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’.
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“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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