Ever since dating rumors first emerged about Taylor Swift and Matty Healy, Swifties have been beside themselves.
If they could, they’d stage an intervention for their best girl.
But instead, all that they can do is just sit by and watch. In horror.
What’s the big deal with The 1975’s singer?
That’s a great question. And we’ve made a list.
Matty Healy and Taylor Swift have been friends for years
It’s likely that he already knew her family. When her fans first suspected that the two were more than friends, they suspected that he was “there for her” in the aftermath of her split from Joe Alwyn, and that it evolved into something else. Hey, being there for a friend isn’t a bad thing. But while not everything on Matty’s list of controversies is necessarily a bad thing, SOME of them sure are.
Eating Raw Meat on Stage
No, this isn’t a vegan outcry or one of those super-politicized things. Fans have come to see The 1975 only to watch him consume a piece of raw steak — not rare, RAW — on stage. Why is this an issue? It’s not just that it’s gross, though it is very much gross. There are huge hygiene issues. Critics have pointed out that people die from undercooked meat. E. coli can be deadly, especially to children. Matty has been lucky so far, and he likely has the resources to make sure that his beef is as clean as possible. But it hasn’t won him many new fans.
He Gave a Nazi Salute That One Time
While performing “Love It If We Made It,” Matty seemed to give a Nazi salute. He did it with the other arm, but that still counts, right? Now, this is divisive, because it is unlikely that he had any intention of showing support for Nazis — and that he instead intended it as a callout of Nazi apologists, Hitler fans, and antisemites. But is there really a way to do a Nazi salute on stage without it at least looking like an endorsement? It was not his finest hour.
A Little More Context On That …
See, the song that The 1975 were performing name-drops Kanye West. In 2022, Ye made multiple alarming public statements containing heavy antisemitism. He promoted conspiracy theories, defended HItler, and more — likely under the advisement of white nationalist advisers. And Healy offered a more explicit condemnation of Kanye in February 2023, stating: “He’s obviously someone who is dealing with grief and has mental health issues, but that’s not an excuse to do, like, antisemitism.” True.
Kissing Random Fans
For some time, Matty has had a habit of pulling one random fan onto the stage with him and delivering a smoocharoo. This isn’t a European greeting, at least not a traditional one. He’ll make out with the fan in question — at one point sucking on a woman’s fingers. Now, making out with someone you’ve just met can be one of life’s greatest joys, and making out with a singer you admire can be a lifelong memory. But there are a few problems. Mostly, there’s a risk of someone underage in the crowd (which has happened to other singers) locking lips with this grown-ass man. And there are some fair questions about a fan’s ability to consent in the context of a cheery concert (a little like proposing to someone loudly and in a crowded restaurant). Regardless, Matty discontinued this in early 2023 … announcing that he wasn’t going to lock lips with random fans in front of his friend, Taylor Swift, who was in the crowd. That was months before her split with Alwyn or the first rumors of her 2023 entanglement with Healy.
Insulting Taylor Swift
Wait, what? Okay, so this goes back a ways, but back in 2014, there were rumors that he and Taylor might be an item. At the time, he said: “If I had [properly] gone out with Taylor Swift, I would’ve been, ‘F–king hell, I am not being Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.’ You know, ‘F–k. That.’ That’s also a man thing, a demasculinating [sic], emasculating thing.” Yikes, dude.
That Said …
He did backtrack, walking back his emasculation fears. “I have said on countless occasions that I found her to be one of the most gracious, hard working, creatively gifted, and beautiful women that I have had the pleasure to meet,” he tweeted in response to backlash. “I personally have a lot of respect and admiration for her. Why would I not?”
Insulting Ice Spice
Obviously, no one “has” to like anyone, including celebrities and other celebrities. But Healy was on a podcast where the hosts made a slew of outrageous and racist remarks about Ice Spice, specifically. These dudes mimicked Chinese accents. They referred to her as an “Inuit Spice Girl” and as a “chubby Chinese lady.” And they said racist things about Japanese people and concentration camps. All vile. Healy did not participate … but instead, he just sat there on the podcast while they spoke. Is there nuance to that? Sure. But if you’re willingly hanging out with racists, it looks like an endorsement. Especially if you’re famous.
Many Platforms Took Down the Podcast Episode …
Yes, it was so racist that even Spotify took action. Later, Matty Healy himself apologized … while performing at a concert. “I just feel a bit bad, and I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you. Ice Spice, I’m sorry. It’s not because I’m annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. It’s because I don’t want Ice Spice to think I’m a d–k. I love you, Ice Spice. I’m so sorry.” Hey, that’s an okay apology.
Speaking of Racism, There’s the Whole Porn Thing
This situation has much more nuance, because the porn that people like very seldom has a lot to do with who they are as a person. But it is a bit weird for Healy to drop an anecdote about watching masturbating to, so specifically, women of color being (seemingly) mistreated in porn. “I think it literally was, like, ‘Ghetto Gaggers’ was on the TV,” he once shared. “It’s just somebody just getting, like, brutalized. … I’m like, ‘It’s fine, it’s OK.’ Ten minutes would have been fine, but 30 seconds was, like, I was worried that was almost offensive.” If you worry that it’s offensive … maybe don’t overshare?
Is Matty Healy a Messiah?
Well, no. And this one’s a bit of a softball that we’re throwing at the end, here. But he once stunned some fans by referring to himself as the Messiah. And then, when people asked him if fans had simply misheard, he actually doubled down. “There is an element of feeling a bit like the Messiah,” he said. “Well, not somebody who’s here to save humanity, but somebody for whom the world does truly revolve around them.” That’s not legitimately troublesome, but it’s sooo conceited. Yes, more so than making out with rando fans.
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