Harry Styles by Harry Styles
When Harry Styles, originally known for being part of disbanded boyband One Direction, released his self titled album in 2017, many people expected a type of pop music feel they experienced from the band. None expected to get an album that fit more into the soft rock genre, also mixing in other types of songs for different types of listeners. There were also songs that made him be labeled a “Prince of Rock & Roll” to many, including Rolling Stones magazine and many music legends, such as Stevie Nicks. The singers first solo album touched on personal topics ranging from heartbreak to human need of affection, lost love to finding your own footing. True to his roots, he took many forms of inspiration for his album, from artists like David Bowie, Queen and Stevie Nicks.
“I love Harry, and I’m so happy Harry made a rock and roll record — he could have made a pop record and that would have been the easy way for him. But I guess he decided he wanted to be born in 1948” — Stevie Nicks, Rolling Stones Magazine.
The ex-boybander has mentioned many times how in the middle of writing the album, he had to take 5 months off to take a dip into acting. He starred in the movie “Dunkirk”, a film by Christopher Nolan, further mentioning how he enjoyed the change in speed from music to acting. After the filming ended, he took his backing band to an off the grid type of trip to Jamaica to complete the writing and recording of the album. Taking the time to settle, enjoy the writing process, and take time for himself, he found a deeper love with writing. In the five years he was in the band, they were expected a new album every year, back to back, which included writing and recording while on their world tours for each album. As many would expect, he much rather enjoyed getting to take a full year off in order to gather his wits and writing an album that showed his own self expression.
Within the album, there are many songs in which you can tell many different aspects of the singers life. Some examples would be the songs “Meet Me in the Hallway” which allowed him to be vulnerable, showing that as human beings we crave affection, we crave to be constantly cared for even if it means begging for someone to give that feeling to you. “From the Dining Table” which expresses how after a dead-end relationship there is still a part of you that misses the person, with lines such as “comfortable silence is so overrated” shows that there could be closure, but the other party refuses to allow you to have it. A song he wrote but didn’t put on the album was “Medicine”, in which he opens up about his sexuality. Being such a private and mysterious celebrity, he never allows himself to open up or label his exact sexuality, but with a song like that you get a glimpse into the openness of what it is.
A self titled album is made to allow a small glimpse into the artist’s personal life and their personal preference of music. With this album, Harry Styles didn’t think to put in the typical “fresh out of a pop boyband” type of music that is risk taking or experimental in a new genre. He made it known what type of music he takes his inspiration from, all rooting back to his childhood idols and memories. Allowing oneself to be vulnerable is difficult for many artists, he makes it look like it’s refreshing and easy, but mostly needed in way. When listening to the album and watching how he performs, the listener can tell that he feels the most comfortable in his vulnerability, which is as refreshing when seeing how others view vulnerability.
