Sincerity Is Scary

## Music video

**"Sincerity Is Scary"** is a song by English rock band the 1975 from their third studio album, *A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships* (2018). It was released on 13 September 2018 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the album's fourth single. It was written by all the members of The 1975 and was produced by lead vocalist Matthew Healy and drummer George Daniel. It is an indie pop, R&B and neo soul song which also features elements of jazz.

## Background

"Sincerity Is Scary" is a feel-good song that addresses one’s tendencies to put up a facade out of insecurity and anxiety, with the realization that this type of illusory behavior will tend to breed confusion and conflict in a relationship with others. It is a piece of social commentary on the postmodern obsession with irony and cynicism, where sincerity is often ridiculed.

The song begins with slow, heavy drums accompanied by soulful-sounding horns that lead into Matt Healy’s smooth vocals. The soothing backing of the band’s instruments and choral background seem to juxtapose Matty’s emotionally charged lyrics, which still come off as sounding carefree in the midst of such a smooth and mellow song.

Matty first made mention of the song’s title while discussing the topic of sincerity in a post-modern society with Zane Lowe during the Beats 1 premiere of the album’s second pre-released song "Love It If We Made It."

"Sincerity Is Scary" is the third single on the album *A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships*. The song premiered on the Beats 1 Radio Show on September 13, 2018, as Healy returned for another interview on Zane Lowe’s radio show.

## Lyrics

Irony is okay, I suppose

Culture is to blame

You try and mask your pain in the most postmodern way

You lack substance when you say something like, "Oh, what a shame"

It's just a self-referential way that stops you having to be human

I'm assuming you'll balloon when you remove the dirty spoon and start consuming like a human, that's what I am assuming

I'm sure that you're not just another girl

I'm sure that you're gonna say that I was sexist

I feel like you're running out of all the things I liked you for

Why can't we be friends, when we are lovers?

Because it always ends with us hating each other

Instead of calling me out, you should be pulling me in

I've just got one more thing to say

And why would you believe you could control how you're perceived

When at your best you're intermediately versed in your own feelings?

Keep on putting off conceiving

It's only you that you're deceiving

Oh, don't have a child, don't cramp your style, I'll leave it

Why can't we be friends, when we are lovers?

Because it always ends with us hating each other

Instead of calling me out, you should be pulling me in

I've just got one more thing to say

I'm just pissed off because you pied me off

After your show when you let go of my hand

In front of some sket who wanted bit on your

Nah, I’m just messing

## Personnel

* **Composer:** Adam Hann, George Daniel, Matthew Healy, Ross MacDonald
* **Lyricist:** Adam Hann, George Daniel, Matthew Healy, Ross MacDonald
* **Associated performer:** Adam Hann, George Daniel, Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez, London Community Gospel Choir, Matthew Healy, Ross MacDonald
* **Assistant recording engineer:** Luke Gibbs
* **Background vocalist:** George Daniel
* **Bass guitar:** Ross MacDonald
* **Drums:** George Daniel
* **Engineer:** Jonathan Gilmore
* **Guitar:** Adam Hann
* **Keyboards:** George Daniel, Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez, Matthew Healy
* **Mastering engineer:** Robin Schmidt
* **Mixer:** Mike Crossey
* **Piano:** Matthew Healy
* **Programmer:** Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez
* **Programming:** George Daniel
* **Studio personnel:** Jonathan Gilmore, Luke Gibbs, Mike Crossey, Robin Schmidt
* **Synthesizer programming:** George Daniel
* **Vocals:** Matthew Healy
* **Voices:** London Community Gospel Choir

## References

1. ↑ https://genius.com/The-1975-sincerity-is-scary-lyrics