"If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" is a song by English band
the 1975
The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in 2002 in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Now based in Manchester, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matthew "Matty" Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald, and drummer ...
from their fourth studio album, ''
Notes on a Conditional Form
''Notes on a Conditional Form'' is the fourth studio album by English band the 1975. It was released on 22 May 2020 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records. Initially titled ''Music for Cars'', the album was intended as the follow-up to ''I Like It W ...
'' (2020). The song was released on 23 April 2020 through
Dirty Hit
Dirty Hit is a British independent record label founded in December 2009 by Jamie Oborne, Brian Smith, and former England footballer, Ugo Ehiogu. It is currently based in West London, England. Their releases are distributed to digital platforms ...
and
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
as the sixth
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
from the album. It was written by band members George Daniel,
Matthew Healy, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald. Production of the song was handled by Daniel and Healy alongside Jonathan Gilmore.
FKA Twigs
Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born 17 January 1988), known professionally as FKA Twigs (stylized as FKA twigs), is an English singer, songwriter, and dancer. Born and raised in Cheltenham, she became a backup dancer for numerous famous musicians af ...
provides
operatic
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libret ...
background vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
on the song's
ambient
Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to:
Music and sound
* Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds
* Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere
* ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby
* ...
new-age
New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consid ...
introduction,
Rashawn Ross
Rashawn Ross (born January 16, 1979) is an American trumpeter and arranger from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. His contributions in the Dave Matthews Band as a touring member have gained him visibility. Ross is an accomplished session musician. R ...
performs the
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...
and
flugelhorn
The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though some ...
in the
choruses, and
Bob Reynolds performs the
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors i ...
and
alto saxophone solo in the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
. Videos of the band performing the song were widely circulated on social media several months prior to its official release, quickly becoming a fan-favourite, and resulting in a high degree of anticipation among their fanbase.
"If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" is a
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
and
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
song composed in a
retro
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the " nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
style that draws heavily from the
music of the 1980s. Its instrumentation consists of high-
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
guitars,
drumbeat kicks
A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of atta ...
,
brass horns, sparkling 1980s-style
synths, and digital
samples. The song's
maximalist
In the arts, maximalism, a reaction against minimalism, is an aesthetic of excess. The philosophy can be summarized as "more is more", contrasting with the minimalist motto "less is more".
Literature
The term ''maximalism'' is sometimes associat ...
production combines elements of
funk,
techno
Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...
,
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...
,
dance music,
power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ...
,
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
and
pop-punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
in its composition. Lyrically, the song details Healy's growing obsession and sexual encounters with a woman he meets on the internet. In its exploration of
online relationships, the song deals with themes of technology,
cybersex
Cybersex, also called computer sex, Internet sex, netsex and, colloquially, cyber or cybering, is a virtual sex encounter in which two or more people have long distance sex via electronic video communication (webcams, VR headsets, etc) and other e ...
, dependency and despondency. The song drew comparisons to the soundtracks of
John Hughes'
coming-of-age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
films, the works of
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new w ...
,
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger Taylor the following year the band wen ...
and
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
, and the 1975's own pop-oriented tracks.
Upon release, "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" was acclaimed by
contemporary music critics, many of whom deemed it a standout from ''Notes on a Conditional Form''. Specific praise was given to the production, retro 1980s style, and embodiment of The 1975's signature sound. The song later appeared on numerous year-end lists. It attained international chart success, peaking within the top five on the US ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alternat ...
and New Zealand Hot Singles charts, the top 20 in Scotland and Ireland, as well as number 50 in Belgium and number 85 in Australia. Domestically, the song reached number 14 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, becoming the band's highest-charting single to date in the United Kingdom. A
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...
for the song was released on 23 April 2020. Directed by
Adam Powell, the video features
black and white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
visuals of The 1975 performing in front of a brick wall. It was well-received by critics, who praised the simplicity and references to The 1975's early music videos.
Background and release

In an interview with John Kennedy of
Radio X, Healy called "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" a "
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific exp ...
" song. Explaining further, the singer noted that more demos and different versions were created for "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" than any of the band's previous tracks. The final version was created using four separate pieces and underwent one of the most exhaustive recording processes for ''Notes on a Conditional Form''.
The intro began as an
ambient
Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to:
Music and sound
* Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds
* Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere
* ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby
* ...
song in the vein of
the Durruti Column, using a
sample
Sample or samples may refer to:
Base meaning
* Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...
of an
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...
singer. The
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
of "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" had already been written for a different song, and Healy was attempting to use the chords of its chorus to write a verse. Feeling frustrated with
writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or th ...
, Healy re-listened to the ambient piece and decided to combine it with "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)", giving the track an additional verse. The singer told Daniel: "We should make that fucking stomping, like
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new w ...
", and the two created the final version.
Once the pair had completed it, they invited
FKA Twigs
Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born 17 January 1988), known professionally as FKA Twigs (stylized as FKA twigs), is an English singer, songwriter, and dancer. Born and raised in Cheltenham, she became a backup dancer for numerous famous musicians af ...
to record the operatic vocals, to which she agreed. Speaking to Ryan Dombal of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'', Healy compared "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" to a
jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture.
In t ...
that took time to put together, which he said "happens once
n album
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
.
Prior to its official release, the 1975 debuted "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" in
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...
, England, on 15 February 2020, the opening night of their Music for Cars Tour in the United Kingdom. The band performed the song again at the
O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to:
*The O2 Arena (London)
*O2 Arena (Prague)
*The 3Arena, Dublin, formerly known as The O2
*The Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin, formerly known as O2 World Berlin
*The Barclays Arena
The Barclays Arena (originally known as the ...
in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on 21 February 2020, backed by box-style television screens. In his review of the performance, Andrew Trendell of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' called it the most promising song on ''Notes on a Conditional Form'' "by far", noting the track would likely be released as a future
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
.
Videos of the 1975 performing "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" began circulating on social media platforms, quickly becoming a fan-favourite and earning it a
cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic ...
among fans of the band. For nearly two months, fans of the 1975 used social media in an effort to have the band officially release the song, replying to their content with messages such as ""Drop 'Too Shy"".
Healy himself recognized the anticipation, telling Brendan Wetmore of ''
Paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre e ...
'' he believed the band had an "inherent quality in our music that's really chimed in with people", which he attributed to the song's uplifting and self-reflective qualities.
On 21 April 2020, the band announced on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" would be released as the sixth single from ''Notes on a Conditional Form'' on 23 April 2020. The full-length version was officially released on 23 April 2020 alongside a shortened radio edit. Following its release, Healy jokingly revealed that they only released the song cause
heir fans
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, Title (property), titles, debts, entitlements, Privilege (law), privileges, rights, and Law of obligations, obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ ...
wouldn't shut the fuck up about
t.
Music and lyrics
"If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" runs for a length of five minutes and nineteen seconds (5:19).
Musically, it is a
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
and
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
song composed in a
retro
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the " nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
style that draws heavily from the music of the 1980s.
The track also incorporates elements from
techno
Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...
-
funk,
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...
,
dance music,
power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ...
,
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
, and
pop-punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
.
According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...
, "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" is set in the
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western culture, Western musical notation to specify how many beat (music), beats (pulses) are contained in each measu ...
of
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
with a
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
of 120 beats per minute. The track is composed in the
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (ma ...
of
D major
D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor.
The D major scale is:
:
...
, with Healy's vocals
ranging
Length measurement, distance measurement, or range measurement (ranging) refers to the many ways in which length, distance, or range can be measured. The most commonly used approaches are the rulers, followed by transit-time methods and the in ...
between the notes of
A3 to
B4. It follows a
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
of D–A–D/F#–G in the verses, Em–D/F#–A in the
pre-choruses, and Bm–Em–D/F#–G in the choruses.
The song's
maximalist
In the arts, maximalism, a reaction against minimalism, is an aesthetic of excess. The philosophy can be summarized as "more is more", contrasting with the minimalist motto "less is more".
Literature
The term ''maximalism'' is sometimes associat ...
production consists of buoyant, high-
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
guitar
licks,
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
guitars,
drumbeat kicks
A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of atta ...
,
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
melodies, digitised samples, 1980s-style
synths,
deep
grooves
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
* ...
and impassioned
horns.
Lyrically, "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" details Healy's online romance with a woman and documents a series of sexual encounters conducted over
video chat
Videotelephony, also known as videoconferencing and video teleconferencing, is the two-way or multipoint reception and transmission of audio and video signals by people in different locations for real time communication.McGraw-Hill Concise Enc ...
.
It explores themes of technology,
cybersex
Cybersex, also called computer sex, Internet sex, netsex and, colloquially, cyber or cybering, is a virtual sex encounter in which two or more people have long distance sex via electronic video communication (webcams, VR headsets, etc) and other e ...
,
online relationships,
dependency and despondency.

"If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" opens with a minute-long "ghostly"
new-age
New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consid ...
ambient instrumental,
backed by ominous
drones
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to:
...
,
celestial
Celestial may refer to:
Science
* Objects or events seen in the sky and the following astronomical terms:
** Astronomical object, a naturally occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists in the observable universe
** Celest ...
arpeggios
A broken chord is a chord broken into a sequence of notes. A broken chord may repeat some of the notes from the chord and span one or more octaves.
An arpeggio () is a type of broken chord, in which the notes that compose a chord are played ...
, heavy
reverb
Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abs ...
,
and elements of
glitch
A glitch is a short-lived fault in a system, such as a transient fault that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as amon ...
music.
FKA Twigs provides the backing vocals in an ethereal,
choral,
wordless operatic style.
A piercing guitar
riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompanim ...
signals the beginning of the song, with Healy singing: "I see her online all the time".
The verses experiment with
tension, with Stephen Ackroyd of ''
Dork
Dork is a pejorative term for a person (compare with "dweeb" and "fool").
Dork may also refer to: People
* Dork Sahagian, Armenian-American climate scientist
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Dork'' (EP), an album by AFI
* ''Dork'' (magazi ...
'' calling the anticipation "almost palpable".
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly obsessed with the woman, attempting to reach his locked hotel room at 7 AM to video call her ("I need to get back, I've gotta see the girl on the screen"). According to Mitch Mosk of ''
Atwood Magazine
Atwood Magazine is a digital music magazine that focuses on emerging and established artists from around the world. The magazine was founded in 2012 and is currently run by editor-in-chief Mitch Mosk.
History
Atwood Magazine was founded in 20 ...
'', "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" reaches its peak of "musical and emotional ecstasy" in the pre-chorus, before releasing the tension in a climatic "euphoric blast" in the chorus as Healy sings the
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
: "She said / 'Maybe I would like you better if you took off your clothes / I wanna see and stop thinking / If you're too shy then let me know.
The
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
utilizes a
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors i ...
and
alto saxophone solo performed by
Bob Reynolds,
which Ali Shutler of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' described as "uproarious" and "perhaps the greatest
endorphin
Endorphins (contracted from endogenous morphine) are chemical signals in the brain that block the perception of pain and increase feelings of wellbeing. They are produced and stored in an area of the brain known as the pituitary gland.
Hist ...
release you'll find this side of
lockdown
A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison ...
."
Patricia Kolbe of ''Barricade Magazine'' compared "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" to the soundtracks of
coming-of-age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
movies directed by
John Hughes, and noted similarities to "
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears. It was written by Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, and Chris Hughes and produced by Hughes. The song was first released on 22 March 1985 by Phonogram, Mercu ...
" (1985) by Tears for Fears. She found the song's saxophone stylings comparable to the 1975's own "
She's American" (2016), the drum pattern to "Heart Out" (2013), and the use of "magnetic" synth-pop to "
It's Not Living (If It's Not with You)" (2018).
Ben Kaye of ''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outl ...
'' called the song bright and "bubbly".
Shutler interpreted a deeper meaning in the song. He observed relatable and vulnerable qualities ("There's something 'bout her stare that makes you nervous / And you say things that you don't mean"), along with the desire to escape the real world and use alcohol as courage ("Sometimes it's better if you think about it / This time, I think I'm gonna drink through it").
Brittany Spanos of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' remarked that "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" continued the thematic exploration of online relationships present on ''A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships'', while deeming it sonically reminiscent of
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger Taylor the following year the band wen ...
.
Jessie Atkinson of ''
Gigwise'' called the song vulnerable and euphoric, comparing the guitar riffs to
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
, the saxophone solo to
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
and the overall melody to "Give It Up (KC and the Sunshine Band song), Give It Up" (1982) by KC and the Sunshine Band. Lindsay Zoladz of ''The New York Times'' said the track mined a "bright, brassy sound of late-80s pop" to tell a story that would have sounded like science-fiction in that era: "a series of sexual encounters conducted over video chat".
Critical reception
"If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" was acclaimed by
contemporary music critics upon its release and appeared on numerous year-end lists. Reviewers praised its 1980s-style production and embodiment of the 1975's signature sound, favourably comparing the song to the music of Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, and the Cure. In her review of ''Notes on a Conditional Form'', Samantha Small of ''Consequence of Sound'' deemed "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" an "Essential Track".
In her review of the parent album for ''The New York Times'', Zoladz called the song "irresistible". Lizzie Mano of ''Paste (magazine), Paste'' deemed "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" the best song on ''Notes on a Conditional Form'', calling the track "effortlessly catchy" and saying listeners "could play it endlessly without it tiring". In his review of "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" for ''Dork'', Ackroyd called it a "swaggering, hip shaking monster" and metaphorically compared the song to a musical lightning rod, "pulling down raw, crackling energy from the heavens".
Claire Biddles of ''The Line of Best Fit'' declared "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" the best song on its parent album, saying "it shows that The 1975 haven't lost the ability to make a piercingly resonant song in whatever genre or form they wish to".
She opined that the song is emblematic of the band's signature sound, exemplified by a "hooky melody", an "effortless"-sounding multi-layered production, "a convincing pastiche of a micro-genre" and "deftly contemporary lyrics" that discuss the complexities of online and offline relationships.
Ross Horton of ''musicOMH'' said the song was evocative of the band's "classic" sound. Sam Sodomsky of ''Pitchfork'' praised it as an album highlight, calling the song "the record's closest thing to a typical 1975 song—a glittery '80s arrangement, a ridiculous saxophone solo, a charmingly sleazy hook". Paul Schrodt of ''Slant Magazine'' wrote it is: "A quintessential 1975 song [...] a bit of everything—a maximalism that the 1975 pulls off like almost no one else". In another favourable review, Matt Collar of AllMusic wrote that "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" is the only track on ''Notes on a Conditional Form'' reminiscent of the 1975's The 1975 (album), eponymous debut studio album (2013), commending the 1980s nostalgia and saxophone solo.
Lauren Mullineaux of ''Beats Per Minute (website), Beats Per Minute'' called it a "thrilling" example of the band's signature sound, commenting that the song places the listener in the leading role of a Hughes film.

In her weekly ''Rolling Stone'' special "Song You Need To Know" column, Spanos commented that "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" and its message of communicating through video calls was especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. She humorously remarked that the song: "quickly joins an elite pantheon of catchy songs about virtual sex, like NSYNC, 'NSync's 'Digital Get Down' [(2000)] and Soulja Boy's 'Kiss Me thru the Phone' [(2008)]".
Conrad Duncan of ''Under the Radar (magazine), Under the Radar'' gave the song a positive review, comparing it to Duran Duran and the Blue Nile and writing it "[combines] self-deprecating humor with sharp radio-friendly hooks". Joe Rivers of ''No Ripcord'' called the track "the best song Simple Minds never wrote". Chris Willman of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' compared the song to "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and the duo Hall & Oates, praising the "essential corniness of an '80s MTV pastiche" and favourably calling it a "slightly weird" pop song. The staff of ''Spin (magazine), Spin'' highlighted the song's successful implementation of 1980s music and ability to "document the sadness, hilarity, awkwardness and — just maybe — euphoria of the erotic Zoom (software), Zoom call".
The editorial team at ''DIY (magazine), DIY'' extolled the use of 1980s synths, saxophones and "saucy" lyrics, declaring it a "gem" and "quite the insatiable jam".
Roisin O'Connor of ''The Independent'' observed similarities to the work of Tears for Fears and commended the song's "propulsive shuffle rhythm" and "twinkling synths".
In his review of the single for ''NME'', Shutler called the track "shamelessly huge" and an instant classic. He wrote that it represents the band at their "glorious, gargantuan best", drawing similarities to the dark, melodic emo of Tears for Fears, the Cure and the music of John Hughes films.
Year-end lists
Music video
A
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...
for "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" was released on 23 April 2020. The video was directed by
Adam Powell, while Jack Meredith served as assistant director. The role of production manager was handled by Ias Balaskas. Andrew Rawson and Harrison Imogen served as producer and executive producer, respectively. Anthony Neale was responsible for the video's Art director, art direction, with Kim Rance and Elaine Lynskey providing hair and makeup. Cinematically, Carlos Catalan served as Cinematographer, director of photography, while Marco Alonso and Apostolos Katsamagkas acted as focus puller and Clapper loader, second assistant camera, respectively. John Holloway edited the video, and the production company Editegg was brought in to handle post-production. Visually simplistic, it features the 1975 performing "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" against a brick wall.
The video is shot in high contrast
black and white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
, interspersing expansive wide shots with close-up profiles of the individual band members. Brock Thiessen of ''Exclaim!'' called it "a simple yet effective approach".
In her review of the song for ''Barricade Magazine'', Kolbe interpreted the clip as an ode to the band's earlier visuals.
Commercial performance
"If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" attained domestic and international chart success. In the 1975's native country of the UK, the song debuted and peaked at number 14 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, becoming the band's highest charting single to date in the country.
In Scotland, "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" reached number 18 on the Scottish Singles and Albums Charts, Scottish Singles chart.
Elsewhere in Europe, the song peaked at number 13 in Ireland and number 50 in Belgium.
In Oceania, "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" debuted and peaked at number 85 in Australia and number 4 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart.
In the United States, the song peaked at number five on the US
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alternat ...
chart and was ranked at number 89 on its year-end chart.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from ''Notes on a Conditional Form'' album liner notes.
* The 1975, George Daniel Songwriter, composer, Record producer, producer, Drum, drums, Musical keyboard, keyboards, synthesizer
* The 1975, Adam Hann composer, guitar
*
Matthew Healy composer, producer, guitar, singing, vocals
* The 1975, Ross MacDonald composer, Bass guitar, bass
* Jonathan Gilmore producer, Audio engineer, recording engineer
* FKA Twigs, Tahliah Debrett Barnett
background vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
* Lemar Guillary trombone
*
Bob Reynolds alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
*
Rashawn Ross
Rashawn Ross (born January 16, 1979) is an American trumpeter and arranger from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. His contributions in the Dave Matthews Band as a touring member have gained him visibility. Ross is an accomplished session musician. R ...
flugelhorn
The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though some ...
,
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...
* Jamie Squire guitar
* John Waugh
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
* Mike Crossey Audio mixing (recorded music), mixer
* Robin Schmidt mastering engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
External links
*
{{authority control
2020 singles
2020 songs
Songs written by Matthew Healy
The 1975 songs
Music videos directed by Adam Powell
Black-and-white music videos