Ranking Every Song from Harry’s House by Harry Styles
“If I was a bluebird, I would fly to you.”
I wasn’t into pop radio when One Direction was in their prime. I didn’t have anything against modern music; I wasn’t a hipster like that. It’s just that my first exposure to music discovery was Pandora. It was radio, but online — but not on demand! Therefore, my Pandora stations kind of compounded each other. Jason Mraz led me to Jimmy Buffett led me to The Beach Boys led me to doo wop and rock and roll and very little music after the 1970s unless Colin Hay, Chris Martin, or Anthony Kiedis were at the helm. I was so obsessed with uncovering the music that came before me that I was deaf to the music happening around me. The only time I’d hear current music was at school dances or on the radio every Saturday morning on my way to a local diner with family. Part of me regrets it, but I was also able to make a playlist of over two hundred songs I labeled as “nostalgia pop,” so it’s not too bad. You could also call it the “songs that will populate future 2000s and 2010s Sirius stations” playlist. If they don’t exist already (oh dear). Anyway, I knew the big hits from One Direction, but couldn’t pick a Zayn from a Niall. As I’ve expanded my musical knowledge of the twenty-first century, I’ve found myself really endeared with the boy band and, specifically, Harry Styles, who’s essentially transcended that quintet. Now, he’s got his own style, rhythm, culture, and identity surrounding him. He’s one of the biggest pop stars working today and he released a dynamite album, Harry’s House, towards the end of May 2022. I think it’s only right to add his current and future repertoire to my catalog of “every track ranked” articles that I’ve done before. (Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift again, Taylor Swift a third time.) It’s a good album; Czech it.
13. “Boyfriends”
I’m noticing a pattern where I kind of buck against songs that directly lay out their thesis statements and never deviate from the literal to develop what the singer’s perspective is. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Hope Ur Ok,” Taylor Swift’s “Mad Woman,” and now, Harry Styles’ “Boyfriends.” It’s not that I disagree with any of the sentiments. In fact, I think they’re all powerful songs with noble themes. I just prefer my social commentary songs to be more cloaked in metaphor, like Swift’s “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” The direct approach works, too, and is necessary for lots of people to get what the artist is saying. But “Boyfriends” just doesn’t go anywhere interesting and it’s my least favorite on the album.
12. “Love of My Life”
As you can probably guess, the denouement of Harry’s House is my least favorite part of the album. I think it’s a wall-to-wall stellar pop record, but some tracks have to come near the bottom and it just happens that they are the tracks that ended Styles’ third solo effort with a weaker edge than the album began. That’s okay! Lots of albums do that. I felt the same way about Fine Line, but now I’ve come around on the closing, title track, so you never know! For now, “Love of My Life” is sweet, but not sonically pleasing for my taste.
11. “Satellite”
When I listen to “Satellite,” I always find myself vibing with it. It’s a song that’s very easy to listen to and wouldn’t sound unfamiliar on a late-stage Jason Mraz album. Obviously, I find that to be a pro. But as soon as it ends, I tend to forget about it pretty quickly. There’s no instantly memorable hook or catchy chorus in “Satellite.” It works well enough as a mild entry into the Styles oeuvre, but it just can’t compare to the other, stronger songs that round out the top ten from Harry’s House.
10. “Cinema”
Harry Styles spoke about a ton of influences he had for the production and creation of Harry’s House. Haruomi Hosono and Japanese pop, John Mayer guitar, Roald Dahl artistry, 1980s synth-pop, and some 1970s R&B. That last part of the list is perhaps most strongly felt in “Cinema,” which has a low-key energy, but plenty of funk-infused melodies to bring out more of a simmering sexuality within it. The obvious read is the dynamic between Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde, newly coupled. (He brings the pop; she brings the cinema.) Ultimately, that’s about the thesis of the song, though. While it’s fun to listen to, it does largely hover around surface level, for the most part.
9. “Daydreaming”
“Daydreaming” has been growing on me. Maybe check back on the list in a couple months and you’ll see it rising up the ranks. I love the melodic influences of “Daydreaming” and it’s one of the most pleasing-to-the-ear songs on the entire album. (Not to mention, Styles’ vocals cover some of their widest ranges here.) Certainly, the song is a jam, but I do find myself wanting more from it lyrically. I’m reminded of those pixelated Facebook “wrong generation” memes that went around in 2009 with lyrical comparisons between a song like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and a song like “Cake.” It’s a lot of “Livin’ in a daydream” over and over. Fun and poppy enough, though, with plenty of airy imagery, which Styles always specializes in!
8. “Little Freak”
I’ve seen quite a few TikToks place “Little Freak” very low on their lists. I dig it, though, even if it doesn’t crack my top half of the album. It has the slower synth tempo of something like “Love of My Life,” but I appreciate that “Little Freak” a) sounds more soothing and b) never tries to stretch itself to anthemic territory. The lyrical imagery is even more specific here and it reveals a modern sensibility/perspective from Styles that he doesn’t care about the many things that a songwriter from the 1960s would hold against someone who was more open, sexual, or promiscuous. He just cares solely about the person on the receiving end of his lyrics. In “Little Freak,” they’re lyrics that are outwardly degrading, but subtly romantic. If you’re freak enough, anyway.
7. “Grapejuice”
Conversely, “Grapejuice” is a song that was immediately high on the rankings of many Harry Styles fans. I still haven’t fully unlocked it. I’ve listened to it more than any song besides the singles from Harry’s House and I’m still not all the way there with what people love so much about it. It’s an incredibly vibey song, but it just feels more like a song that sets the mood or sets the tempo for something that has more substance and just more to hold onto. I don’t know, I just get demo or intro-to-an-album energy from it more than the energy of an actual fun song to just put on whenever. It’s like Phoebe Bridgers’ “DVD Menu,” to me. Maybe I’ll appreciate it more soon, but for now, I’m struggling with it, even though I definitely classify it as a good song. It’s just not great.
6. “Music for a Sushi Restaurant”
I’ve seen a lot of criticism about this song and, ostensibly, Harry Styles because it’s labeled “generic” or “Old Navy ad music.” The thing is? I can’t really deny that. I mean, within a month of the song existing it was already being used in a commercial for Apple. It seems scientifically engineered to be as commercial and marketable as possible. But when you like a certain kind of pop music and Styles, that doesn’t matter so much. I don’t really vibe with Shawn Mendes music, for example. So the Mendes version of “Sushi Restaurant” would be intolerable for me. The Styles version is delightful. Fun to dance to! Fun to compare to “Watermelon Sugar” when you consider what Harry Styles songs about food tend to be an allegory for!
5. “Daylight”
Obviously, the first comparison that comes to mind is the song of the same title by a former flame of Harry Styles by the name of — oh, I don’t know — Taylor Swift? The two “Daylight” tracks are seeking different musical goals, though. Swift’s “Daylight” is a capper to Lover and to an era of identity for her as a songwriter. It’s longer and more poetically written. Styles’ “Daylight” is more about the yearning that comes in a relationship when two people struggle to get the timing right (but how extravagantly lovely it is when they do get it right!). It’s a sweet notion throughout! A motif on Harry’s House does reemerge here, perhaps in an unwelcome way; why is cocaine so prevalent on certain tracks? But aside from that throwaway reference, “Daylight” is a really cute song that reminds me of children’s shows like Max & Ruby and Little Bear, more for the reason that it evokes a British tea time in a lavish front lawn. Does that make sense? The quaintness of the lyrics and the lilting melodies just evoke a really charming aesthetic for me. The lyric I used as this article’s pull quote comes from this song and it’s probably my favorite lyric from the album. “If I was a bluebird, I would fly to you.” So sweet, so simple, so sing-songy!
4. “Matilda”
Upon the release of Harry’s House, the first reactions from the pop devotees seemed to seize upon “Matilda.” A lot of people pointed to it as “this is the one.” For me, it’s the emotional and thoughtfully resonant high point of the album, but it’s not the most cohesive song. I love it, but some hit my four quadrants of loving music with full marks across the board. At first, “Matilda” seems like it’s dabbling more in a memory. Nostalgia and a second person point of view place the listeners squarely into the fondest times gone by of Harry Styles. As the song progresses, though, it becomes more of a unique meditation on the idea of what we owe to those who raised us. For some, they’ve been alienated by their parents. For others, it’s the people who used to be their closest friends. For some, it’s a grandmother. For another, a brother. However a relationship may deteriorate, it can be heartbreaking in two ways: the loss of the relationship and the sense of obligation that we owe things to people who we share (or might as well share) blood with. As a modern, consistently progressive musician, Harry’s perspective on such matters can be a balm for those who struggle the most. It’s reassuring to hear words like “You can let it go / You can throw a party full of everyone you know / And not invite your family, ’cause they never showed you love / You don’t have to be sorry for leaving and growing up.” It’s a gorgeous chorus and perhaps the Styles song with the most to say to date. He’s had a fascinating progression as an artist, but this is sincere emotional maturity laid bare. I love the song and the sentiment especially.
3. “Late Night Talking”
As I write this in July, Harry dropped the music video for “Late Night Talking,” officially confirming my suspicions that it was the next single for the album. Typically, Harry’s relationship with pop music is defined by light lyrics and a catchy, upbeat, fast-tempo musicality. “Late Night Talking” fits the mold while also filling the hole of Harry’s “1970s disco-esque” influences. Allegedly. That’s most apparent here where the song seems designed for dancing — in the best way! It’s a song that would’ve been right at home on Fine Line or even on some later-stage One Direction albums. I really love the full use of Harry’s voice as an instrument on this song, too. It seems to jump up and down at the same rate as the instruments (particularly the track’s horn section), lending to a completely cohesive feel and one of the poppiest, most fun songs of the summer.
2. “Keep Driving”
From my initial listen to Harry’s House, “Keep Driving” was my favorite track and it has remained that way in the intervening months. It’s an interesting beast, though. It’s not like the average pop song and it’s not like the average love song. Instead, “Keep Driving” kind of zeroes in on a concept for a song (loving someone so much you would do anything mundane with them because those mundane things create vivid memories of toothaches, wine glasses, science, and edibles) and builds the entire tune around that. Not only do the lyrics reflect the diary-esque memories you jot down to conjure snapshots in your mind, but the rhythm of the song (very much like a series of waves ebbing to the shore) also mimics the energy of continuously driving. A little faster, a little slower, some traffic, an arm around the passenger seat. “Keep Driving” evokes all of that, both feeling-wise and direct imagery-wise. It does succumb to the hubristic mistake of trying to make “side boob” sound sexy, but the rest of the song is deft in the realm of that adjective. Yet, in spite of the sexiness, “Keep Driving” might contain the album’s sweetest, most romantic verse. Perhaps with no coincidence, it also reflects the moment on a “keep driving” road trip when you pull over for a diner or, if you’re me, Cracker Barrel. “Maple syrup, coffee / Pancakes for two / Hash brown, egg yolk / I will always love you.” Cute and fun and I love it!
1. “As It Was”
Usually, when I do these lists, my favorite song from albums does not tend to be the biggest hit or the first single released. Typically, those are the four-quadrant pop songs designed to dominate radio airplay and Spotify recommendations for weeks upon months. “As It Was” does not fit this criteria, though. Was it perhaps engineered with those goals in mind? Probably. He’s too big a pop star for the label to not be thinking about it. Does “As It Was” transcend those cynical implications? All that and more. In the months since the rotating music video for the lead single from Harry’s House dropped, “As It Was” skyrocketed up the Billboard charts and up my all-time considerations for favorite pop songs. It’s seriously great. Like “We Found Love”/”Royals”/”We Are Young” levels of great. “As It Was” is my favorite Harry Styles song to date (including One Direction!). It’s such a confident pop song that plays to the biggest strengths of Harry Styles as an artist, musician, and performer. The fast-talking bridge, the silly-fused-anthemic pop orchestration, the high-spirited low tones of the melodies that demand just the perfect amount from him. It’s such an assured, reliable, stellar song that — while I love the album — I do believe the other twelve tracks just don’t quite measure up. Not a knock on them, but rather a specific way for me to be laudatory towards this song, which is deeply emotional and heartfelt, but also so much fun to dance to. It’s the best of the world’s pop stars who can achieve that balance so magnificently and in a way that showcases the power of Harry’s music and how incredible he might be if he’s only just now hitting his prime. “As It Was” suggests he is.
Overall, I really love Harry’s House. It’s definitely already become one of my favorite modern pop albums and fun songs like “Late Night Talking,” hot songs like “Keep Driving,” sentimental songs like “Matilda,” and transcendent songs like “As It Was” make it that way. Clearly, Harry Styles has soundly figured out the kind of pop star he is and the third album in his solo discography is distinctly him. May he continue to grace us with artistic excellence!
