Discover the frontman of The 1975, Matty Healy, known for breakout hits like “Chocolate.” With five studio albums and collaborations with major artists like Taylor Swift, Healy has also made headlines for his performance-art antics. Most recently, rumors have circulated about his alleged romance with Swift after he joined her on stage during her Eras Tour. Despite rumors of their previous relationship, Healy has previously denied the claims. Here is everything you need to know about Matt Healy, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of The 1975, and his rise to fame.
Matt Healy’s Entertainer Roots: Meet The Parents
Matt Healy’s family background has entertainment in its genes. Born in London in 1989, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of The 1975 grew up in Newcastle before relocating to Wilmslow. His parents, British television actors Tim Healy and Denise Welch, have both appeared on various TV shows. Tim performed on “Auf Wiedersehen, Pet” and “Benidorm,” while Denise starred in “Coronation Street” before transitioning to a panelist on “Loose Women.” Louis, Healy’s younger brother, was born in 2001 and has also pursued an acting career.
Matt Healy Journey from Drummer to Frontman
At England’s Wilmslow High School, Matt Healy met the members of The 1975 when they were 13 years old. Originally the drummer, Healy spoke with GQ about how he joined the band as their lead singer and rhythm guitarist. Adam Hann’s then-girlfriend saw Healy playing drums and recruited him.
Once the group began playing together, Healy sang and drummed. However, when their first singer left to join another band, they started to change things up. Drummer George Daniel then joined the band, leading to Healy’s switch to lead vocals and occasional piano playing.
Reflecting on his time in the band, Healy said, “I was originally the drummer, but then I met George and it changed my life.”
The Unconventional Stage Acts of Healy
Healy, renowned for his daring displays on stage, has a reputation for delivering a unique performance. Often seen with a cigarette in hand and a bottle of malbec nearby, he is known to engage in acts of performance art throughout his band’s shows. This includes mid-song kisses during “Robbers”, and snacking on raw meat before a crowd of several thousand fans.
In November of 2022, during a concert at Madison Square Garden, the musician captivated viewers with an unforgettable moment. After completing a round of shirtless pushups, he took bites from a raw steak in the middle of his performance which was intended to comment on toxic masculinity. This spectacle set the internet abuzz and Healy repeated the stunt on various dates of The 1975’s At Their Very Best tour.
The musician is no stranger to breaking boundaries on stage and his mother even took to Twitter to express pride over his unconventional actions. In response to a journalist’s incredulity at Healy’s performance, Denise Welch humorously replied that she too had witnessed it and couldn’t be prouder.
The 1975’s Brief Collaboration with Taylor Swift
Although initially refuting speculations of working together, Healy of The 1975 confirmed that he and his bandmates had, in fact, contributed to Taylor Swift’s album, Midnights. Despite their creative collaboration, their work was not featured in the final product.
During an interview on KROQ’s Klein/Ally Show for Audacy’s DTS Sound Space, Healy disclosed that they did work on some aspects, but their version did not make it to the album. His revelation caused disappointment among the listeners, but he promptly defended Swift and clarified that there had not been any ill-feelings. “It was for reasons that shouldn’t be criticized,” he stated. “She’s amazing.”
The budding musical partnership between Swift and The 1975 had been in the making for a while, with both parties showing support through offering merchandise and making public statements. In an interview in 2019, Healy expressed his desire to produce an acoustic album for Swift, acknowledging her talent as a musician and a person.
In early 2023, Swift and The 1975 performed together during one of the band’s shows. Their performance marked the first time they performed “Anti-Hero” together. As a tribute to their musical partnership, they also worked together to cover The 1975’s popular song, “The City.”
Connections and Collaborations: Healy and Jack Antonoff
Matt Healy shares a crucial connection with Jack Antonoff, who produced their album Being Funny in a Foreign Language and has also worked with other renowned artists. Antonoff is also the lead vocalist of Bleachers, and his prolific productions have won him eight Grammy Awards, including the 2023 Producer of the Year award. He has collaborated with top-charting artists such as Lorde, Florence and the Machine, St. Vincent, and Lana Del Rey.
In August 2022, Healy revealed in a Pitchfork profile that Taylor Swift had an early listen of their album through Jack Antonoff. She described the record as “so funny,” as quoted in Healy’s profile. The collaboration between Swift and Healy does not stop with Antonoff, though. They also have collaborated with Phoebe Bridgers, who performed an acoustic version of “Milk,” a deep cut off The 1975’s second EP at one of their Los Angeles shows in November 2022. Bridgers also appears on the band’s “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America” in Notes on a Conditional Form, the band’s fourth album. In addition, Bridgers was a featured artist in “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version),” a vault track off Red that Swift released.
Healy’s Unconventional Approach to Fame
Matt Healy made an unexpected public statement in September 2022, revealing that the band had declined an offer to open for Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour, despite the allure of a substantial payday.
During an interview with The New York Times, Healy explained that he had “zero commercial ambition” and that he typically rejects proposals solely based on financial gain. He went on to relate that he was offered a four-month stadium tour with Sheeran, to which he would have received an unprecedented payment. However, Healy turned down the offer stating, “I don’t care. It’s not worth it.”
Healy emphasized that he held no ill will towards Sheeran and that he refuted the offer based solely on personal preference. His actions demonstrated his dedication to artistic creativity and integrity over monetary gain.
Healy’s Apology for Racially Insensitive Remarks
Recently, popular musician Healy found himself in hot water after making racially insensitive remarks during an episode of “The Adam Friedland Show” podcast. Healy, who is white, attempted to reach out to Ice Spice, a musician of Dominican and Nigerian descent, but received no response. During the podcast, Healy was heard laughing with the hosts about Ice Spice’s ethnicity and even encouraging them in their imitation of different accents.
Understandably, many of Healy’s fans were disappointed and angered by his remarks. As a result, the podcast episode was removed from major streaming platforms like Apple and Spotify. In an attempt to make amends, Healy publicly apologized to Ice Spice during a performance in Auckland, New Zealand, assuring her that he never intended to cause harm and expressing his love for her.
Despite this apology, Healy seemed to downplay the incident in a recent interview with The New Yorker, suggesting that those who were offended were simply overreacting. This response drew criticism from many who pointed out that insensitive language can cause real harm, particularly to marginalized communities.
While Ice Spice has not commented publicly on the situation, Healy’s remarks and subsequent apology have sparked a larger conversation about the importance of racial sensitivity and inclusion in all areas of life.
Taylor Swift and Matty Healy Call It Quits
It seems that Taylor Swift and Matty Healy brief romantic involvement has come to an end. An insider shared that both of them are incredibly busy and realized that they are not well-suited for each other. Taylor, who recently ended her long-term relationship with Joe Alwyn, is surrounded by friends who only want what is best for her and are not surprised by this recent development.
According to TMZ, the news of their split was first reported by them. ET had previously confirmed in April that Taylor and Joe Alwyn had ended their six-year relationship. Shortly after that, Taylor was spotted fueling rumors of romance with Matty when he was seen at the Nashville stop of her Eras Tour. They were later photographed together that same weekend.
Sources close to the two musicians revealed that they had a past romantic involvement and had recently reconnected through Jack Antonoff. The duo then started seeing each other more frequently and showcased their first PDA when they were spotted holding hands while on a dinner date with Jack and his fiancée Margaret Qualley.
But as the whirlwind romance progressed, it came with its fair share of negativity. Some observers pointed out Matt Healy problematic “pranks,” which raised eyebrows about Taylor’s involvement with him.
Nonetheless, it seems that Taylor has moved on from this brief affair, and it remains to be seen if Matty will address the split publicly. For now, fans can only speculate on what went wrong and hope for the best for these two talented musicians.
Bottom Line
Matt Healy is a successful musician in his own right, with a reputation for daring displays on stage. Collaborating with Swift on her album and performing together on stage, the two musicians shared an apparent connection. However, their brief romance appears to have fizzled out, leading to speculation about what went wrong.
Aside from his brief romance, Healy also made headlines for his remarks, raising important conversations about racial sensitivity and inclusion. Despite his apologies and attempts to make amends, some critics remain critical of his actions.
Regardless, Healy remains committed to his creative integrity, rejecting offers that prioritize financial gain over his artistic vision. With connections to other talented musicians like Antonoff and Phoebe Bridgers, it seems that Healy’s career shows no sign of slowing down.
While the music industry has its fair share of drama, the artistry and dedication of talented musicians like Healy and Swift continue to inspire fans worldwide.
