HMLTD formed in London as Happy Meal Ltd. in early 2015. Singer Henry Chisholm goes under the pseudonym 'Henry Spychalski', and was born and raised in Torquay before moving to London. Spychalski met Duc, who had played in a band with Nico in Paris, at a bar in London which helped foster a friendship and the formation of the band. James originates from Ipswich and shared a house in Elephant and Castle with friends including Henry. Zac, from Bristol, met Duc through Reddit and "less vile corners" of 4chan, and Vincent from Hong Kong; when he returned home in late 2015 he was replaced by Achilleas, originally from Athens. Late in 2019, Zac left the band to focus on his education, he was replaced by black midi sideman Seth Evans, a friend of the band, who they met in London.
HMLTD has been criticised for allegedly appropriating queer and/or gender bender aesthetics as heterosexual men, including cross-dressing, make-up, and flamboyant performances. According to Spychalski, the band is "trying to challenge toxic masculinity and we’re doing that from the perspective we can do that from, as the human beings we were born into being, which is predominantly straight cis men. But I don’t think having that role should exclude or prohibit you from taking on that political perspective and from taking on what is probably the most violent, toxic, cruel force in our society. We’re learning from queer methods and we always try to express that indebtedness.”
Their image and sound can be seen as influenced by the Ziggy Stardust era of David Bowie and the New Romantic period in the 1980s. Their sound has been compared to a wide range of acts such as The Prodigy and Peaches. They have also been regarded as avant-garde for their infusion of EDM and experimental pop with their guitar-oriented sound.
On 20 July 2018, HMLTD released their debut EP, Hate Music Last Time Delete. Pictures Of You was written with Justin Tranter. On 7 February 2020, HMLTD released their debut studio album West of Eden. According to lead singer Henry Spychalski, the album took almost four years to create, due to the interspersed writing as every member was in university education. The album tour swiftly followed the release, spanning the length of the UK, as well as various European cities.
2023's The Worm would be released to critical acclaim.
Pictures of You
HMLTD Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can feel a habit firming in my hands
Prop your pillow up against the wall,
I have to press pause at the next bit
Say my name into the camera, I'm entranced
I feel so pathetic and I've lost you
I know I'll regret it (and come too)
I'm addicted to
Pictures of you, pictures of you, pictures of you
I help myself through
Pictures of you, pictures of you, pictures of you
Tryna hold myself tight
Underneath the cold blue light, I thought I'd found you in the screen
And boost my ego falling from my fantasies
I mean nothing to you now but still your picture stares at me
Your face is poised as if to say I'm nobody
I feel so pathetic now I've lost you
I know I'll regret it (and come too)
I'll come to my senses but I'm
I'm addicted to
Pictures of you, pictures of you, pictures of you
I help myself through
Pictures of you, pictures of you, pictures of you
Tryna hold myself tight
My body's invalid, my body's invalid, my body's invalid
In front of
Pictures of you, pictures of you, pictures of you
I help myself through
Pictures of you, pictures of you, pictures of you
Tryna hold myself tight
Pictures of you
The lyrics to HMLTD's Pictures of You explore the theme of addiction to social media and the dangers of relying on it for self-validation. The first verse describes the singer's late-night scrolling, feeling a habit forming in his hands as he indulges in the endless stream of pictures and posts. He even talks to the camera as if it were a sentient being that could hear and reciprocate his longing. They mention the feeling of being 'pathetic' and having lost something (or someone), indicating a sense of regret or longing for human connection that the addiction is masking.
In the second verse, the singer reveals that he has fallen into the trap of projecting his own fantasies onto the images he sees, even though he means nothing to the people whose photos he's looking at. He's using these pictures to boost his own ego and fill the void of emotional connection he's missing. Despite acknowledging the futility of this behaviour, the singer admits that they can't help but be addicted to the images of the person they've lost.
The repetition of the phrase 'pictures of you' underscores the centrality of this addiction to the song's theme, and the desperation of the singer who needs them to help himself through the loneliness and the void.
Line by Line Meaning
It's three forty in the morning and I can feel a habit forming
I'm up late and scrolling through pictures of someone I miss, and I know that it's becoming a problem.
Prop your pillow up against the wall
I'm getting comfortable in bed, preparing for a long night of looking at pictures.
I have to press pause at the next bit
I have to stop for a moment and gather myself before I can continue looking at pictures.
Say my name into the camera, I'm entranced
I'm so obsessed with these pictures that I'm almost mesmerized by them, and I find myself saying the person's name over and over.
I feel so pathetic and I've lost you
I'm really struggling with the fact that we're not together anymore and I can't stop looking at pictures of you.
I know I'll regret it (and come too)
I know that looking at these pictures is only going to make me feel worse in the long run, but I can't stop myself.
It's hard to admit it, but I'm
It's difficult for me to acknowledge that I'm addicted to looking at these pictures.
Pictures of you, pictures of you, pictures of you
The pictures I'm looking at are all of you, and I can't get enough of them.
Tryna hold myself tight
I'm trying to comfort myself and hold it together, even though I know it's not really helping.
Underneath the cold blue light, I thought I'd found you in the screen
As I'm looking at the pictures, it almost feels like you're there with me, even though I know that's not true.
And boost my ego falling from my fantasies
Looking at these pictures is a way for me to imagine scenarios where we're still together, which makes me feel better about myself.
Your face is poised as if to say I'm nobody
When I look at your picture, it feels like you're judging me for being so obsessed, and it makes me feel even worse about myself.
My body's invalid, my body's invalid, my body's invalid
I'm feeling physically unwell because of how much time I'm spending looking at pictures and obsessing over you.
Writer(s): Nicolas David Raphael Mohnblatt, Henry Anton Chisholm, Zacharie David Joseph Cazes, Jussi Ilmari Karvinen, James Alexander Donovan, Achilleas Sarantaris, Duc Peterman, Justin Drew Tranter
Contributed by Chase E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@krzysztofobodzinski2529
Wow literally every song of yours I’ve listened to is great. There isn’t any weak spot in any of your albums
@andrewburns7625
There is something really unique about this one! I can’t imagine all the work you must have put into it. As another musician, I can say that your songs touch something that most don’t these days. Keep up the amazing work! 😯😻😳🖤🖤💘🎹😀😯☺️
@DanielRodriguez-hp1rx
These guys are gonna be huge, just wait and see
@victoriasiempre7671
I'm addicted ....to this song
@ODONISODONIS
love the update to newwave. Not afraid of massive hooks. Feeling some Depeche mode mixed with modern trap
@kurkobani
Que pibe tan lindo, alta voz lloro
@SkookNasty
Never heard of these guys until now. I'm digging what I hear.
@gregstinkston7634
This part of JoJo is really bizarre
@jaidev3795
His stand [P I C T U R E S O F Y O U] is fuckin hot as hell tho
@yaBoyDreamer
You've been awesome at the Summer Well festival the other day, guys! Keep it up!