Possibly one of the hottest rising stars in music right now, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Knox has earned himself a new hit with “Not The 1975.” The track is gaining well over 100,000 Spotify streams per day and is, in turn, assisting his other well-known tracks in making gains. It is a palatable and well-executed homage to British band The 1975, who have reached new levels of mainstream popularity in the US over the last year due to their newest record, Being Funny In A Foreign Language.
Knox has capitalized off of the organic traction of “Not The 1975” by quickly following up with the new song “We’re Not In Love Anymore,” a pop-punk love-hate duet with rocker Charlotte Sands. He holds his own with the industry vet, matching her cold, quivering rasp and explosive belting.
He’ll be heading out on tour across the US as the opening act for fellow Nashville-based act Nightly this fall.
According to Knox himself, “Not The 1975” was inspired by a real-life interaction with a girl at a bar during which, as he tried to be smooth with her, she said, “That’s cool, but you’re not Matty Healy.” He dramatized the moment for the song, establishing her personality traits and vibe right out of the gate: “Vodka soda and baggy jeans / Using none of that art degree / She’s the type to just look at me and write me off, write me off in a moment.”
To try and impress her, he heads over to the DJ and requests songs by The 1975 to set the mood. “Chocolate” in the first verse and “Caroline” in the second, with both repeated throughout the track. References to popular 1975 tracks “The Sound” and “Looking For Somebody (To Love) are strewn throughout as well. The hook, a perfect storm of TikTokable content with genuine radio-friendly pop-punk, is foolproof: “She says, ‘I like your confidence, but you’re not The 1975.’ And no lie, that’s quite the compliment / But I’m not really looking for somebody tonight.”
The official visualizer for the track shows Knox dressed down in black dress pants and shoes, along with a button-down white dress shirt, inspired by Matty Healy’s current stylistic patterns. Also in true Healy fashion, he goofs around dancing with a cigarette in hand.
In a production breakdown on YouTube, producer Cam Becker detailed the process, saying “This whole song was like, ‘How close can we get without getting dinged or getting in trouble?’ We were just trying to do a bunch of nods in a tongue and cheek way.” While certainly honoring many of The 1975’s tropes, Knox is quickly establishing himself as one of the most consistent and versatile performers in the alt-pop genre right now. Songs like breakout hit “Sneakers” and “NYC” have showcased the many colors and textures to his voice, but on “Not The 1975,” he is completely locked into his artistic abilities.
