Greta Thunberg features on a new track by The 1975

Temperatures are set to hit 38 degrees in the UK today, and yet world leaders continue to deny the climate crisis. Urging everyone to wake up to our ecological emergency, Greta Thunberg has made her musical debut on a new track by The 1975.

Over a gentle orchestra, Thunberg opens: “We are right now in the beginning of a climate and ecological crisis, and we need to call it what it is: an emergency.” Titled “The 1975”, the song sends an eloquent message, with the 16-year-old activist directly imploring listeners to “do the seemingly impossible”.

“We must admit that we are losing this battle”, Thunberg continues, “We have to acknowledge that older generations have failed. All political movements in their present form have failed. But homosapiens have not yet failed.”

The activist concludes: “We can no longer save the world by playing by the rules because the rules have to be changed. Everything needs to change and it has to start today. So everyone out there – it is now time for civil disobedience. It is time to rebel.”

At Thunberg’s request, all proceeds from the track will go to activist group Extinction Rebellion, who returned to UK streets last week demonstrating for climate action.

A version of the song features on each of the band’s studio albums, though this edition is the longest, clocking in at over four minutes as opposed to the traditional one and a half. The track – recorded in Stockholm at the end of June – is the first release from the band’s upcoming album Notes on a Conditional Form, due February next year.

The 1975 are no strangers to voicing their political opinions, with frontman Matty Healy calling out music industry misogyny at the Brit Awards, and denouncing Alabama’s abortion ban onstage.

The track’s release follows Thunberg’s speech to French politicians on Tuesday (July 23) in which the teen called out at lawmakers who boycotted her visit, saying: “Some people have chosen not to come here today, some people have chosen not to listen to us. And that is fine, we are after all just children, you don’t have to listen to us. But you do have to listen to science.”

Listen to “The 1975” below.