Album review: The 1975’s I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It - 10 years later
In February 2026, The 1975’s second studio album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It, is turning 10 years old.
A monumental album for both the band and fans, Music News Blitz writer and The 1975 superfan Nisha Cullen looks back at the album and its effects.
The 1975
The 1975 met each other in secondary school and formed a band together in 2002.
Consisting of frontman Matty Healy, drummer George Daniel, bassist Ross Macdonald and lead guitarist Adam Hann, the band started professionally releasing music in 2012.
They released two EPs in 2012, Facedown and Sex, and then two in 2013, Music for Cars and IV.
2013 also saw the release of their debut album, The 1975.
The album did well, reaching number one in the UK and contained some of the most popular songs from The 1975, such as “Chocolate” and “Robbers”.
It wasn’t until 2016 that they released their second album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware Of It.
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I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It
The much-anticipated second album was being teased as early as 2014 by Matty Healy on Twitter, but it wasn’t until September 2015 that the band announced the album was set for release.
Singles, such as “Love Me, UGH!” and “The Sound” were released ahead of the album's release.
The album showcased that The 1975 don’t rely on a single genre, with elements of pop, indie rock, synth-wave and R&B all being used on the album.
The album was received well by both fans and critics, and helped shoot The 1975 onto people's radars.
Impact
The 1975’s career would continue to grow post-releasing I Like It When You Sleep.
They would go on to release their third, fourth and fifth studio albums, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, Notes on A Conditional Form and Being Funny In A Foreign Language.
The band have headlined Reading and Leeds three times, and got to headline Glastonbury this year.
Fans are eagerly anticipating a new album, but unfortunately, there has been nothing said about whether there is something upcoming.
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Personal impact
This is the album that introduced me to The 1975, and they’ve firmly sat as one of my favourite bands of all time.
Over the past decade of enjoying the band's music, I’ve been lucky enough to see them live three times, and have their logo tattooed on my arm.
The digestibility of I Like It When You Sleep provides an easy access point to what The 1975 had released previously, and would go on to release.
Overview
I Like It When You Sleep is a staple album from The 1975, both for fans and their own personal journey.
A critically acclaimed album that cemented themselves as the voice of a generation, I cannot believe it is almost ten years old.
But there is no doubt, this album will be loved for decades more.
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