It is no secret that singer, soon-to-be actor and all-around wonderful man, Harry Styles, has some highly-anticipated projects coming up this summer. As one of five, yes five, of the original X Factor boyband One Direction, Styles is the latest member to step into the solo world. Many would argue that his solo music is the most highly anticipated out of the group given his rise to fame while Styles was a member of One Direction.
Many knew that this year was going to be his year after a trailer was released for Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated WWII film "Dunkirk" showing Styles several times throughout. Harry's sudden entrance into the world of acting came as a surprise to many fans, myself included, but has only added to his allure. How will the previously long-haired Jagger-like singer translate on the big screen?
While we have to wait until late July for that answer, the wait for Styles' music is not long. In fact, his first single is set to drop on April 7th! For months fans have been speculating when he would drop music. Last year songs written by Mr. Styles made headlines when they were registered online at The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) website. The four songs ( "5378 Miles," "Already Home," "Coco" and Endlessly") sparked interest and anticipation.
There were a lot of mixed reactions when this news emerged. Fans and the media believed that this just announced One Direction hiatus was only temporary, but it was beginning to look like each of the guys was going their separate ways. However, news simmered on Styles until last fall when three white images were posted onto his Instagram account sending social media into a frenzy. Following those treasured white squares came three different covers for London-based magazine Another Man.
Fans were treated to exclusive and brand-new photos of Styles in all of his fashion guru glory! Then there was nothing from the man until last week when he dropped a 30-second commercial promoting his new single with a dripping wet Styles approaching a door and opening it as the camera gave the viewers a close-up of his face. As the commercial ended with a simple "April 7th" text showing on the screen, light piano keys played in the background.
Social media, of course, went crazy with fans and others interested in what would be Styles' next move. Turns out Styles went to his trusty white squares on Instagram later in the week prompting many to wait by their computers for any news. The following morning Harry revealed the title ("Sign of the Times") and the cover for his new single with an announcement that the song is set to drop this Friday! Along with the single announcement, it was revealed that Styles would be joining Jimmy Fallon on Saturday Night Live for its first coast-to-coast live show on April 15th.
Titled "Sign of the Times," Styles is slowly stepping back into the spotlight. Many anticipate his sound to be closely mirroring that of British Pop Rock while others, such as myself, really have no idea what he could produce. One thing is for sure, we can expect big things from the cheeky Brit who first sang Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" on X Factor seven years ago.
