History of Matty Healy in Timeline

Matty Healy is the frontman and primary songwriter for the English pop rock band, The 1975. He's known for his eclectic musical style, insightful lyrics, and a provocative performance style often described as performance art. Healy has become an influential figure in indie pop music, leaving a noticeable mark on the genre through his unique artistic expression and stage presence.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1975: Mention of The 1975's protest song Love It If We Made It

In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Matty Healy tweeted a link to The 1975's protest song "Love It If We Made It".

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2014: Healy comments on religion and ISIS on Twitter

In 2014, Healy, who described himself as "profoundly anti-religion", tweeted about ISIS and religion in response to a Harry Styles-themed Twitter account, which led to controversy. Healy said he "resent[ed] being 'educated' on religion by a Harry Styles fan account."

2015: Healy reflects on his progressive views after Twitter controversy

In 2015, Healy reflected on his progressive views after the Twitter controversy, saying: "I may not be as progressive as I'd like to be. There are some innate structures of thought within me that I'm really embarrassed about. I'm not as bright as I'd like to be."

2016: Healy dedicates "Loving Someone" to victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting

In 2016, Healy dedicated a performance of the 1975's song, "Loving Someone" to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting.

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2017: Healy publicly encourages voting Labour

In 2017, Healy publicly encouraged voting Labour in the UK, despite admitting he didn't know how to effectively use his platform to incentivize democracy. This marked an early expression of his political views.

2017: Healy uses "Loving Someone" to comment on social issues

In 2017, Healy regularly used performances of The 1975's "Loving Someone" to comment on social issues. This included dedicating the song to victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, expressing solidarity with marginalized groups following the 2016 US election results, and decrying the regressive ideals of Brexit and the Manchester Arena attack.

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2017: Healy attends drug rehabilitation clinic

In late 2017, Matty Healy spent seven weeks at an in-patient drug rehabilitation clinic in Barbados, following an intervention by his bandmates.

2018: Healy reflects on his views on faith

By 2018, Healy's position on faith had evolved. He stated, "I used to be an ATHEIST, now I'm like an atheist," explaining that he had softened on the logic but gained understanding and sensitivity towards the culture of religion.

2018: The 1975 makes donation to LGBTQ community center

In 2018, Healy and his bandmates in The 1975 made a "significant" donation to an LGBTQ community center for London, demonstrating their commitment to supporting LGBTQ rights.

2018: Healy apologizes for comments on misogyny

In 2018, Healy apologized after stating that misogyny doesn't exist in rock and roll anymore. He later described his comments as "ignorant" and "wrong, just outright misinformed."

June 2019: Healy wins Ally of the Year at the Diva Awards

In June 2019, Healy won Ally of the Year at the Diva Awards for using his platform to promote LGBTQ rights, recognizing his advocacy and support for the community.

August 2019: Healy banned from Dubai after LGBTQ protest

In August 2019, Healy was banned from Dubai after displaying a pride flag and kissing a male fan onstage to protest Dubai's anti-LGBT laws. This act, which was punishable by ten years in prison, led to his ban.

2019: Healy expresses disillusionment with UK political leaders

In 2019, Healy did not publicly support Labour ahead of the United Kingdom general election. He later stated he was disillusioned with political leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson, saying he didn't trust either of them.

2019: Queerty reports Healy had come out as an "aesthete"

In 2019, Queerty reported that Matty Healy had come out as an "aesthete". Healy criticized the publication for misinterpreting his words and clarified that he was not trying to take up queer spaces, but simply trying to be an ally.

2019: Healy criticizes misogyny in the music industry at the Brit Awards

When The 1975 won Best British Group at the 2019 Brit Awards, Healy used his acceptance speech to criticize misogyny in the music industry, quoting a piece by The Guardian's journalist Laura Snapes. Also that year, Healy denounced Alabama's anti-abortion laws during a concert in the state.

2020: Healy appears on the cover of Attitude's Activists & Allies Issue

In 2020, Healy appeared on the cover of Attitude’s Activists & Allies Issue, highlighting his role as a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights.

2020: Healy invites Greta Thunberg to record a speech for The 1975 track

In 2020, Healy invited Greta Thunberg to record a speech about climate change for a 1975 track, demonstrating his engagement with climate change issues. Conservative MP David Davies accused Healy of "hypocrisy" because of his touring, but Healy defended his actions by stating that everyone should try to help even if they haven't figured out how to be carbon neutral.

2020: Healy pledges to play at festivals with gender-balanced lineups

In 2020, Healy pledged to only play at music festivals with a gender-balanced lineup, showing commitment to promoting gender equality in the music industry.

2020: Healy deactivates Twitter account and apologizes for tweet

In 2020, Matty Healy deactivated his Twitter account because he no longer wanted to participate in the "culture war" and wanted to take a more considered approach to his public statements. Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Healy had tweeted a link to The 1975's protest song "Love It If We Made It". Amid online criticism that his tweet was self-promotional, Healy apologised and deactivated his account.

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2020: Healy starts relationship with FKA Twigs

In 2020, Matty Healy started a relationship with English singer FKA Twigs.

2020: Healy states he did not intend to give any more interviews

In 2020, Matty Healy stated that he did not intend to give any more interviews, suggesting he had reached a point where he no longer wanted to qualify his statements.

2021: Georgia Twinn releases "Matty Healy"

In 2021, Georgia Twinn, an Essex singer, released the single "Matty Healy". The song was described by Clash as a potent alt-pop banger with glossy Healywave vibes, showcasing Healy's influence on the genre.

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November 2022: Healy denounces West's antisemitic remarks

In November 2022, Matty Healy denounced Kanye West's recent antisemitic remarks, stating that "grief" and "mental health issues" did not excuse them.

December 2022: Healy performs at the Ally Coalition benefit show

In December 2022, Healy performed at the 8th annual Ally Coalition benefit show in support of LGBTQ youth, continuing his efforts to support and raise awareness for LGBTQ rights.

2022: Healy expresses concerns about woke-ism

By 2022, while reaffirming his left-leaning political stance, Healy expressed his suspicion of woke-ism as a viable worldview. He aimed to communicate the perils of overly rigid moral standards to younger fans, suggesting that mistakes and causing hurt are inevitable, and advocating for a breakdown of overly strict standards.

2022: Healy ends relationship with FKA Twigs

In 2022, Matty Healy ended his relationship with English singer FKA Twigs.

2022: The 1975's At Their Very Best world tour

In 2022, The 1975's At Their Very Best world tour, written and directed by Healy, featured commentary on contemporary masculinity. The show explored themes of being a single guy on the internet, masculinity, and the contrast between real and insincere. Clips went viral, leading to media coverage that described Healy as both "a sleazeball" and a "sensitive dirtbag".

2022: Healy mentions being in therapy.

In a 2022 interview, Matty Healy mentioned being in therapy, and referred to dealing with trauma from "some early sexual experiences that, as [he] got older, were really, really difficult to deal with."

January 2023: Healy's performance sparks online debate

In January 2023, a video of Matty Healy performing "Love It If We Made It" went viral. Healy's actions during the lyric "Thank you, Kanye, very cool" led to online debate about whether a gesture was intended as a Nazi salute.

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February 2023: Healy appears on The Adam Friedland Show

In February 2023, Matty Healy appeared on The Adam Friedland Show, where jokes about Ice Spice's stage name and ancestry were made by the hosts. Healy also joked about watching internet pornography from the website Ghetto Gaggers. The incident resulted in widespread controversy.

March 2023: Healy addresses The Adam Friedland Show controversy

In March 2023, Matty Healy told Jia Tolentino in a profile for The New Yorker that the controversy surrounding his appearance on The Adam Friedland Show was "people going, 'Oh, there's a bad thing over there, let me get as close to it as possible so you can see how good I am.'" He admitted to "oppositional" behavior and "exaggeration of my shit" over the previous 18 months.

April 2023: Healy states the end of him being a 'fucking arsehole'

In early April 2023, Matty Healy stated during an Adelaide concert that "The era of me being a fucking arsehole is coming to an end ... I can't perform off the stage anymore."

September 2023: Healy starts relationship with Gabbriette

In September 2023, Matty Healy began a relationship with American model and musician Gabbriette.

October 2023: Healy apologizes for 'exaggerated versions' of himself

In October 2023, during a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Matty Healy clarified that he had "performed exaggerated versions" of himself "in an often misguided attempt to fulfill the kind of character role of the 21st-century rock star." He apologized to those he hurt and pledged to do better moving forward.

2023: Healy criticizes anti-transgender laws of Mississippi

During their Still... At Their Very Best tour in 2023, Healy criticized the anti-transgender laws of Mississippi, calling them "bullshit" in an onstage speech, demonstrating his advocacy for transgender rights.

2023: Healy and The 1975 banned from Malaysia after protesting anti-LGBT laws

In 2023, Healy and the rest of The 1975 were briefly imprisoned and banned from Malaysia after he criticised the country's anti-LGBT laws and kissed bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage. The Good Vibes Festival was subsequently cancelled by authorities, and the band faced a lawsuit for breach of contract.

2023: The 1975's At Their Very Best world tour continues

In 2023, Healy continued The 1975's At Their Very Best world tour, which he wrote and directed. The tour explored themes of masculinity and fame. His onstage actions, including eating raw steak and performing press-ups, continued to generate media attention and discussion. He also invited audience members to kiss him during "Robbers", sometimes sucking a fan's thumb, sparking conversations about consent, fantasy, and art.

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2023: Healy criticizes the apathy of the left in British politics

In 2023, Healy criticized the apathy of the left in contemporary British politics. He also expressed support for Scottish independence during performances in Scotland.

2023: Healy reflects on qualifying statements.

In 2023, Matty Healy reflected on his past interviews, stating that he had gotten to a point where he didn't know how much he wanted to qualify his statements.

2023: Knox releases "Not The 1975"

In 2023, Nashville singer Knox released the pop rock track "Not The 1975". The song was inspired by a woman commenting "That's cool but you're not Matty Healy," to Knox after he told her he was a musician.

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2023: Healy defends comedians who challenge social hypocrisy

In 2023, while onstage in Denmark, Healy defended comedians George Carlin, Bill Hicks, and Lenny Bruce, describing them as his "heroes" and "staples of the left" who exposed social hypocrisy using vulgarity. He expressed concern that the left's loss of its ability to challenge societal norms would leave too much space for the right.

May 2024: Healy and Gabbriette get engaged

In May 2024, Matty Healy and Gabbriette got engaged.

2024: The 1975's O2 Arena shows to be carbon-removed events

In 2024, The 1975's four shows at the O2 Arena in London will be the world's first-ever carbon-removed events. The process involves extracting carbon dioxide generated by the events, planting trees, and spreading carbon dioxide-absorbing volcanic rock on farmland.