If there’s one thing Harry Styles is going to do, it’s making a confusing AF music video. (Well, along with other things, like making really good music.) On Jan. 23, Styles released the music video for his single “Aperture” off of his upcoming album, Kiss All Of The Time. Disco, Occasionally. β and it’s wild. So, what’s the meaning behind the “Aperture” music video? Allow me to break it down.
For fans of the former One Direction member, new music has been a long time coming. Since his last release, Harry’s House, in 2022, fans have been itching for Styles to return to music. Consider their prayers answered. On Jan. 22, Styles dropped the first single from Kiss All Of The Time. Disco, Occasionally. (set to release on March 6) titled “Aperture,” along with an announcement of a music video to drop on Jan. 23. And, in true Harry Styles fashion, the video is… interesting. (In the best way!)
At this point, strange music videos are kind of Styles’s thing: His video for “Music For A Sushi Restaurant,” which dropped in October 2022, had fans totally puzzled. And the video for “Aperture”? It’s just as strange, complete with a random man, tons of wild stunts, and a (*checks notes*) Dirty Dancing-esque lift. Casual.
So, if you’re trying to decipher the meaning of the video, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s the breakdown on the symbolic meaning of the “Aperture” music video.
The “Aperture” Music Video Meaning Could Be About Letting Go (& letting It All In).
The video opens with Styles checking into what appears to be a hotel room. After getting settled, he goes back down to the front desk β but when he notices that the attendants are on a break, he explores the hotel. That is, until he notices a random man with a bag of takeout β who then proceeds to chase him. You know, casual.
Styles and the stranger continue to fight through the halls of the hotel. But when Styles charges back at the stranger, he’s swept off the ground by him in a Dirty Dancing-like lift when the song’s chorus, “We belong together,” starts to play. This signals a shift: From that point on, Styles and the stranger dance together until they arrive back at the hotel desk, where it all began.
While it’s all unhinged and fun to watch, fans instantly resonated with the meaning behind the video in the comments. One of the most popular theories is that Styles’s battle, then reconciliation, with the strange is symbolic of his relationship with the past: In the beginning, he’s trying to outrun it. But by the end, the two are moving together in tandem, showing that to let go of the past, you need to let it in, too.
Is The “Aperture” Music VIdeo About Fame?
Additionally, fans also believe that the music video is a nod to Styles’s relationship to fame and his fans. After his last album in 2022, fans were unsure when Styles would return to music, as he seemed more focused on his personal life and other projects. To some fans, the fact that Styles is running away from the stranger and fighting him could symbolize his love-hate relationship with fame. However, when the two come together, it’s representative of his relationship with his fans and community: he’s done fighting it, and is ready to let the love (or as the lyrics say, “light” in).
I’m sure Styles isn’t done boggling our minds with wild music videos β and honestly? I’m not complaining. Stay weird, Harry!