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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. The band announced the follow-up to I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016) would be titled Music For Cars, which later came to denote an era spanning two albums. The first, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, released in November 2018. Recording of the second took place in 15 studios in spanning four countries. Much of the record was created in London, Los Angeles, Sydney and Northamptonshire, where the band lived at the Angelic Residential Recording Studio. Additionally, their tour bus was retrofitted to accommodate a mobile recording studio. Due to vinyl manufacturing issues and lead singer Matthew Healy's tendency to announce arbitrary release dates, it faced several delays. Ultimately, the 1975 submitted the album two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most of the world into lockdowns.

Notes on a Conditional Form is a maximalist experimental album that subverts the finality of its predecessor, contrasting its tighter, more calculated format. The album's free-flowing structure is composed of conventional songs, classical orchestral interludes and ambient electronic instrumentals. The songs feature loose, winding stream of consciousness structures and espouse neo-noir ambience, incorporating sounds, styles and textures extrapolated from a diverse set of scenes and eras. Unlike the 1975's prior records, the album features several guest vocalists. Phoebe Bridgers represents the most prominent contributor to the album, providing vocals on four songs. Elsewhere, FKA Twigs provides background vocals on two songs and Tim Healy contributes to a duet with his son. Additionally, Cutty Ranks and Swedish teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg each provide solo vocal performances on their respective songs.

Musically, Notes on a Conditional Form has been described as genreless, generally following two main stylistic threads. The first, meant to represent British night-time music, extensively incorporates house, UK garage and a variety of electronic music subgenres. The second is guitar-based, rooted in acoustic-driven folk, emo, country, and numerous rock music subgenres. Thematically, the album eschews the explicitly political messages of its predecessor and is considered the most personal album in the 1975's repertoire. It focuses on the intricacies of human existence, love, loss, the highs and lows of the human experience, self-discovery and the meaning of life. The album narrates navigating anxiety, mental health issues and the challenges of modern life, such as technology, depression, intimacy, life and death. Lyrically, it deals with drug addiction, touring, atheism, love, politics and the fallibility of the band's own writing.

"People", "Frail State of Mind", "Me & You Together Song", "The Birthday Party", "Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America", "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" and "Guys" were released as singles in support of Notes on a Conditional Form. To promote the album, the 1975 planned to embark on the North American leg of their Music for Cars Tour, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic prior to its release. Instead, the band curated an online art exhibition entitled Artists Respond to NOACF, commissioning 14 artists to create videos for 14 of the album's songs. They also partnered with Amazon Music to launch Mindshower, a digital creative space for users to access exclusive literature, music and artwork. The album debuted at number one in the band's native United Kingdom, making them the sixth act to have their first four records top the UK Albums Chart. Elsewhere, it peaked atop the charts in Australia and Scotland, reached the top five in Ireland, New Zealand and the United States, and top 20 in Canada and Japan. The album received polarizing reviews from contemporary music critics; some lauded it as the band's magnum opus, others derided it as confusing, chaotic and directionless. Despite this, the album appeared on numerous year-end lists and was hailed as the best release of 2020 by The Music.

Background and release
The 1975 released their second studio album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It, in February 2016. Domestically, the album topped the UK Albums Chart and the Scottish Albums Chart. Elsewhere in Europe, it peaked within the top 10 in Austria, Ireland and Norway. In the United States, the album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, Top Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums charts. Additionally, it topped the charts in Canada, Australia and New Zealand,  I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It was later certified platinum in the United Kingdom and gold in the United States, denoting sales of over 300,000 and 500,000 units, respectively. A critical success, the album appeared on numerous year-end lists and was considered by various publications as one of the best releases of 2016. "Love Me" (2015), "Ugh!" (2015), "Somebody Else" (2016), "The Sound" (2016), "A Change of Heart" (2016), "She's American" (2016) and "Loving Someone" (2016) were released as singles in support of the album.

In February 2017, lead singer Matthew Healy tweeted: "Music For Cars – 2018". On the 27 April episode of Zane Lowe's Beats 1 Radio program, the singer announced the 1975's third album would be released in 2018. Confirming the title, Music For Cars, he told Lowe that "[the album] has always been called that, and we were always gonna do a trilogy of records [...] I'm not saying that after this album it's the end of the 1975, but it's definitely the end of an era". Discussing the title with Tom Connick of NME, Healy confirmed it was an intentional reference to the band's third extended play of the same name (2013), saying: "We're using it as the album title now because of how meta and self-referential everything has become in the world of [t]he 1975, and Music For Cars was always my favorite title of everything we'd ever done, so it kinda made sense to wrap it up that way." The 1975 wanted to create the most important pop album of the decade, aiming to achieve the same impact as Radiohead's OK Computer (1997) and the Smiths' The Queen Is Dead (1986).

By March 2017, the 1975 had written two songs for Music For Cars. This increased to two hours and 13 minutes worth of material by August, with the band having begun the editing process. Later that month, Healy revealed the name of a new song, "Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America" (2020). However, the band's manager Jamie Osborn stated that the first recording sessions for the album were planned for September. In April 2018, posters promoting Music For Cars began emerging around London and Manchester. However, in May of the same year, the 1975 announced that Music For Cars was no longer an album, but rather an umbrella term to classify "whatever music comes out in this timeframe". Citing changing circumstances during the recording process, Healy began referring to the former title as an "era" spanning two albums. Regarding the decision to release two separate bodies of work rather than a double album, Healy felt they were "prog and annoying [...] they're self-serving".

A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, the first part of the Music For Cars era, was released on 30 November 2018 to critical acclaim. The album was shortlisted for the 2019 Mercury Prize and went on to win the award for British Album of the Year at the 2019 Brit Awards. "Give Yourself a Try", "Love It If We Made It", "TooTimeTooTimeTooTime", "Sincerity is Scary" and "It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)" were released in 2018 to support A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. The second album, Notes on a Conditional Form, was intended to be released in May 2019. Shortly after the release of "The 1975" in July 2019, it became available for pre-order on Apple Music with a release date of 21 February 2020. The official artwork was unveiled alongside the preorder, featuring a bright yellow stripe on the left side and "Notes on a Conditional Form" written in various languages. In January 2020, Healy announced on Instagram Live that issues with the vinyl production had delayed the album's release to 24 April. The band was unable meet the release date, and it was moved a second time to 22 May. A revised album cover was also revealed, with the former artwork only used for the digital version. The new version features the album's name, the band's name and the phrase "Music For Cars" on the top, while the initials of Notes on a Conditional Form are featured in the upper-right corner. Regarding the multiple delays, Healy said they were caused by giving interviewers arbitrary release dates. Ultimately, Notes on a Conditional Form was released on 22 May 2020.

Recording and production
The recording of Notes on a Conditional Form took place over 19 months in 15 different studios, spanning four countries. The 1975 began writing the album during the same period as A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and continued throughout 2019 during their Music for Cars Tour. Their tour bus was retrofitted as a mobile studio to aid in recording the album while the band toured. Most of the electronic production elements were made on the bus, while the guitars and vocals were done between tour dates. In an interview with Gregory Adams of Guitar World, the band's guitarist Adam Hann explained the challenges of simultaneously recording and touring: "It's proven to be quite difficult to write, record and finish an album while continuously touring and marketing [A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships] [...] We underestimated how difficult it would be to just drop in and out of studios to get it finished." The 1975 spent four months recording the album in Los Angeles, working at EastWest and Conway Recording Studios, among others. For the last stages of the album, the band took up residence together at the Angelic Residential Recording Studio, a recording complex located in Northamptonshire, where they completed "super-extended" sessions. Regarding this portion of the album's creation, Healy said: "[Notes on a Conditional Form is] the first record I suppose that's just us in a room." The final recording sessions took place in the basement of their record label's office in Sydney, Australia, while the band toured Australasia. Ultimately, the 1975 submitted the album two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most of the world into lockdowns.

Notes on a Conditional Form was initially conceived as an ambient, electronic-influenced companion to its predecessor. Rather than create a separate, entirely instrumental electronic album, the 1975 grew comfortable with their "far-reaching" identity and decided to incorporate the same ideas into Notes on a Conditional Form. Healy guided the album's creative direction, working closely with the band's primary producer and drummer, George Daniel. The pair worked together on all aspects of songwriting, with Larry Fitzmaurice of The Fader describing them as a "two-headed creative braintrust". The singer refers to their working relationship as a symbiotic creative partnership. He credits this to their decades of friendship, saying their shared cultural experiences often transfers into the band's work. This relationship resulted in what the singer calls a "shared musical vocabulary" that allows them to "have an inherent way of communicating". During the album's recording, Healy focused on multiple larger, more loosely-defined ideas at once, while Daniel had a detail-oriented approach and expanded their work. According to the singer, Daniel told him: "Matty, you have the ability to express yourself through your words, through lyrics and interviews, but I don't have that, so it's important for me to express myself sonically."

Most of the songs on Notes on a Conditional Form began as snippets and rough ideas created by Healy or Daniel. The former would utilize a guitar or piano to develop an idea, while the latter would program a snippet on his computer. Daniel, the superior producer of the pair, typically created instrumentals and brought them to Healy, who was able to add the lyrics. To gain inspiration, the two would often spend time listening to music together. After discovering a song they enjoyed, the pair would analyze it to find their favourite elements. They would then attempt to recreate the "vibe" of those elements rather than the specific sound. Regarding this process, Healy told Fitzmaurice: "A lot of the time, I'll say to [Daniel], 'You know that song we heard the other day? Imagine Neil Young doing that — do that. In an interview with Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork, Healy highlighted "Having No Head" as an example of this. It began while he and Daniel were listening to virtuoso pianist Frédéric Chopin. Chopin's music sparked a conversation about their love for pianos in ambient music, and the pair discussed their desire to create a song that evolved from that idea. That conversation eventually led to the creation of "Having No Head".

Other songs on Notes on a Conditional Form were created as patchworks, with Healy saying: "The 20th century was about the creation of things, and the 21st century is about repurposing." "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" was created by repurposing several different songs. The 1975 combined an ambient song, a sample of operatic vocals, and the chorus from an unfinished demo that Healy struggled to write. They combined these parts with two additional songs, re-working it in the style of Tears for Fears to create the final version. Many originated from the band's affection for sampling; Daniel and Healy would often search for free a cappella vocals on YouTube, going down a self-described "rabbit hole". During the recording of the album, Daniel found an a cappella sample of "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (1971) by the Temptations. He brought it to Healy, and the pair decided to distort it by increasing the pitch. Daniel then combined it with a piano piece he created, which "existed as something that [the 1975] loved and [they] weren't really too sure what to do" with. They found the new song evocative of an unfinished collaboration with No Rome, which also sampled Hiroshi Satoh. Merging all of these, the band created "Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy)".

Notes on a Conditional Form is markedly more collaborative compared to the 1975's previous albums. Healy said the band's reluctance to feature external vocalists in the past was a form of self-protection. He disliked the commercial nature of modern features, feeling that they only served to cross-pollinate streams among popular artists and lacked authenticity. Regarding the collaborations on Notes on a Conditional Form, the singer said: "I think there's an authenticity to the collaboration[s] on this record because it came from nothing but friendship and excitement of music." Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg provides the sole vocals on "The 1975", delivering a speech on climate change. Her inclusion stemmed from the 1975 wanting: "[Her voice] to be documented in a formal place in pop culture." Similarly, the vocals on "Shiny Collarbone" are performed solely by Cutty Ranks. Healy was unsatisfied with his vocals on the song, so Daniel found a set of Ranks samples and manipulated them to work with a UK garage sound. Ranks offered to provide the vocals after the band reached out to clear the sample, so Daniel sent him the lyrics, and the singer re-recorded them. FKA Twigs provides the introductory vocals on "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" and additional vocals on "What Should I Say", and Healy duets with his father, Tim Healy, on "Don't Worry". Additional collaborations were announced with Beabadoobee, No Rome and the Japanese House before the album's release but did not make the final tracklist.

Phoebe Bridgers represents the most prominent collaborator on Notes on a Conditional Form, contributing to four songs. Healy called her debut studio album, Stranger in the Alps (2017): "One of [his] favourite female vocals that [he had] heard in so long." He exchanged internet memes and "mutually appreciative" Instagram messages with Bridgers, a longtime fan of the band, and they began talking about each other's music. Daniel, a friend of Bridgers, invited the singer and her drummer, Marshall Vore, to hang out with the band during their recording sessions in Los Angeles. By the time the 1975 began the recording process, she had become "inherently" part of the album, with Healy saying she added a "country-emo Americana" element. Discussing their collaboration in greater detail, Healy said that working with other artists usually gives him anxiety. This feeling did not manifest itself with Bridgers, which the singer said was akin to playing an instrument. The first song they worked on was "Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America", first teased in 2017, and Bridgers recorded an entire solo version. Impressed with her performance, Healy sought to increase her presence on the album, saying: "Fucking hell, if it sounds that good, every harmony that I don't like, I'm gonna get [Bridgers] to do it." She later travelled to England to record harmonies for "Then Because She Goes", "Roadkill" and "Playing on My Mind", telling Salvatore Maicki of The Fader: "I love their turnaround time, it's fucking great. That's, like, true punk rock."

Music and structure
The 1975 designed Notes on a Conditional Form as a "left-field" experimental album that draws influence from the British club scene, Burial and the Streets. Healy classifies the album as "British night-time" music meant to represent "the consumption of dance music in the UK, smoking weed in cars and night time." He credits this to recording much of Notes on a Conditional Form in London as opposed to Los Angeles, while also mining the music of the band's youth, saying: "Growing up in Cheshire, South Manchester, at that time after 7 o'clock every night every radio station is just dance music." Speaking on the extensive incorporation of house music and UK garage into the album's sound, Daniel commented that it felt natural, saying that the band has been making house music since they were 15 years old. Owing to the sonic variety and experimental concept of the album, the band decided to include it, with Healy saying: "We were just really into the culture of house music." The singer created most of the songs as ambient pieces, which he called the genre the "engine" of Notes on a Conditional Form, and then added rhythms. Healy cited listening to ambient musician Brian Eno as the most formative experience of his musical career. He wanted to mirror the same feeling on the album, saying: "It just commands you how to feel [...] it just tells you, in its own abstract way. You feel it, and it moves you."

According to Healy, Notes on a Conditional Form was created as a reaction to the success of A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, having made to feel intimidated and "quite small". Consequently, they looked to their teenage selves for inspiration and "really look[ed] at what [their] DNA is musically", thus creating an album with a "no-fucks-given" perspective that purposely subverts the finality of its predecessor. The result is a sonically experimental album that explores an expansive array of genres, incorporating sounds, styles and textures extrapolated from a diverse set of scenes and eras. Brenton Blanchet of Clash said Notes on a Conditional Form serves to "cement [the 1975] as genre shapeshifters", building upon the experimentation of their third studio album. Matt Collar of Allmusic shared this sentiment and commented that it continues the "self-aware, implicitly obvious" experimentation of its predecessor. Similarly, Douglas Greenwood from i-D said: "To call it an experiment would be untrue; an experiment exists to prove a hypothesis. The 1975, in their eyes, don't have anything to prove". Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times viewed Notes on a Conditional Form as disregarding traditional album structures, classifying it as a "curated collection of peaks and valleys". This opinion was further bolstered by Mitch Mosk of Atwood Magazine, who said the album traverses "lush valleys" of ambience and "stirring peaks" of intimacy, ultimately deeming it genreless. His colleague Ben Niesen echoed these statements, deeming it "less of a record and more of a portfolio".

Jeremy Gordon of The Face called Notes on a Conditional Form a "genre-agnostic" playlist, noting ambient numbers and "neon-bright" synth-pop are combined with "emotive techno bleeding into jangly indie-pop bleeding into folk and beyond." Echoing his statement, Arielle Gordon of Uproxx said the album offers a curated "curated cabinet of wonders" that blends art rock, nu metal, folk, jungle and Britpop, while Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone noted the presence of emocore in addition to house, UK garage and ambient music. Shahin Rafikian of Barricade Magazine deemed it a multi-genre collection of lo-fi house, folk, rock and ambient music. Ali Shutler and Stephen Ackroyd of Dork observed two distinct stylistic threads throughout Notes on a Conditional Form. The first is an acoustic-driven blend of alternative rock, folk and country music, while the second is British "nighttime" music. Similarly, Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan noted a combination of electronic music and guitar-oriented subgenres, which Clair Biddles from The Line of Best Fit identifies as indie rock. Kitty Empire of The Guardian felt the album was rooted in two-step and UK garage, while Larry Fitzmaurice of Entertainment Weekly said it was connected by electronic pop and dance music. In contrast, Brendan Wetmore of Paper argued that Notes on a Conditional Form wasn't a dance record "in any traditional or modern sense", noting it was characterized by its use of house music. Unlike the 1975's previous releases, the album is heavily informed by modern country music. It exudes a strong influence on the album's chord shapes and Healy's vocal performance. Additionally, the band uses the genre to critique the American culture that country music is rooted within. The singer was inspired by the thematic similarities between the genre and pop-punk music. Healy told Lisa Wright of DIY that both focused on living and dying in one's hometown. While country music portrays this as desirable, pop-punk expresses this as a negative sentiment. Healy told Spanos that it was rare for him to hear country music growing up, shaping his view of it as "kind of exotic and pioneering."

Notes on a Conditional Form has a free-flowing maximalist structure composed of traditional songs, instrumental tracks and interludes, while orchestral pieces and ambient electronic explorations provide the album's "connective tissue". It features loose, winding stream of consciousness song structures that alternate between moments of disorder and "rigid flow"; serving as a contrast to its "tighter, more calculated" predecessor. Some songs, such as "People", utilize traditional pop structures, while on others such as "Yeah I Know", Healy deliberately restricts the amount of space for lyrics, using only four syllables. The songs espouse neo-noir ambience, characterized by downcast, anxious string arrangements, sonic rhymes, sudden contrasts, electronic pulses, pensive acoustic guitars, and melancholic orchestral flourishes. Reflecting the band's house music influences, Daniel "[buries] and [blares] house's most beloved tropes" such as pitch-shifting nodes, shuffling UK garage beats, pounding drums, splintering strains of UK bass, electronic drum patterns, and distorted sampling techniques. Biddles opined that the extensive use of "technically impressive and expressive" electronic tracks and instrumentals could be credited to Daniel, who she viewed as a more prominent contributor on Notes on a Conditional Form. Lauren Mullineaux of Beats Per Minute shared this sentiment, crediting Daniel for creating sonic cohesion across the album's musical juxtaposition, with "Having No Head" representing his self-introduction.

Themes and lyrics
Unlike its predecessor, which served as a cautious political commentary and cultural critique, Notes on a Conditional Form is centred around the intricacies of human existence. It narrates the emotions of love and loss and highlights the highs and lows of the human experience, with Samantha Small of Consequence of Sound calling it "the most painstakingly human album in their repertoire". The album uses straightforward storytelling and self-reflection to express the band's personal philosophies, ruminating on self-discovery and the meaning of life. Notes on a Conditional Form focuses on modern life challenges, specifically technology, depression, intimacy, life, and death. Healy writes about establishing and navigating personal connections in the online world, the nuances of "messy" relationships, facing challenges without resorting to substance abuse, self-medication, and confronting feelings of apathy and powerlessness. Healy uses the album's lyrics to project topics that are "fatalistic, romantic, and tissue-thin in their sensitivity". While incorporating certain themes found on previous albums, Notes on a Conditional Form deconstructs and recontextualizes them for a more refined approach that speaks fundamentally to universal truths of love, fear and death.

According to Healy, Notes on a Conditional Form represents his search for the definitive answers to life, saying it is about inherent and universal feelings but ultimately is "really just about [himself]"; his fears, desires and loves. The singer struggled to find inspiration, believing himself not exciting enough to write about. Unlike on the 1975's previous albums, he used retrospection to look back on his life and career, drawing inspiration from that. Regarding the decision to avoid this in the past, Healy said he "[puts] everything" into the band's music and had no interest in "going to look backward and go over the same things". The singer commented that his 20s represented a chaotic period; his busy career left him unable to live a domestic life and acquire important life experiences, resulting in stunted emotional growth. This lack of emotional maturity caused damage to his relationships, specifically the break-up with his long-term girlfriend, Gabriella Brooks. Now in his 30s, Healy sought to reflect on his life and the choices he has made. He wanted to create a "snapshot in time" similar to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska (1982), focusing on themes of domesticity and mental health. Striving to deconstruct his ego and capture the shared experiences of human existence, Healy wanted to reveal all parts of his personality, making sure he included the "shitty bits". The singer did this to remove the myth surrounding himself, saying that relatability comes from the "day-to-day weird wanks with this whole idea that we reach, and we aspire."

Notes on a Conditional Form was deliberately written to oppose the explicit messages present on A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. The latter was meant to inform the listener how to think, with Healy comparing it to an essay that presents an opinionated idea to generate discussion and debate. The former is designed to force the listener to find their own interpretation of its meaning, with the singer purposely choosing a title that was "unable to express anything". Regarding the reasoning behind this, he said it was to challenge both himself and the listener, a premise that excited him. Elaborating further, Healy told Dombal: "People often think I'm expressing my opinion on things with my lyrics, but I'm really just asking questions and pointing toward things." However, he noted that both Notes on a Conditional Form and A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships are driven by the same question: "Can the centre hold?" The question stems from the Joan Didion documentary The Center Will Not Hold (2017), which Healy watched while in rehab. The singer commented that Didion's work, particularly her essay collection Slouching Towards Bethlehem (1968), significantly impacted the album. He admired her deconstruction of counterculture movements from an outside perspective, viewing these moments as distorted rather than a glamorous utopia. Applied to the overall theme of the album, Healy said: "Can the centre hold with all of this shit? Politically, economically, climate-wise – it feels like we're getting under a lot of pressure."

Notes on a Conditional Form begins with an outwardly-looking worldview, calling for society to deal with climate change through rebellion. This theme is carried onto the second track, "People", which suggests these efforts may be futile and too late. However, Ian Gormely of Exclaim! views this as a "bait and switch", with the album switching to a "deep dive" into Healy's psyche. The remainder of the album is explicated by introspection, Healy's feelings of isolation, uncertainty, and anxiety. Gormely attributes this thematic pivot to a split with his girlfriend of four years: "an event that would send anyone, let alone a famously self-aware rock star, into a tailspin." This introspection presents itself in "Playing on My Mind" as Healy asks introspective lines such as "Will I live and die in a band?", while also evaluating his present and ruminating on the future ("Will I get divorced when I'm old?"). Sodomsky remarked that this impact created a sense of solitude on the album, thematically connecting the songs. Specifically, he noted a change in Healy's depiction of romance, commenting that the singer adds a "familiar, unglamorous intimacy to his portraits of relationships" and appeared "more interested in observing from the sidelines" rather than as an active protagonist. As the album progresses, it focuses on the fundamental encounters of human life, with Healy saying: "I'm just a different person. I've been through it [...] My second record was all about my ego and negotiating it—what I was scared of. All of those kinds of things. I'm at a different place now."

Lyrically, it deals with drug addiction, touring, atheism, love, politics and the fallibility of the 1975's own writing. The lyrics express generational resonation, exploring themes of youth and romance while presenting "half existential questions that mock themselves with self-aware humour." Dan Stubbs of NME observed the pervading theme of the album was Healy's role as a "kind of Man Who Fell To Earth figure, askew from the world he finds himself in, sometimes amused, sometimes bemused." Zoladz observed that the album was markedly more introverted, a shift from outward extroversion seen on the band's previous albums. She found the album explores how the threat of global catastrophes impacted young people's psyche, resulting in generational anxiety. The theme of anxiety represents a reoccurring topic throughout the album, dealing with apprehensiveness towards life, love, marriage, starting a family and ageing. Paul Schrodt of Slant Magazine said Healy was unable to hide behind his "ironic postmodernist guise", focusing instead on deconstructing his mythology and letting "his ambition and sincerity openly roam, sitting uncomfortably alongside more familiar sides of his personality." Conrad Duncan of Under the Radar commented that the album was a reflective and "oddly sober" re-evaluation of Healy's persona, attempting to find what comes after commercial success and critical acclaim when "old flaws and insecurities resurface".

Tracks 1–6
"The 1975", an ambient spoken-word protest song, opens Notes on a Conditional Form. It represents the first version to feature complete lyrics, as the 1975's previous three albums each opened with a self-titled instrumental with identical lyrics: "Go down / Soft sound / Midnight / Car lights." Thunberg delivers a monologue based on the January 2019 speech "Our House Is on Fire", which she gave at the World Economic Forum. She calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, telling listeners: "We are right now at the beginning of a climate and ecological crisis. And we need to call it what it is: an emergency." As the song concludes, Thunberg calls for civil disobedience, saying: "it is time to rebel." "The 1975" immediately transitions into "People", an industrial-influenced protest song that promotes change and rebellion as Healy encourages listeners to "wake up". The song originated after the 1975 performed in Alabama, where the singer gave an impromptu speech on the state's controversial abortion ban, calling it misogynistic and hypocritical. The band was advised to quickly leave the state after being notified of an increased threat level, owing to Alabama's open carry law. Upon arriving in Texas, Healy was infuriated by the incident and wrote "People"–an anarcho-punk and screamo song–on the tour bus. He wrote the lyrics to express the millennial generation's emotions living through global, political and environmental upheaval, including desperation, urgency and anxiety.

"The End (Music for Cars)" is an ambient orchestral instrumental, composed of violins, violas, cellos, a harp, double bass', French horns, trumpets, tenor trombones, a tuba, flutes, oboes, a piccolo, a clarinet and a bassoon. It is a reworking of "HNSCC", an ambient song about one of Healy's family members' death, originally included on Music for Cars. The 1975 wrote "Frail State of Mind" after feeling overwhelmed by the success of A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. Channelling their teenage selves, Daniel and Healy shut themselves out from the outside world and wrote the song to represent a collective global anxiety attack. Their work resulted in an experimental UK garage and electronica ballad that ruminates on the feelings of depression,  fear, apprehensiveness, disappointment, insecurity and anti-social behaviour. It has an unconventional ambient-influenced song structure that omits a formal chorus, combining a dubstep beat with elements of trip hop, grime, drum and bass, post-dubstep, tech house, dance-pop, electropop and folktronica.

"Streaming" follows "Frail State of Mind" and is the second instrumental on Notes on a Conditional Form. The song began as a loose, synth-heavy ambient piece, with Healy describing it as a tribute to UK garage music, Midwestern American emo and the ambient musicians of the 1975's formative years–Cult of Luna, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Rós. The band was particularly inspired by the later's ethereal compositions, noting they "[strive] to sound like a river or a landscape". They sought to emulate this on the song, crafting it to invoke the listener's relationship with nature, texture and temperature. It originally had a much longer length, but the band chose to trim it and allow room for more "actual" songs. "Streaming" transitions directly into "The Birthday Party", an acoustic-driven folk and country ballad. It was the first song written specifically for Notes on a Conditional Form, originating from a jam session during their time in Los Angeles. Written during a turbulent period of the singer's life, he sought to "try and make art out of the boring, sad parts of [his] life, because it's better than them being boring and sad." It has an unconventional impressionist song structure, with Healy delivering the lyrics in a conversational, spoken word stream of consciousness that details an internal monologue, characteristically found in country music. The song is told through the perspective of Healy at a house party, recounting a series of awkward and uninteresting encounters he has with its various guests. Thematically, it deals with society's relationship with intoxication, the challenges of sobriety and issue avoidance. "The Birthday Party" was intended to be released as the lead single, but was later replaced by "People".

Tracks 7–12
The seventh track on Notes on a Conditional Form, "Yeah I Know", is variously described as an instrumental or interlude. The song was inspired by Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Hyperdub and the ultra-minimal rave music Healy listened to in his youth. He wanted it to have a stark simplicity, so the 1975 utilised a single modular synthesiser, a drum kit, one beat and only four lines. Their work resulted in an experimental electronic, UK garage and ambient song that contains influences of glitch, IDM and garage rock. Sacher compared it to SBTRKT, early James Blake and Burial's Untrue (2007). The production is composed of glitching, chirping layered vocals and a "crispy" drum loop. Healy's vocals in the verses are heavily processed and sung in a monotonous tone, while the chorus is produced in a minimalist style with repetitive, high-pitched vocals. The lyrics of "Yeah I Know" evoke feelings of chaos, spiralling uncertainty, wandering thoughts and an inability to focus as Healy sings: "Time feels like it's changed, I don't feel the same anymore." The following song, "Then Because She Goes", features background vocals from Bridgers. Healy described it like a Polaroid "gasping for air", wanting the track to sound as if it were drowning. The band drew inspiration from mid-1990s shoegaze and artists such as Pavement, Liz Phair, Life Without Buildings and My Bloody Valentine, seeking to make a "little moment" of fleeting beauty. Combining these influences, they created an experimental shoegaze, alternative rock and dream pop song. Described as "purposefully unfinished" by Courteney Larocca of Insider, it has an unconventional song structure that intentionally omits a proper introduction and bridge. It contains warm instrumentation with upbeat rhythms, incorporating elements of post-grunge, soft rock, Britpop, indie rock and pop rock. The song has a sombre tone, dealing with the threat of loss while focusing on the everyday drama within a relationship.

Healy rewrote "Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America", the album's ninth song, several times. Originally the song focused on a single subject but was reworked to address the prison–industrial complex and critique the effects of religious oppression on young people, "regardless of sexuality". After meeting Bridgers, Healy asked her to record a solo version. The band used her vocals on the second verse, making the song into a duet. A minimalist folk and acoustic ballad, the song incorporates lo-fi, emo, and alternative country elements. It features a soft, sparse, stripped-down production containing gentle, windy atmospherics and electronic textures composed primarily of vocals and acoustic guitars. The song deals with themes of heartbreak, faith, sexuality, love, vulnerability, defeat and fragility. Healy and Bridgers sing from the perspective of two closeted religious individuals struggling with an internal conflict between religion, sexual orientation, and personal identity. Lyrically, the song revolves around Christianity's suppression of queer identities. Bridgers also appears on the following song, "Roadkill", providing the background vocals. An upbeat alternative rock and country song, it draws influence from country rock, Americana, country pop, indie pop and folk music. Healy said the song described his experiences touring the United States, offering anecdotes about his time "searching for things" and eventually burning out. More specifically, it focuses on the Southern United States, detailing the backwards homophobic attitudes he observes ("Well, I touch down run to my connection / A man in the gift shop called me a fag"), urinating on himself ("Well, I pissed myself on a Texan intersection") and the expectations placed upon him to speak out against all societal issues ("And I took shit for being quiet during the election / Maybe that's fair, but I'm a busy guy").

The album's 11th song, "Me & You Together Song", was originally conceived for the soundtrack of German, a film Healy planned on making. He wrote the song with Amy Watson and Chelsea Pollard in mind, attempting to capture the idealism of a teenage romance. It is a melancholic and sonically nihilistic love song that deals with unrequited affection, rejection and heartbreak. The song features a nostalgic and retro soft rock production evocative of 1990s rock music and composed in dream pop and pop rock styles. Additionally, it incorporates elements of shoegaze, post-Britpop,  indie pop, indie rock,  pop-punk and soft pop. Lyrically, it describes falling in love with a friend who does not feel the same. "I Think There's Something You Should Know" is a house, dubstep and future garage song. A majority of the song is an instrumental, with a piano-based production that combines dream-like electro beats, noisy drums, chanting and glitching vocal effects with elements of 2-step garage, ambient and glitch music. The song includes a single breakdown–reminiscent of electropop music–one minute into its run, while the chorus uses a simple and repetitive structure. Healy discusses his mental state, with the singer expressing feelings of unrest ("I'm feeling like someone, like somebody else / I don't feel myself, it could be my health"). He explicitly wrote the song about impostor syndrome, depression and isolation, noting people are generally unwilling to discuss these issues. Healy also uses post-modernism in the song, purposely referencing the band's "Somebody Else" to tell a continuation of its story.

Tracks 13–17
The 13th song on Notes on a Conditional Form, "Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied" is a neo soul, electro-gospel and R&B song. The production comprises piano-driven instrumentation, gospel choirs, a soulful lo-fi hip hop groove, vibrant bassline, blues-indebted piano riff, jazz chords and elements of soul, gospel and hip hop music. Healy's vocals range from falsetto in the chorus' to deeply manipulated during the rap portion of the song, which Callie Ahlgrim of Insider compared to British grime musicians, specifically Stormzy. It explores Healy's search for truth in an increasingly confusing world ("Life feels like a lie / I need something to be true / Is there anybody out there?"), while also confessing to embellishing moments in his previous songs. The song references their past work, specifically the lyrics "I never fucked in a car, I was lying / I do it on my bed, lying down, not trying", which disavows the first lines of "Love It If We Made It" and "Sex" (2013). It is followed by "Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy)", an alternative R&B and neo soul song. It begins with a pitched-up soul sample of "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", heavily modified through a vocoder. The song then drops into a reggae-inspired tempo, while the hazy production shifts to offbeat guitar upstrokes, a rumbling beat, a reggae rhythm, brass instrumentation, synths and influences of electropop, jazz, electronic and ska. Lyrically, the song sees Healy coming to terms with the end of a relationship. "Shiny Collarbone" is an instrumental deep house, dancehall and house interlude performed by Ranks. The song has a "sun-drenched" production that incorporates crunchy house beats with trip hop and electronica elements. It includes a reggae and hip hop-inspired tribal house drop toward the end of the song, composed of drums and "weird" percussion–a choice inspired by Jamie xx's music.

Healy did not want to release "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" as a single before the album's release, telling Andrew Unterberger of Billboard that the 1975 "always write one of those songs like every f--king year -- like every album", comparing it to "The Sound" and "It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)". However, after debuting the song live, videos of the performance went viral among their fanbase and quickly became a fan-favourite. It begins with a new-age ambient instrumental featuring ethereal backing vocals by FKA Twigs, who sings in a choral, wordless operatic style. A piercing guitar riff signals the beginning of the song, which transitions into a 1980s-influenced pop and synth-pop song. Its retro production incorporates elements of techno-funk, indie pop, power pop, pop rock and pop-punk. 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. It explores themes of technology, cybersex, online relationships, dependency and despondency. Featuring Bridgers' background vocals, "Playing on My Mind" is an Americana-influenced indie pop and acoustic song. It is built upon layered harmonies, tranquil guitars and soft lyrics, with Healy pondering existential questions, providing observations about his failing relationship and experiences maturing as a band.

Tracks 18–22
"Having No Head", the 18th song on Notes on a Conditional Form, is a propulsive IDM, microhouse and UK garage instrumental. Described as a "slow-burner" by Hannah Mylrea of NME, the song begins with a relaxed ambient soundscape, melodic drones and stoic piano stabs. As it progresses, layers of heavy, distorted, sinister-sounding synths and space-age ambience become superimposed on the production. After a major key change in the second half, it transforms into a euphoric, synth-heavy club song with techno elements. Healy noted that "Having No Head" was Daniel's opus on the album and was the song he spent the most time creating. "What Should I Say", a deep house, dance-pop and house song, is the oldest track on Notes on a Conditional Form. Two years before the album's release, the beat was created and originally meant for A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. Healy periodically revisited the song and was encouraged by Daniel and others to complete it. Eventually, Daniel forced him to finish the song, a process which the singer said was extremely challenging. He was unsure how to utilize the vocal sample, debating its placement in either the intro, verse or chorus. It is built around airy and buoyant looped vocals by FKA Twigs, which Daniel converted into an instrument while modifying Healy's into a deep, warped and distorted tone. The production features a bright tone, a thick, heady beat, a gentle, elastic electronic melody, shimmering synths, glittering flourishes and influences from dancehall and electronica.

"Bagsy Not in Net" is an experimental interlude and was the last song recorded for Notes on a Conditional Form. The 1975 delivered a tracklist of 22 songs to Apple Music and were in the process of mastering the album, but realised they had only made 21 songs. To create a "Bagsy Not in Net", Healy suggested incorporating the string section from the intro of "Sailing" (1980) by Christopher Cross and combining it with a UK garage beat. Having completed the song, the band sent in the final version of the album to Apple and began producing the vinyl format. They contacted Cross to have the sample approved, but he denied their request. Having already started mass production of the album, Healy reached out to Curt Smith of Tears for Fears for help, who contacted Cross' manager. Although initially hesitant, Cross eventually approved the sample after recovering from COVID-19. "Bagsy Not in Net" is a dramatic emo and dance-influenced blend of orchestral and electronic music composed of house-infused violins, repeated clicking noises, thumping bass, a pulsating beat, a UK garage-influenced rhythm and pitched, processed vocals that make Healy sound as if he is underwater. Regarding the title, Healy explained: "If you're playing football and you say 'bagsy not in net' it means I'm not going in goal first. 'Bagsy not in net' is like shotgun for the car."

"Don't Worry" was initially titled "You" and was the first song Healy remembers hearing. The song was written in the late 1980s by Tim Healy—the singer's father—for his wife, who was battling postnatal depression. A former musician himself, the elder Healy would often play it for his son on the piano. Since Notes on a Conditional Form thematically explores the younger Healy's influences throughout his life, the singer decided to include it on the album. It marks the first time he is not credited as a writer on one of the band's songs. Since the 1975 had a song named "You" on Sex (2012), they changed the title to "Don't Worry" after deciding to include it on the album. Musically, it is an ambient and indie pop piano ballad. The album's final song, "Guys", was written as an answer song to "Girls" (2013) and an ode platonic love. It stemmed from a conversation the band had where they shared their gratefulness for having started a band together at a young age. Healy focused on creating "one moment of pure, genuine soppy, naive sentimentality" and make a song to celebrate friendship. Musically, it is a mid-tempo indie rock and pop rock ballad, incorporating a stripped-down production consisting of soft guitars and violins.

Release and promotion
On 21 February 2019, Healy told Christine and the Queens on Beats 1 Radio that the 1975 were debating between three songs to serve as the lead single from Notes on a Conditional Form, revealing it would be released on 31 May. On 23 July, the band purged their social media accounts, repeating a precedent set with their previous two albums that signifies the release of new music. "The 1975" was released the following day as the first preview from the album. On 22 August 2019, the 1975 released "People" as the lead single from the album. It received positive reviews, although the response from the band's fanbase was comparatively more mixed. A music video directed by Healy, Warren Fu and Ben Ditto was released the same day. It features the band members performing in a cube filled with bright lights, internet images and lyrics from the song. The 1975 began posting a daily countdown on their social media platforms starting on 19 October, leading to the release of the album's second single, "Frail State of Mind", on 24 October. A music video for the song was released on 21 November, directed by Healy, Patricia Villirillo and Mara Palena. Filmed in lo-fi VHS quality, it features Healy using a camcorder to project images of himself on a wall, while lyrics from the song are interspersed.

On 7 January 2020, Healy announced through his Instagram that "Me & You Together Song" would be released on 16 January as the third single from Notes on a Conditional Form. On the day of the song's official release, the 1975 performed "Me & You Together Song" on the BBC Radio 1 show Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World. It received positive reviews and appeared on several year-end lists, with Billboard declaring it the sixth-best rock song of 2020. A music video for "Me & You Together Song", directed by Bedroom, was released on 6 February. Filmed in a retro-style reminiscent of 1990s music videos, it includes homages to 1990s culture such as mix CDs, boomboxes, Converse', rooms covered in band posters, and retro T-shirts. On 18 February, the 1975 announced on Twitter that "The Birthday Party", the album's fourth single, would debut live on Lowe's Beats 1 Radio show at 5 PM the next day, followed by the music video one hour later. The video follows Healy's journey through Mindshower—a digital detox centre—as he encounters various internet memes in a forest. It was well-received by critics, with Pitchfork including it on their 20 Best Music Videos of 2020 list.

On 31 March 2020, the 1975 announced that "Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America" would be released as the fifth single from Notes on a Conditional Form on 2 April. A live version of the song previously circulated online after the band performed it on a Las Vegas radio show. Originally intended to be released on 3 April, the song was uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel one day early. The 1975 performed "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" as part of their Music for Cars Tour setlist several months before its release as a single. Videos of the performances began circulating on social media platforms, quickly becoming a fan-favourite. Their fanbase urged the band to release it as the album's sixth single, which they reluctantly did on 23 April. It was met with critical acclaim and appeared on numerous year-end lists, with Scott Lapatine of Stereogum and Edwin Ortiz of Complex deeming it the best song of 2020. A commercial success, it became the band's highest-charting single to date in the United Kingdom, surpassing "The Sound". A black and white music video for the song was released the same day to promote the track.

The 1975 released "Guys" as the seventh and final single from the album on 13 May 2020. The band previously performed the song in Nottingham on 15 February–the opening night of their Music for Cars Tour in the United Kingdom. A music video was released on 21 May 2020, featuring a compilation of video clips of the band captured over the past decade. To further promote Notes on a Conditional Form, the 1975 planned to embark on the second half of the Music for Cars Tour, which began in November 2018 to support A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. The tour was postponed on 18 March 2020, aligning with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that recommended postponing events with over 50 patrons. The band issued a statement apologising to attendees, requesting they retain their tickets for use once the tour resumed. On 12 January 2021, the 1975 decided to cancel the tour, noting the pandemic remained ongoing. In a statement posted on their Instagram, the band said: "These are incredibly difficult times for a lot of people, and until we can be sure that we will be able to play shows in a way that is safe for our fans and crew, we have decided the best course of action is to cancel our touring." With the last show performed in Dublin on 3 March 2020, the tour concluded two months before the release of Notes on a Conditional Form.

Mindshower
On 14 February 2020, the website Mindshower was launched. The minimalist page promoted itself as a digital detox, featuring directions to press and booking emails and a countdown set to expire on 19 February. Numerous easter eggs were hidden within the source code, including a link to satirical incel subreddit and nonsensical empowering messages such as: "I am doing my mind and my life!", "I feel comfort and respect.", "I go!" and "Peace back!" A Twitter account for Mindshower later emerged, posting a single tweet urging people to begin their journey at the Mindshower retreat. The message was retweeted by Hann, while Healy posted a photo on Instagram captioned "MIND SHOWER", fuelling the belief that the website was connected to the band. After contacting the press email of Mindshower, a staff member at Dork was told the website would open on 19 February at 6 PM. Upon expiring, the website debuted "The Birthday Party" and its music video, in which the band visits the retreat.

Mindshower was relaunched on 21 May for visitors to "learn, create [and] share" using several interactive resources. The 1975 collaborated with Amazon to create the AI-powered website, with an audio guide accessible by giving the command "Alexa, enter Mindshower". They also collaborated in hosting a competition that encouraged fans to upload their artwork to Mindshower. The winner of the competition would be featured in Amazon Music's marketing campaign for Notes on a Conditional Form, having their work featured on billboards around London in addition to the Amazon homepage. In a press release, Osborn said the website gives users an insight into the making of the album, while also promoting user-generated art and music inspired by its themes.

Upon entering the waiting room, visitors can browse exclusive literature created by several collaborators from the album. These include a journal from set designer Tobias Rylander which details stage sets and schematics, a magazine from designer Samuel Burgess-Johnson highlighting graphical "studies and b-roll" from the album, exclusive photos from photographer Jordan Curtis Hughes and creative director Patricia Villirillo and behind-the-scenes access from producer Jonathan Gilmore. Elsewhere, a fountain in the waiting room plays songs from Notes on a Conditional Form and the music video for "The Birthday Party" is secretly embedded behind the front desk. Additionally, users can access the computer at the reception desk and download extra content from the album including links to homemade merchandise, artwork and stems to create and remix the album's songs and artwork.

Background and release
To accompany Notes on a Conditional Form, the 1975 created an online art exhibition titled Artists Respond to NOACF, taking the form of a YouTube playlist. The exhibition was created following the suspension of the Music for Cars Tour, with the band wanting to create something virtual for their fans to enjoy. The 1975 were inspired by society's increasing dependence on technology, observing that connections are becoming more virtual and dematerialized. Rather than create commonly used dystopian narratives to predict the future relationship between humans and technology, they sought to highlight the positive aspects and possibilities by embracing the benefits and potential of a more technologically dependent world. Elaborating further, the band said: "[Artists Respond to NOACF] highlights some of those possibilities: how technology can create beauty and meaning, new forms of expression and new ways of experiencing culture."

They worked alongside Ditto to commission 14 artists to "respond" to 14 of the album's songs, giving them complete creative control over their work. The videos were uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel over three months, later uploading the entire exhibition to their official website. Artists Respond to NOACF features contributions from Agusta YR, Ai-Da, Alice Bucknell, Christopher MacInnes, Demon Sanctuary, Frederick Paxton, Jacolby Satterwhite, Joey Holder, Lu Yang, Mia Kerin, Most Dismal Swamp, Rindon Johnson, Sondra Perry, and Weirdcore. The artists used different mediums and disciplines to create their visuals, featuring artificial intelligence, generative animation, motion-capture animation, performance, robotics and others. Each of the artists focused on the main themes explored on Notes on a Conditional Form: technology, hope, love, anxiety and violence.

Videos 1–7
On 22 May 2020, "Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy)" was released as the first visual from Artists Respond to NOACF, created by Most Dismal Swamp. The collective focused on the album's themes of technology, hope and anxiety, and features Healy as a 3D animated bear in a bedroom. Most Dismal Swamp wanted the video to capture the "dream-like" quality of the song, calling it: "A bittersweet dream where you'd get lost, then have that feeling amplified by the shock of your actual reality when the dream ends." The second film, "The End (Music For Cars)", was created by David Atlas under the pseudonym Demon Sanctuary and released on 23 May. Atlas used robotics and AI to create the video, focusing on poetry, introspection and the creation of autonomous machines. He employed a generative adversarial network (GAN) and trained it using photographs of the natural world and sea slugs. As the song plays, the GAN visualises new life forms that respond to the orchestral instruments, creating hyperreal textures and decomposing silhouettes. As the song crescendos, the screen splits in two as flowers bloom, dancing together but unable to touch.

The visual for "Streaming", created by MacInnes, was released on 24 May as the third video from Artists Respond to NOACF. MacInnes created his film by using a self-developed web-scraper and pixel diver to collect images from international imageboards such as 4chan in the United States, 2ch.hk and Dobrochan in Russia, Komica in Taiwan and Hispachan in Latin America. The web-scrapers then "streamed" the images by imitating a human being to circumvent the CAPTCHA test. Having scraped the imageboards, MacInnes then used the pixel diver to curate the images for the visual. The video begins in a sea of pixels as the photos become slowly deconstructed, progressively accelerating until peaking at the song's crescendo, slowly drifting away as the film concludes. According to the filmmaker, he wanted to immerse the viewer in a "deranged pre-consciousness" that forms the fundamental infrastructure of contemporary culture, saying he strove to: "[fragment the images] away from being representational forms and towards an infrastructural form that the viewer must pick their way through."

The art film for "Then Because She Goes" was curated by Agusta YR and released on 28 May. It is a meta film, utilising a film within a film technique. It begins with a woman at home watching the music video for "Then Because She Goes", envying the woman in the visual, who dances in a field with blue flowers. She searches the actress on Instagram, but her phone begins to grow and anthropomorphise, engaging in a boxing fight with the woman before knocking her down. She falls into another dimension and encounters the actress, discovering they are the same person. The two women then kiss. Agusta YR wanted the video to focus on female self-empowerment and the effects of social media while having a hopeful and sombre tone. She sought to portray the hero's journey through a romantic tale, one that mixed lightness and darkness and ultimately expresses the multitude of roles each individual plays in their journey.

The fifth visual, "Shiny Collarbone", was created by Paxton and released on 6 July. Paxton sought to uncover moments of human collectiveness and shared euphoria. His inspiration for the video stemmed from a trip to North Korea, saying his experience showed him that despite the regime's brutal acts of aggression toward its people, a "human reality" persisted through hidden moments of childhood innocence and concealed smiles. The filmmaker connected this to the song through the line: "Mash up the place / Free up the order". The visual begins on a train as it traverses through numerous suburbs. The train is shown to be in North Korea at the Arirang Mass Games, held at Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang. Paxton filmed the choreographed child dancers' performances, slowing the footage down to reveal their unique individual characters. As the children dance, others carry a giant Earth around the stadium surrounded by armed, parading soldiers.

"Don't Worry", created by Johnson, was released on 7 July. Johnson's visual envisions a computer-animated, utopian, environmentally-friendly futuristic city; orchards line the streets, the sidewalks are composed of packed earth, and the city draws power from wind turbines and solar panels. The video follows a man walking through a neighbourhood listening to "Don't Worry". He observes someone dancing, and the two make eye contact through a window. The filmmaker wanted to capture a socially distant romance after ruminating on major urban centres' possible improvement during the COVID-19 pandemic. He devised the visual's narrative after his first time hearing the song, imagining a gentle dance. Speaking on the video, Johnson said: "I also didn't want to do anything too over the top [...] something quiet and straightforward; a kind of direct address to another person."

On 8 July, "Yeah I Know" was released as the seventh video from Artists Respond to NOACF. Ai-Da, the world's first AI-powered humanoid robot artist, created the visual. According to her creator Aidan Meller, Ai-Da was designed with the goal of creating art, both visually through drawing and painting and as a performance artist, engaging with audiences. To create art, she uses her eyes and a robotic prosthetic arm. For the video, Ai-Da was asked to create her impression of consciousness. Christian Johnstone, who designed and filmed the visual, shot it using lo-fi technology to capture her performance's intimacy. The visual begins with the robot in her Oxford studio, dressed in a painting smock. She uses several coloured pens to develop a portrait of Healy and an abstract picture of consciousness while "Yeah I Know" plays on a stereo. Ai-Da also uses her language model to recontextualise and respond to the song's lyrics, developing into a poem that appears periodically on the screen in bright turquoise writing. When Healy sings "Stop the tube / Kick the head", she replies "Just felt the world go by". Later, he sings "Time feels like it's changed / I don't feel the same", to which she responds with "You know what time looks like to you [...] And you know what time feels like to me". As the video concludes, Ai-Da lip-syncs the lyrics while holding her palms up to the sky.

Visuals 8–14
The 1975 released "I Think There's Something You Should Know" as the eighth visual from Artists Respond to NOACF on 9 July. Bucknell created the video and was drawn to the song's use of secrets and suspense, viewing these as evocative of post-truth and post-reality. The filmmaker was inspired by the themes of technology, anxiety and ecological destruction present on Notes on a Conditional Form, framing these within an architectural utopia that was ultimately doomed to fail. Her science fiction-like video depicts a ringed-planet and focuses on three cities rendered using 3D modelling; each explored during the song's three distinct sections. The first is a postmodern seaside city resembling Las Vegas, Nevada. The second is a contemporary metropolis featuring neon signs and artificial palm trees, which Bucknell compared to an undesirable byproduct of an Instagram algorithm that combines Blade Runner (1982) and Miami Beach, Florida. The third is a glowing pioneer town in a desert. As the visual concludes, the planet glitches before disappearing.

The video for "What Should I Say", created by Perry, was released on 10 July. Perry developed a Black 3D avatar who is duplicated eight times–representing the fracturing of his personality–performing various activities. The avatar performs in front of a blue screen, specifically Rosco Chroma Key Blue, which Perry described as a space where time flows in different directions and allows the story to go down different routes. Weirdcore created the video for "Bagsy Not In Net", released the following day on 11 July. It begins with two astronauts floating in space, morphing into a collage as the beat begins. Images of the astronauts alongside asteroids, spacecraft, the Earth, other planets and the Milky Way are combined into intricate, kaleidoscopic patterns that respond to the song's instrumental. Once the beat dissipates, it reverts to deep space and loops back to the beginning, with both astronauts drifting into the darkness. Weirdcore choreographed the patterns in advance and performed it live on his computer, capturing it using a screen recorder.

Holder created the 11th video from Artists Respond to NOACF, "Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied", released on 12 July. Her visual was inspired by the occult, the novel The Book of Pleasure: Psychology of Ecstasy (1913) by Austin Osman Spare and sigil-making. The video incorporates sacred diagrams, eels, snakes and nematodes that form the shapes of the sigils. "Roadkill", created by Kerin, was released on 13 July. Kerin said she spent most of the COVID-19 lockdown watching porn, fetish videos and discussing sex with her friends. After finishing isolation, the filmmaker was surprised by her reaction to interacting with other people, discovering she enjoyed spending time by herself. Upon hearing "Roadkill", Kerin interpreted the central theme as longing for someone. She plays a cowgirl in her video, who dreams of a fantastical princess. Upon waking, Kerin sets out on a journey across the American wilderness. She eventually finds the princess and captures her with a lasso, but the princess cracks several eggs on her head, humiliating her.

The visual for "Having No Head" was released on 15 July and created by Satterwhite. An animated film, the video serves as a digital memorial and tribute to Breonna Taylor. Satterwhite's film is set in an alternative universe and occurs in a park populated by Black femme bots and headless gold hazmat suits. His inspiration for the visual came from Édouard Manet's Luncheon in the Grass (1862–63) and the 2020–2021 United States racial unrest. On 22 July, "Playing on My Mind" was released as the final video from Artists Respond to NOACF. Yang, the visual's creator, performs the song as her non-binary alter ego Doku, which she developed using 3D scanning, motion capture and digital modelling. After digitally scanning Yang's facial expressions, a dancer performed and recorded Doku's dance moves using motion capture technology. The video begins with Doku walking towards the camera surrounded by diamonds while wearing white pants covered in Chinese characters. As their chest lights up, they dance in a high-tech arena.

Commercial performance
In the 1975's native United Kingdom, Notes on a Conditional Form debuted atop the UK Albums Chart, selling 34,000 album-equivalent units. 71 percent of their first week sales were attributed to pure album sales, including 7,000 vinyl copies–the fastest-selling vinyl record of 2020 at the time of its release. It became their fourth consecutive number one on the chart, becoming the sixth act in history to achieve this feat. In Scotland, the album reached number one on the Scottish Albums chart. On 4 December, the album was certified silver in the United Kingdom, denoting sales of over 60,000 units. Elsewhere in Europe, Notes on a Conditional Form reached number two on the Irish Albums chart, number 30 on the Austrian Albums chart, number 36 on the Dutch, German and Swiss Albums charts, number 67 on the Belgian Albums chart, number 69 on the Lithuanian Albums chart and number 100 on the Italian Albums chart.

In the United States, Notes on a Conditional Form debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart with sales of 54,000 equivalent album units, including 39,000 pure album sales. It became the 1975's third top-five album on the chart, following I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It and A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. It also debuted atop the US Billboard Top Rock Albums chart and was later ranked at number 62 on the chart's year-end version. Elsewhere in North America, the album peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart. In the Asia-Pacific region, Notes on a Conditional Form reached the top of the Australian Albums chart, number four on the New Zealand Albums chart, number 14 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart and number 17 on the Japanese Albums chart.

Critical response
Notes on a Conditional Form received polarized reviews from contemporary music critics, with some deeming it confusing and chaotic, while others viewed it as "a work of panoramic genius." Aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalized rating of 69, based on 27 critical reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews". AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Stubbs gave the album a perfect five-star review, describing it as boundary-pushing and "totally, refreshingly unfiltered – musically and lyrically." He praised its confessional themes, musical diversity and subversion of expectations. Mosk awarded the album a score of 9.7 out of 10, giving perfect scores for the music quality, production, originality, sonic diversity and lyrics, calling it: "a musical odyssey layered in sound and substance: A genreless, emotionally stirring work of art ready to be the new soundtrack to your life." More specifically, he highlighted the raw, emotionally indulgent nature of the lyrics and the ambitious, adventurous musical style, predicting it would serve as the voice of a generation. Dillon Eastoe of Gigwise extolled the band for defying the expectations placed upon them, commending the album's lyrical introspection, sonic variety and creativity, deeming it "easily the most interesting and confusing major release by an arena-selling guitar band in a long while." Fitzmaurice lauded the album for defying categorization, calling it "a delightfully overstuffed collection featuring some of [the band's] best and most immediately pleasing work to date." He praised the self-references, collaborations and ability to balance the inclusion of new genres with the band's signature sound, deeming it a testament to Daniel and Healy's vision.

Jordan Blum of PopMatters gave Notes on a Conditional Form a positive review, calling the album intriguing, sprawling and chameleonic. He wrote that despite a lack of complete coherence, it demonstrated "a level of unquenchable ambition, creativity, and outspoken curiosity that's rarely felt in popular music today." Ross Horton of musicOMH awarded the album four out of five stars, writing: "If this is [the 1975's] worst album, and you might believe that it is, then they very well may be the best band in the world." He commended the band's growth, maturity and willingness to take risks, but felt the album's second half was more substantial than its first. Similarly, Small felt the album served as both the 1975's opus and an ode to their previous albums, commenting: "if you thought [A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships] was an experimental risk, [Notes on a Conditional Form] will blow you out of the water." She praised the album's bold instrumentation and willingness to incorporate different genres, but was ambivalent towards the lyrics, finding them "often less than brilliant." Gormely scored the album eight out of ten, saying its "ambition and execution can't be denied. This is the 1975 operating at the peak of their powers." While praising the personal and introspective lyrics, he viewed the album as bloated. Sodomsky awarded it the same score, calling it "a long, messy experiment that just so happens to peak with some of their sharpest songs." He lauded the quiet, introspective lyricism and deemed the production as the band's most intricate and impressive yet, specifically praising Daniel for his role as the band's "secret weapon". However, Sodomsky felt the tracklist could be condensed.

In a mixed review of Notes on a Conditional Form, Rivers deemed it messy and unfocused. He felt the album was too ambitious, weighed down by a long run time, too many genres, forgettable instrumental pieces and no distinct overall concept. However, Rivers praised other aspects as "very, very good" and featured some of the best songs of the band's career, saying: "[Notes on a Conditional Form] is a fantastic 12 track, 45-minute album. It's just a shame that [t]he 1975 decided to make it into a 22 track, 80 minute one." Lizzie Manno of Paste praised the album's musical ambition, but found the lack of connecting threads made it overwhelming, inconsistent and exhaustingly chaotic, saying it was "far too ambitious and self-aware [...] for its own good." In his review of Notes on a Conditional Form, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian commended the album's experimental nature but felt the lack of boundaries between genres was more akin to a Spotify playlist than an album. Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club was receptive to the beginning of the album but criticized the instrumentals, lyrical shallowness and sequencing as it progressed, writing: "the sonic hopscotch that once amplified the group's singularity now feels like a liability." In a negative review, Biddles lambasted Notes on a Conditional Form as flat, directionless and inessential, viewing most of the album's songs as unremarkable and indistinguishable. She specifically criticized the "directionless" instrumentals and the repetitive nature of many songs, saying: "it is disheartening to witness [the 1975] with nearly nothing of note to say." Similarly, Roisin O'Connor of The Independent deemed the album "a smug farrago" filled with inconsistent nonsense, meaningless orchestral interludes and indistinguishable dance songs, calling it "a 22-track parade of stream-of-consciousness self-indulgence."

Accolades
Notes on a Conditional Form was the 43rd most-discussed album of 2020, according to Metacritic. Regarding reception from music audiences, NPR listeners voted it the 44th most popular album of 2020, while Pitchfork readers voted it the 32nd best album of the year.

Track listing
All tracks are written by George Daniel, Matthew Healy, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald, and produced by Daniel and Healy, except where noted.

Samples
 * "Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy)" contains an uncredited sample from "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", as performed by the Temptations; and "Say Goodbye", as performed by Hiroshi Sato.
 * "Bagsy Not in Net" contains an uncredited sample from "Sailing", as performed by Christopher Cross.

Personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Notes on a Conditional Form.

The 1975
 * Matthew Healy – vocals (2, 4, 6–14, 16–17, 19–22), guitar (2, 8–11, 14, 16) , banjo (6) , keyboards (1) , piano (6)
 * George Daniel – drums (2, 6, 8, 10–14, 16, 19, 22), backing vocals (22) , synthesizers (2, 4–5, 7, 9, 13, 15–16, 18–19, 22) , keyboards (1, 7, 9–10, 13–16, 18–19) , piano (4, 6, 12, 18) , programming (1, 7, 15, 18–20) , strings (1) , harp (4, 12) , vibraphone (6, 12)
 * Adam Hann – guitar (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 16, 22)
 * Ross MacDonald – bass guitar (2, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13–14, 16, 22), double bass (9)

Producers and engineers
 * George Daniel – production, mixing (15, 20)
 * Matthew Healy – production
 * Jonathan Gilmore – production (2, 8, 10–11, 16, 22), engineering
 * Luke Gibbs – assistant engineering
 * Mike Crossey – mixing
 * Stephen Sesso – mix assistance
 * Robin Schmidt – mastering

Additional vocalists
 * Greta Thunberg – vocals (1)
 * Phoebe Bridgers – additional vocals (9), backing vocals (8, 10, 17)
 * FKA Twigs – introduction vocals (16), additional vocals (19)
 * Tim Healy – additional vocals (21)
 * Cutty Ranks – additional vocals (15)

Arrangements
 * George Daniel – orchestral arrangements, horn arrangements
 * Matthew Healy – orchestral arrangements, horn arrangements
 * Sam Swallow – orchestral arrangements
 * John Waugh – horn arrangements

Artwork
 * Samuel Burgess-Johnson – art direction
 * Ed Blow – art direction
 * Matthew Healy – art direction
 * Jordan Curtis Hughes – photography

Additional musicians
 * Jamie Squire – guitar (13, 16), piano (13, 21) , keyboards (13)
 * John Waugh – tenor saxophone (6, 9, 12, 16, 18)
 * Ben Lester – pedal steel (5, 9, 17)
 * Rashawn Ross – trumpet (6, 9, 12, 16), flugelhorn (6, 12, 16)
 * Roy Hargrove - synthesizer (4)
 * Lemar Guillary – trombone (6, 16)
 * Bob Reynolds – tenor saxophone (6, 12, 16), alto saxophone (6, 12, 16)
 * Helen Keen – flute (3, 5)
 * Lindsey Ellis – flute (3, 5), piccolo (3, 5)
 * Gareth Hulse – oboe (3, 5)
 * Ruth Berresford – oboe (3, 5)
 * Nick Rodwell – clarinet (3, 5)
 * Lois Au – bassoon (3, 5)
 * Martin Owen – French horn (3, 5)
 * Tim Jones – French horn (3, 5)
 * Pip Eastop – French horn (3, 5)
 * Dan Newell – trumpet (3, 5)
 * Christian Barraclough – trumpet (3, 5)
 * Andy Wood – tenor trombone (3, 5)
 * Ed Tarrant – tenor trombone (3, 5)
 * Barry Clements – bass trombone (3, 5)
 * Owen Slade – tuba (3, 5)
 * Frank Ricotti – percussion (3, 5)
 * Suzy Willison-Kawalec – harp (3, 5, 12)
 * Everton Nelson – violin (leader) (3, 5, 12)
 * Emlyn Singleton – violin (leader of seconds) (3, 5, 12)
 * Oli Langford – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Marianne Haynes – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Kate Robinson – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Ben Hancox – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Ciaran McCabe – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Ian Humphries – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Debbie Widdup – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Warren Zielinski – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Tom Pigot-Smith – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Perry Montague-Mason – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Natalia Bonner – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Martyn Jackson – violin (3, 5, 12)
 * Bruce White – viola (3, 5, 12)
 * Gillianne Haddow – viola (3, 5, 12)
 * Andy Parker – viola (3, 5, 12)
 * Peter Lale – viola (3, 5, 12)
 * Lydia Lowndes-Northcott – viola (3, 5, 12)
 * Ian Burdge – cello (3, 5, 12)
 * Vicky Matthews – cello (3, 5, 12)
 * Chris Worsey – cello (3, 5, 12)
 * Jonny Byers – cello (3, 5, 12)
 * Chris Laurence – double bass (3, 5)
 * Stacey Watton – double bass (3, 5)
 * The London Community Gospel Choir – performance (13)