The hair. The media portrayal. The social media silence. These are all associated with Harry Styles, one of the remaining four members of One Direction and newly launched solo artist. Styles released his debut solo single, “Sign Of The Times” on April 7 amidst high anticipation both from One Direction fans and much of the music industry. The song, reported on 901 Music's Twitter account as climbing to No. 1 in over 70 countries less than six hours after its initial airplay on BBC Radio 1, is a significant departure from the usual pop sound that is associated with One Direction. The new sound, reminiscent of contemporary artists Lana del Ray and Adele, is a hit or miss due to public and media expectations. Nevertheless, despite sounding heavily auto-tuned at points, the song is a passable, and even impressive, foray into Styles’ career as a solo artist.
Compared by critics to iconic artists like David Bowie and Prince, Styles starts his song simplistically, with a piano leading into his vocals. As Styles begins to sing, the listener is greeted by the familiar raspy, soulful voice, as he sings mournfully about the difficulties of life, whether it can be interpreted as watching a loved one suffer or experiencing a personal loss. Despite the raw emotion, the hype surrounding the song’s release is likely the cause of it falling short for some. More so, one could argue that Styles was set up for an inevitable fall by those directly surrounding him — the dangers of over-selling anything. To some degree, the song is overrated, but not to the obvious fault of Styles. He is experimenting with sound, which is encouraging, and is likely reveling in his newly gained agency that provides him with a greater sense of involvement in the writing and production process. As a relatively new artist, he should be allowed to experiment, make mistakes and try new ideas for the sake of figuring out what sound best fits him.
It is also important to consider that singles on any album should be met with a degree of skepticism. These songs are not necessarily representative of an entire work, but are instead chosen with the expectation that they will have commercial success and frequent radio play. After all, it is no surprise that the bubblegum pop “What Makes You Beautiful” still gets radio play six years later unlike Styles’ later, more mature, co-written ballad, “If I Could Fly.” They are definitely lyrically on entirely different levels, but we all know which one will get stuck in your head on your daily commute.
Overall, despite not being a huge fan of Styles’ debut song, I am more than willing to withhold further judgment until I hear the album in its entirety. The song is a good pick-me-up when you are going through a rough time and when you are in need encouragement to carry on with your head held high. Sometimes, it can be as simple as appreciating a song for the emotional security that it gives people. Nonetheless, it is also important to remember that no one enters the music industry as a solo artist on Bowie’s level, nor should we expect Styles to fill one of the great’s shoes. Styles should be defined by his work; it’s unfair to pigeonhole him and likewise, it is absurd to compare a legend like Bowie to a relative newcomer who has not released his own record yet.
So, was it worth setting an alarm at 7:55 a.m. GMT to hear Styles’ new song immediately and then listen to his two-hour long interview on BBC Radio 1? One might say it’s a sign of my times.
