Baby Queen spoke to NME backstage at Reading Festival 2023 about how The 1975‘s self-titled debut has impacted her career. Watch the full interview above.
Last night (August 26), The 1975 performed the record – which celebrates its 10th anniversary next week (September 1) – in full as they headlined Main Stage West. “This set does, eventually, remind you what it means for such a characterful and often misunderstood debut album to still be so beloved,” said NME in a four-star review of the performance.
Speaking of what it meant to grow up with ‘The 1975’, which spawned hit singles ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Sex’, the artist – born Bella Latham – explained: “I was 17-years-old and still in South Africa when it came out, and it was when I started to go off the rails. It was the first time I felt like a teenager; it was a really late progression for me. I discovered this album and it altered my taste permanently.
“I had this dream of moving to London and that song [‘The City’] inspired me. I was coming from this really small place and that album represented the beacon of what London was to me,” she continued. “I don’t know if I would have made the move without it. I can’t imagine how it could have happened any differently. It was really influential. There’s so many bangers: ‘Girls’, ‘Chocolate’, and I really like ‘M.O.N.E.Y’ and ‘She Way Out’.”
Earlier in the day, Latham made her Main Stage East debut at Reading, following a performance on the Festival Republic stage in 2021. She previewed tracks from her forthcoming debut album ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ (due October 6) including ‘We Can Be Anything’ and ‘Dream Girl’.
“If there was a problem with [The 1975 frontman] Matty [Healy], and he couldn’t get on stage tonight, I could get back up there and perform for him. I know his dance moves, I know exactly what he does,” Latham added. “Matty, you know what I mean. If you ever need someone to step in, I’m here.”
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