Look up the phrase ‘wind-up merchant’ and you wouldn’t be surprised to see a photo of Matty Healy staring back at you. The 1975 frontman clearly relishes getting a rise out of people, and he’s up to his tricks once again in a new ‘campaign video’ in support of his band’s forthcoming US tour.
The clip sees Healy lampooning the tropes that are typically associated with political party broadcasts. There are epic wide shots and footage of Healy helping out in the community as he dons a suit and tours the country to meet its hard-working people.
It’s the voiceover that’s most intriguing, though. There’s lots of talk of “redemption”, “second chances” and “forging a path forward, even in the face of mistakes”.
Whether all this is in reference to the frequent controversies that have surrounded Healy this year - most recently, he deactivated his Twitter account after a withering reply from Boygenius’s Lucy Dacus to a seemingly ableist joke - but it makes you wonder, once again, what Healy’s game is here. Which is possibly the whole point.
The US leg of The 1975’s Still… At Their Best tour kicks off on 26 September in Sacramento.
