Anticipation was high for Harry Styles’ comeback single As It Was – and he did not disappoint. Marking the first release from his upcoming album Harry’s House, which he recently announced is coming out on May 20th this year, the pressure was on for Styles to live up to the popularity and success of his two previous solo albums, Fine Line and his self-titled debut album Harry Styles.
Like other fans from across the world, I anxiously waited until midnight of April 1st to watch the music video and listen to Styles’ new release. After the song begins with a recording of a child’s voice saying “Come on Harry, we wanna say goodnight to you”, which Styles has now confirmed is the that of his God-daughter, As It Was immediately launches into an upbeat, 80s-style synth melody, reminiscent of a-ha’s hit song Take on Me. Unlike his previous two albums, which have had a more rock-inspired feel to them, this single feels like the start of a new era for Styles’ music. It’s not as though Styles hasn’t released more experimental music before, however; his previous album Fine Line definitely begun to introduce more electronic, synth beats, with the likes of Adore You and Lights Up, but this new single is undeniably the first of a new wave of songs that I feel Styles is using to redefine his identity as an artist.
There’s certainly a bittersweet taste left behind after listening to As It Was. The vulnerable lyrics exquisitely contrast with the upbeat tempo, Styles softly and tentatively singing above the stylish, buoyant synth melody. You can’t help but tap your feet along to the melody of this song, or even get up and dance, but when listened to more closely, Styles’ lyrics evoke a strong sense of contemplation and sincerity. He is no stranger to vulnerability in his music, both his previous albums bursting with heartfelt and sensitive lyrical genius, yet I can’t help but feel that something about this new song feels like his most vulnerable and open release to date. With lines such as ‘Harry, you’re no good alone / Why are you sitting at home on the floor? / What kind of pills are you on?’ and ‘Leave America, two kids follow her / I don’t wanna talk about who’s doin’ it first’, Styles’ single feels like an incredibly honest and confessional track. There’s no doubt he is referencing his girlfriend, actress and filmmaker Olivia Wilde in the latter line, which is the first (obvious) reference of this kind towards her in his music. Styles seems to be inviting us into his personal world – quite literally when considering the title of his album is Harry’s House – and to an even more open and expressive side to him and his music.
Whether you’re a hardcore Harry Styles fan or simply an appreciator of his music – or neither for that matter – something tells me that you’ll be hearing As It Was, and the rest of Styles’ impending album, throughout the summer and beyond. Perhaps you’ll hear the faint melody on a hot summer’s day as a car drives past, its windows down. As quickly as you hear it, it’ll be gone. But that’s okay; Styles, with this new release, invites us to willingly float along with the ebbs and flows of life and find peace in the changes that surround us.