After some time out of the spotlight, Harry Styles is keeping his fans well fed this spring. First, Styles released his first single from Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally album, “Aperture,” on Jan. 22. The following day, Styles released his first music video for the same track — a song that serves as a testament to the glory of live music, dancing, and feeling free. And now, Styles has released his second music video off the album for “Dance No More.”
On March 6, Styles released his highly anticipated fourth studio album, including songs that explored numerous topics, including Styles’s experience in the limelight, loneliness, love, and the brilliant experience of disco-infused nightlife. One track is “Dance No More,” which notably describes Styles’s zest for the salvation that only disco can provide.
Styles announced the music video for “Dance No More” on social media on May 6, to be released on May 7 at 12 p.m. EST. Styles teased the video with nothing more than a brief clip of himself walking and then licking a microphone. If that didn’t get you excited for the music video, I’m not sure what else would have.
The video starts with Styles walking up to a band in a gymnasium before grabbing the mic and starting to sing to a crowd, who are all sitting politely and watching. As Styles continues the song, though, he interacts more and more with the crowd — taking off his blazer and sweatshirt until he’s in a tank and shorts.
Eventually, the audience gets out of their seats, and all crawl to Styles as he dances. From there, they all let loose: dancing together and kissing as the song comes to an end.
“Dance No More” explores the idea of being the performer when you really just long to join the crowd — and that’s exactly what the music video reflects. In the chorus, Styles sings, “We wanna dance with all our friends / DJs don’t dance no more / It’s feeling like the music has been Heaven sent / And that there’s no difference in between the tears and the sweat.” Styles describes how there’s an unexplainable feeling of being alive that’s only experienced on the dance floor. The song and the video also note the tension between being the dancer and being the performer whose songs people dance to.
Styles dancing in the music video with the audience shows how he’s ready to be wholly a part of this new music era — not just performing it, but using it as a way to connect with his supporters. And if Mr. Styles wants to dance with me? I’m not complaining!