From boy band heartthrob to genre-bending solo force, British superstar Harry Styles leans all the way into groove and glitter on Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, a shimmering new chapter that doubles down on his fervor for reinvention.

BY AMANDA McCOY

Few modern pop stars have managed a reinvention as fluid (or as convincing) as Harry Styles. First introduced to the world as the tousle-haired standout of One Direction, the Worcestershire native quickly transcended the confines of boy-band fame, trading synchronized choruses for a solo career steeped in rock nostalgia, glam theatrics, and a touch of psychedelic wanderlust. Since his 2017 self-titled debut (which landed at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the U.S.), he’s carved out a fast lane that intersects with Bowie as much as it does with Pink Floyd and even Shania Twain (whom Styles has regularly cited as a major influence on his sound and style), pairing velvet vocals with a visual identity that brazenly mocks tired tropes surrounding masculinity (cue the famous pink ballerina tutu circa 2019). He’s nabbed three Grammy Awards across two different ceremonies, and his 2022 album Harry’s House became that year’s best-selling album in the U.K. (Stateside, Styles was only bested by the modern era’s empress of pop, lady Swift.)

Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally marks a departure from Styles’ polished pop-rock of yore, leaning into atmospheric slow-burns, heavy-hitting bass lines, and synth-pop club candy. The album’s lead single, “Aperture,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January, his first new tune in three years. Exploding with shimmering synths, the layered dance track was inspired by Styles’ break from touring, when he caught live shows across Europe and reunited with the thrill of getting lost on a dance floor. The name is a clever wink to opening yourself up to new experiences, a fitting first course for the synth-soaked feast to come. “Dance No More” brings the LP’s namesake disco into the mix, while “Season 2 Weight Loss” was clearly a science experiment with drum and bass. “Coming Up Roses” eases off the throttle but cuts deeper emotionally. The only entry on the album written entirely by Styles, the piano-led ballad breaks the traditional love-song mold and captures the heady emotional swirl of an unsteady relationship. Ultimately, the 12-track collection signals a maturing artist, one who’s learned that sometimes, the best cure for a wounded soul is a little disco.

Harry Styles  —  hstyles.co.uk