According to Healy in an interview with Pigeons and Planes, “Subluxe” follows “‘a fictional character’ that closely resembles a former version of himself”.
The album’s name refers to the process of “subluxation” or a dislocation of a joint or ligament.
Enrolled in a doctorate program for physical therapy, “connectivity—of people, places, tendons and ligaments—cuts deep into Healy’s cortex”.
In the previously mentioned interview with Pigeons and Planes, Healy said that “physical therapy definitely makes me think differently, and my relationships with my classmates and the subject matter influence my writing”.
The album explores the subluxation of relationships with significant others, friends and places, especially his hometown of Memphis, Tennesse.