deserves more attention. The instrument-heavy track includes a lot of reverb. The lyrics portray a narrator losing control. The track’s lyrics are made up of two of the same choruses, and the unconventional structure feels original and intentional. The rest of this track is strict instrumentation and includes orchestral sounds and a vibrant guitar pattern. About three minutes in, the track reaches a climax and brings these elements together. “Lostmyhead” pairs well with other tracks in The 1975’s discography that are similar in sound and themes, including “Ballad of Me and My Brain” off this album and “Facedown” released in 2012. Both are also worth listening to.
At the center of the album is “The Sound”. At every concert, this track brings the audience together in a defining moment of synced jumping. “The Sound” draws heavily from 1980s pop tracks. It is an intense, kinetic track with syncopated synths and an electrifying guitar from Adam Hann, the band’s lead guitarist. It’s also synth-pop at its best—a joyous ball of energy and lyrics that tell of a complicated relationship. “The Sound”, ten years later, is quintessentially The 1975.
Three other key tracks that are a must-listen on I Like It When You Sleep… are “Somebody Else”, “A Change of Heart”, and “Paris”. “Somebody Else” is another signature track from The 1975 and is often considered the track by the band. “A Change of Heart” and “Paris” remain popular crowd favorites, each with its own merits, both lyrically and sonically, with head-nodding backing drumbeats and comforting guitar riffs.
