Controversial singer Matty Healy of The 1975 tells fans band will go on 'indefinite hiatus'

Matty Healy, frontman for pop band 1975 and a lightning rod for controversy of late, has announced that his group is going on "indefinite hiatus."

The British singer and guitarist, whose top songs with the group include "Chocolate" and "Love It If We Made It," told a concert crowd Tuesday in Sacramento, California, that "it's wonderful that you are here, but after this tour we will be going on an indefinite hiatus, so it's wonderful to have you guys with us. Thank you so much."

The 1975's Still ... At Their Very Best Tour, in support of the band's fifth studio album "Being Funny In A Foreign Language," kicked off September in Atlanta and will continue across the U.S. through early December before shifting to a series of European dates in 2024.

USA TODAY has reached out to the band's reps for comment.

Reaction to Healy's hiatus announced was mixed on social media.

Some lamented the news, commenting "Oh God I just felt my heart shatter." Others seemed to refer to the singer's various controversies, noting, "You reap what you sow ... what goes around comes around."

Matty Healy controversy explained

Healey generated backlash when he appeared to be giving a Nazi salute during a concert in January.

In March, reports of a resurfaced podcast episode featuring Healy laughing as derogatory remarks were made about rapper Ice Spice, a new artist who had expressed her admiration for The 1975's music.

A TikTok clip shows Ice Spice saying that she listens to alternative music, noting that she's "obsessed" with The 1975. The clip then cuts to a recording of a podcast, "The Adam Friedland Show," in which Healy says he had DMed Ice Spice.

Healy later apologized during a 1975 show, saying, "I just feel a bit bad, and I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you. Ice Spice, I'm sorry." In response to the podcast comments, Ice Spice told Variety in an interview published Thursday that she was "confused" by Healy's comments.

In July, during a concert at a festival in Malaysia, Healy went on a rant condemning the country's repressive anti-LGBTQ laws, and capped his comments by kissing his bass player. The country's government then cancelled the festival. Some LGBTQ activists were critical of Healy's actions, saying it potentially put some in that community at risk.

Matty Healy, Taylor Swift previously linked

Healy also reportedly briefly dated Taylor Swift during the summer; the pop superstar has more recently been linked to football player Travis Kelce.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The 1975's Matty Healy says band will go on 'indefinite hiatus'