The inspiration behind writing this article dates back to February 1st of this year when Harry Styles celebrated his 30th birthday. It just so happened that I started my period on this very day. During my childhood, I was absolutely obsessed with One Direction and just remember having a massive crush on Harry Styles. I just recently got back into Harry Styles’ music after many years of just casually listening to his music here and there, through one of my best friends, Amya, who is also a huge Harry Styles fan. Through this article, I strive to normalize talking about your period and validating each and every feeling you experience through the four phases. The menstrual cycle is truly a “complex dance of hormone changes” as well as a “cathartic release of emotions” that I hope to encapsulate through analyzing each of Harry Styles’ songs and categorizing them into each phase.
menstrual Phase
The first stage of the menstrual cycle I would like to expound upon is the menstrual phase. This particular phase represents the start of a new cycle, primarily driven by hormones. I would categorize this phase of the menstrual cycle as the most dramatic due to feelings and emotions of irritability, moodiness, and fatigue. When experiencing the menstrual phase, it is super important to allow yourself to relax and rest your body.
Sign of the Times
- Somber, low piano playing
- An attempt to escape life’s problems
- Representative of how we endure challenging times, but we must continue to live on
- Powerful, emotional shift towards the end of the song when Harry repeatedly screams “We got to get away”
Falling
- Beautiful, emotional piano ballad
- Feelings of abandonment, overthinking, and isolation
- A song of self-reflection and looking back on how one can grow from past hardships
- “I get the feeling that you’ll never need me again… What am I now?”
Two Ghosts
- Combination of sad piano and guitar melodies
- “Trying to remember what it feels to have a heartbeat”
- Reminisces about a devastating heartbreak and how two people drastically grew apart from what they used to be
Grapejuice
- Letting go of the sorrow and sadness caused by heartbreak
- “There’s no getting through without you” and “Grapejuice blues”
- Describes longing for someone who you thought was once perfect for you
- Wishes to have back the feeling of connection and everything once experienced together
Boyfriends
- Calming, “melancholic” guitar tunes
- Speaks about the “fool” of the relationship and being mistreated
- Even though you are being mistreated, you continue to put up with what you should not have to anymore
- “Love a fool who knows just how to get under your skin” and “They take you for granted”
Fine Line
- Encapsulates tension between two lovers
- Depicts just going through the motions of life and not genuinely enjoying where you are in the present moment
- Shows the distance and resentment coming from a current relationship along with all the ups and downs throughout it
- Triumphant ending with a deep emotional release of “We’ll be alright” repeating over and over again
follicular phase
During the second stage of the menstrual cycle, your estrogen levels lead to increased levels of serotonin, a motivation boost, and a rise in your confidence levels. The follicular phase, or as I like to call it the “mood enhancer” phase, embodies positivity, growth, and vibrancy leading to more energy and a happier mood. While encountering the effects of this phase, you will notice an increase in productivity and a want to be more sociable with those around you.
Canyon Moon
- Upbeat, uplifting tone and rhythm
- Reminiscent of a joyful moment, happily yearning to go back to this specific time
- “The sky never looked so blue” and “I keep thinking back to a time under the canyon moon” followed by happy whistling
Treat People With Kindness
- This song is the absolute definition of happiness and bliss
- Such an uplifting tone and rhythm throughout the whole song
- “Feeling good in my skin, I just keep on dancing”
- If you start to make slight changes to the way you live your life, it will create an instant sensation of happiness
- Acceptance of yourself and others around you, despite the ways in which we are all different from one another
Daydreaming
- Happy, uplifting tone full of excitement
- Reminising on a relationship that feels like a daydream
- Energetic horn, drums, and electric guitar
- “Give me all of your love, give me something to dream about”
Late Night Talking
- Makes me reminisce of a long summertime drive, blasting music with the windows rolled down all the way
- Upbeat, pop melody representing being open about your emotions with someone special
- “I’ll do everything I can to help you though” and “I just wanna make you happier”
Adore You
- Affectionate phrase showing admiration, appreciation, and respectfulness
- Blissful, heartfelt moment wanting to show your partner how much you adore them
- A promise to adore and love them with all you have, “I’d walk through fire for you” and “It’s the only thing I’ll ever do”
Sunflower, Vol. 6
- Uplifting and determined melody
- Imagining what a relationship could be if that person would let down their walls
- A sort of plead to let someone get to know the real you
- “Want you more than a melody” and “Wish I could get to know you”
Daylight
- Hopeful and wishful tones
- Feeling pushed away from someone you had felt connected to
- “You’d be the spoon, dip you in honey so I could be sticking to you”
- Waiting and longing for the person you thought was perfect for you but still being optimistic that one day your fate would be different
Satellite
- Beautiful, light and airy melody transition to a release of high energy
- Feelings of being lost and confused while waiting for someone
- “Spinning out waiting for ya to pull me in”
Keep Driving
- Avoidance towards the difficulties of life
- Despite everything that may be going wrong, you must continue on
- “I will always love you” and “We held darkness in withheld clouds”
Lights Up
- Uplifting and inspirational melody
- Shows themes of self-reflection and self-discovery
- “All the lights couldn’t put out the dark” showing a release from what was originally holding you back
Golden
- “I know you’re way too bright for me”
- Represents the initial high point and energy when a new relationship starts
- High energy tunes exclaiming that a lover is bright like the sunshine
- Not wanting to be alone and scared to get your heart broken with the impression that the other person “deserves better” than what you could offer
Ovulation phase
The third stage of the menstrual cycle, the ovulation phase involves many intense mood swings and emotional shifts, similarly dramatic to the menstrual phase, just in a distinctive manner. During this specific phase, a feeling of recklessness and agitated energy will likely occur followed by excitement as well as enticement towards someone special.
Cinema
- Upbeat, smooth rhythm
- Shows confidence and determination
- Basking in uncertainty and excitement of a new relationship
- Referring to a lover as a cinematic masterpiece
She
- Passionate infatuation with a lover
- “She lives in a daydream with me”
- The figure referred to as “she” represents an imaginative escape from reality
Only Angel
- Oxymoron of the pure soul of an angel
- “She’s an angel, my only angel”
- Dreamy piano introduction transitioning into a burst of guitar and drums
- An undeniable attraction and excitement for a new lover
Watermelon Sugar
- Enjoying the pleasure and happiness of life
- Ode to the enjoyment of summer memories
- The initial high of an exciting relationship
Woman
- Deep jealousy of an ex-lover that is with someone new
- Selfishness and longing for someone who is not yours
- “Apologies are never gonna fix this” and “I hope you can see, the shape I’ve been in”
Kiwi
- Upbeat, agitated rock ballad
- Aggressive refusal to acknowledge and accept memories from the past
- “She sits beside me like a silhouette” and “Driving me crazy, but I’m kinda into it”
Carolina
- Upbeat, electric guitar tunes
- “So far away, but she says I remind her home”
- About initially meeting someone and becoming infatuated with them
- Excitement and anticipation of getting to know someone
Music for a Sushi Restaurant
- Pop, electronic melody
- Depicts feelings of uncertainty, excitement, and desire
- “Our hearts were never full, could we live with just a taste?”
luteal phase
During final stage of the menstrual cycle, the luteal phase, you may notice a decrease of estrogen levels leading to a decline in levels of serotonin prior to the start of your next period. You may experience feelings of irritability and a depressive or low mood along with a lack of energy and absent-mindedness. However, despite these negative attributions of the luteal phase, the brain is simulated with calming neurotransmitters allowing for a heightened feeling of relaxation, better sleep, and the ability to be more attuned to your emotions.
Meet Me in the Hallway
- Feelings of grief, regret, and jealousy after ending a relationship
- The hallway signifies a way to meet in the middle to compromise
- “I gotta get better and maybe we’ll work it out”
To Be So Lonely
- “Do you think it’s easy being of the jealous kind?”
- Loneliness and jealousy when attempting to move on from someone you used to feel close with
- An acknowledgement of past mistakes and the hope for them to be fixed in the future
Sweet Creature
- The hardships of becoming distant with someone you love
- Dreaming of what could have been and the perfect moments together
- “Oh, how we started, two hearts in one home” and “Whenever I go, you’ll bring me home”
From the Dining Table
- Feeling alone and uncomfortable in your own silence
- Somber tone of painful emotions for someone you once loved
- “Maybe one day you’ll call me and tell me you’re sorry too”
Love of My Life
- Longing for something you once had in past memories
- References specific pieces of life that had meant so much to you
- “It’s not what I wanted to leave you behind, don’t know where you’ll land when you fly, but baby you were the love of my life”
Little Freak
- Reminiscent of a relationship ending and the endless feelings of regret
- Emotional ballad of selfishness and guilt
- “I’m not worried about where you are or who you go home to, I’m just thinking about you”
As It Was
- Imagining a time where everything was happier and easier
- Loneliness and desire to go back to the way it used to be
- “In this world, its’s just us” and “You know it’s not the same as it was”
- Acceptance of how things can change and might not ever be the same again, yet we must continue on with our lives
Cherry
- Embodies the heartbreak of a past lover
- Slow, sorrowful melody
- “Don’t call him what you used to call me”
- Song ends with a voicemail from an ex-girlfriend
Matilda
- Home is not a place, but a state of mind
- Somber tone throughout the whole song showing signs of a dysfunctional situation
- Guilty feeling of not belonging, “You don’t have to be sorry for leaving and growing up”
- Representative of bringing someone into your home and creating safety and security for that person
Ever Since New York
- Depicts an emotional internal struggle, “There’s no antidote for this curse”
- Strong, powerful chorus beginning with “Oh tell me something I don’t already know”
- Shows a strong sadness and disconnect about someone you deeply care about