With the release of his debut solo album last Friday, Harry Styles has proven that he's here to stay. Finally finding himself out of the confines of One Direction's pop-centered repertoire, his album, Harry Styles, invites its listeners to explore a new side of Harry Styles, one still in the making as the album continues on.
His self-titled, debut album features 10 tracks, with a run time of approximately 38 minutes:
1. Meet Me in the Hallway
2. Sign of the Times
3. Carolina
4. Two Ghosts
5. Sweet Creature
6. Only Angel
7. Kiwi
8. Ever Since New York
9. Woman
10. From the Dining Table
This solo album, the story of love, lust, and all the moments in between, is just as much of an experiment as the situations described in its songs. As an artist, this album is Harry Styles using his idols and influences to try to find himself musically. And, as a fan of many of the British pop and rock bands before him, maybe that's why I love this album so much.
As an album with no specific genre attached to it, it is almost refreshing to indulge in something quite this fine. It's hard to predict his next moves, jumping from more emotional, pop songs to songs like "Carolina," "From the Dining Table," and "Woman," with their definitive classic rock roots. Regardless of the mix, one thing is clear: Harry Styles is ready to define himself outside of his current persona. He acknowledges his past, using his older music to influence the artist he aspires to become.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Styles depicted his album as honest, real, and relatable. "I wanted to write my stories, things that happened to me. The number-one thing was I wanted to be honest. I hadn't done that before." Styles followed this analysis of his album with an explanation behind the album's debut, hit-single "Sign of the Times."
"Most of the stuff that hurts me about what's going on at the moment is not politics, it's fundamentals," Styles said. "'Sign of the Times' came from 'This isn't the first time we've been in a hard time, and it's not going to be the last time.'"
You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky
You look pretty good down here
But you ain't really good
- "Sign of the Times"
We haven't spoke since you went away
Comfortable silence is so overrated
Why won't you ever be the first one to break?
Even my phone misses your call, by the way
- "From the Dining Table"
And I've been praying, I never did before
Understand I'm talking to the walls
I've been praying ever since New York
- "Ever Since New York"
So, if you haven't had the chance to listen to Harry Styles, I highly recommend you do. With its eccentric, emotional songs and refreshing exploration of older melodies, Harry Styles is an album for the modern pop and the classic rock fans alike.
