| "Frail State of Mind" | ||||
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| Single by the 1975 | ||||
| from the album Notes on a Conditional Form | ||||
| Released | 24 October 2019 | |||
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| Length | 3:55 | |||
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| The 1975 singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Frail State of Mind" on YouTube | ||||
"Frail State of Mind" is a song by English band the 1975. It was released on 24 October 2019 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the second single, following "People" (2019), from their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form (2020). It was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, while Daniel and Healy were responsible for the song's production. "Frail State of Mind" is an experimental UK garage and electronica ballad. Its ambient production is composed of a brisk dubstep beat, a heavy, shuffling drum line, cascading synths, chopped vocal melodies, and influences from a variety of electronic, modern rock, and electronic dance music subgenres. Lyrically, the single revolves around Healy's social anxiety and the themes of depression, fear, apprehensiveness, disappointment, insecurity, and anti-social behaviour.
"Frail State of Mind" was released to positive reviews from contemporary music critics, who praised its nuanced experimental electronic soundscape and lyrical honesty, with some deeming it an album highlight. Critics favourably compared the song to the band's previous work, specifically "TooTimeTooTimeTooTime" (2018) and "I Like America & America Likes Me" (2018) from their third studio album, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships (2018). Commercially, the single achieved moderate success on worldwide music charts, peaking at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, number 28 in New Zealand, number 54 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 69 in Ireland. A music video for the single was released on 21 November 2019. It featured lo-fi visuals of Healy in a cluttered room, while clips of a computer-simulated face, digital images, and the song's lyrics are interspersed. The video was well-received by critics, who extolled the "trippy" and "psychedelic" visuals.