April 7th, 2017.
The return of Harry Styles. Third member from former boy band “One Direction” to release solo music. The British heartthrob has finally released his long awaited single, Sign of The Times.
Back in June 23, 2016, Billboard magazine reported that Styles had signed a solo artist contract with Columbia Records.
However, news about when he would be releasing music was not announced until March 31, 2017. The announcement was made via Instagram and Twitter, with a picture of the cover art and a caption reading: “SIGN.OF.THE. TIMES // 7.APRIL.17 //”.
My first time hearing the track was emotional to say the least. The piano started and I waited to hear that voice that I had gone so long without. Forty seconds in and I was surprised by the voice I was hearing. Harry experiments with much higher vocals in this song, something fans did not hear much with One Direction.
The second time I sat down to listen to the song was at 2 A.M. I was sitting in the kitchen of my dorm room finishing this article. I had the song on repeat and the lyrics just hit me, hard.
I found myself shedding tears listening to the following lyrics:
Just stop your crying, have the time of your life
Breaking through the atmosphere
And things are pretty good from here
Remember everything will be alright
We can meet again somewhere
Somewhere far away from here
So if you need a song that will bring some perspective into your life, give Sign of The Times a listen. You are going to need exactly five minutes and forty-two seconds to fully appreciate the rock ballad. Styles sheds light on grief and hardship through his emotionally real lyrics.
You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0GKGpObgPY
One Direction w/Simon Cowell photographed at last pre-break performance
Fans were left heartbroken when Zayn Malik announced his official departure from the band back in March 2015. However, they were left even more devastated when the band announced they were to go on an indefinite hiatus, starting in early 2016, to pursue individual projects.
Rumors of record deals began to spread and only became 100% true with the release of solo projects from previous band members. First it was Zayn, then Louis, and now Harry.
Apart from music, Harry has set off into new adventures. He will be making his acting debut in the action-thriller film, Dunkirk, scheduled to be released July 21, 2017,and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Styles on set of “Dunkirk” // Image via Daily Mail UK
He will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on April 15, 2017.
Looking towards the future, I expect great things from Harry. Yes, One Direction was, and still is, a huge part of his personal life and career but, it is time to tackle the music industry on his own and prove that that little boy from Holmes Chapel can make it on his own.
HCXOXO,
Vanessa Rivera