Oh, Tumblr My Tumblr: A Deep Dive into Three Albums That Defined the 2010s
By Music Editor Kate Moore
Occasionally, as do the best, or perhaps, the worst of us, I find myself scrolling Tumblr.
I’ve been on the site since 2014, so I basically qualify for an old age pensioner’s discount. It was during one of these nostalgia scrolls, that I found myself thinking about the music that dominated the site back in the day. A key part of it was aesthetics. One would be hard pressed to scroll past four posts without encountering the cover of Arctic Monkey’s “AM” next to a black and white photo of a girl smoking a cigarette. 2013 - 2015 Tumblr was absolutely defined by its sound. Certain artists became known as “Tumblr bands”, certain albums “Tumblr records”. Today, we’re going to take a deep dive into those records, what they’re about, and what makes them so beloved to this day.
PURE HEROINE by Lorde
Ella “Lorde” Yelich-O’Connor was only 16 when her debut was released, which makes the exemplary album it already was even more impressive. Opening with “Tennis Court”, which was also one of the lead singles for the album, Lorde establishes her world of teenage apathy from the very first words: “Don’t you think that it’s boring how people talk.” Flowing surely through tracks like the electropop “Ribs”, perhaps the most iconic song on the album despite being an album track, the entire record feels sonically cohesive and lyrically accomplished. It is not surprising that it resonated with so many Tumblr users at the time; Lorde’s songs about young love and the fear of getting older speak to so many people’s adolescence. As she sings on “Ribs”: “And I’ve never felt more alone / Feels so scary getting old.”
AM by Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys’ fifth album was highly anticipated, especially as it was the follow-up to 2011’s hugely successful Suck It and See. What no one expected was a complete musical turnaround from previous releases with the sparkling AM, a glamorous, sleek romp of an album. The album merges classic rock and indie melodies with a more mature sound and themes than previous releases. “Do I Wanna Know?” and “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” were instant hits, both basslines drilled into everyone’s brains for at least six months post release. An important mention when discussing AM is the iconic soundwave album cover, perhaps somewhat intrinsic to the album’s success. One day it was unreleased, the next the album cover was on t-shirts and tote bags all across the internet.
THE 1975 by The 1975
The 1975 introduced one of the now biggest bands in the world as an act to look out for. Their smooth and seamless pop sound was perfectly curated right from the very beginning, topped off with Matty Healy’s yelping vocals and at times surreal lyricism (To this day, no one knows what Healy meant by: “You said, we go where nobody know / With guns hidden under our petticoat”). Songs like “Chocolate” and “Sex” gained immense online popularity, and once again the stark neon light cover became an aesthetic staple on Tumblr. And they’re well aware of it – “Tumblr was my idea,” Healy quipped in a recent Chicken Shop Date interview.
All in all, the albums of the Tumblr era do stand the test of time. Perhaps it is a matter of the quality of the albums or perhaps it is the element of nostalgia at play, but they have gained a sort of legacy associated with not only the website, but with people now in their mid to early twenties everywhere. Either way, take this 2023 to recreate 2013 and go live your Tumblr music dreams.
