So, as we’re sure you’ve heard, Harry Styles released his newest album, Fine Line, in December. Needless to say, it slaps. Harry has described it as an album that’s “all about having sex and feeling sad,” so really, what more could you want out of an album? We’ve both been listening to it pretty religiously since its release, and of course there are some songs that stick out. We’ll preface this by saying that each and every one of these songs is amazing and that we don’t actually dislike any of them, but that a few just bop a little harder.
- Adore You
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Our favorite line: “You’re wonder under summer sky.”
It’s really hard to NOT love this song. The track is all about passion for a significant other, and how far you would go for them.The lyrics are amazing, the beats and melodies are beautiful. The music video too, while odd, is really cute and fun to watch. Overall, this song is without flaw. Every time it comes on, you kind of have to say, “This is so good!”
- Sunflower, Vol. 6
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Our favorite line: “Kiss in the kitchen like it’s a dance floor.”
This is the perfect song to have in the background while you’re driving, studying, or cooking in the kitchen. It has a soothing melody and lyrics that really stick with you. “Sunflower” seems to be Harry’s reflection on a past relationship, where he really accepts that it’s over. But he emotional aspect doesn’t make the song sad, really, just bittersweet. It’s the perfect breakup bop.
- Watermelon Sugar
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Our favorite line: “Baby, you’re the end of June.”
Easily the most catchy song on the album, Watermelon Sugar is understandably one of the most popular releases. The instrumentals perfectly match Harry’s vocals, creating a song that will remind you of a beautiful summer evening. You can take the song at face value, where it’s about strawberries and a summer fling, or you can delve into the deeper meaning of reminiscing about past lovers.
- Lights Up
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Our favorite line: “It’d be so sweet if things just stayed the same.”
You’ll want to dance when you hear Lights Up. The layered synth sound projects Harry’s voice like we’ve never heard it before, and the end result is wonderful. The harmonious vocals don’t necessarily match the lyrics, but it flows in a way that is unapologetically bold. The lyric “Do you know who you are?” will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day after listening to Lights Up on repeat. (And trust us – you’ll need to listen to it on repeat.)
- Golden
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Our favorite line: “Lovin’ you’s the antidote, Golden”
The opening track reveals the highs and ultimate fears one experiences during the a new and bright relationship. It’s arguably one of the best songs to drive to, especially at night or as the sun sets. It paves the way for the rest of the album which is centered around moving on and healing from heartbreak, so of course it’s a banger.
- Canyon Moon
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Our favorite line: “An old lover’s hippie music, pretends not to know the words, and I keep thinking back to the time under the canyon moon.”
This song is undoubtedly a piece of modern poetry. The song’s message and lyrics stand out against the rest of the album, but it is definitely hard not to fall in love with this song. The upbeat sound paired with the emotional lyrics creates what we consider to be a true bop. Like “Sunflower, Vol. 6”, this song is about Harry thinking back to and accepting the end of a relationship. It seems to be the final stage in the breakup-grief cycle, acceptance and moving on.
- She
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Our favorite line: “Lives for the memory, a woman who’s just in his head, and she sleeps in his bed, while he plays pretend.”
This song just has such smooth and amazing vibes. Its deeper meaning, while complicated, explores a situation in which a man struggles with his gender identity. Because of the heavier content, it’s not necessarily a song that you could, for example, play at a party. (But, let’s be honest, if someone did, we’d still jam out to it).
- Cherry
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Our favorite line: “Don’t you call him what you used to call me.”
This song (and really the entire album) was written about Harry’s ex-girlfriend Camille Rowe, and it even features her voice at the end. Harry revealed that she took a phone call while he was playing the guitar and she happened to be speaking in the same key, so the recording ended up in the song. This song exposes a very emotionally vulnerable part of a breakup, where one person has moved on quicker than the other, and the other is left hurting. It’s heartbreaking to listen to, but a great song nonetheless.
- Falling
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Our favorite line: “And I get the feeling that you’ll never need me again.”
Talk about the ultimate heartbreak anthem; this song’s emotional power is really unmatchable. This one really highlights just how awful heartbreak can be and how easy it is to lose yourself in the sadness of it all. Plus, Harry’s vulnerability really shows in this song through the vocals and simple background music. We wouldn’t recommend playing this song on a lighthearted drive or anything like that, but it’s really the ideal breakup song for when you just need to be sad.
- To Be So Lonely
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Our favorite line: “Do you think it’s easy being of the jealous kind?”
This one has the same format as a drunk phone call; it’s all about denial and placing the blame on someone else. It’s a stage of progressively healing from an intense breakup. It’s a very simple, yet well done piece. For us, this song just doesn’t get as many replays because its not as upbeat and catchy as some of the others.
- Treat Me with Kindness and Fine Line
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Our favorite line(s): “Maybe we can find a place to feel good and we can treat people with kindness.” and “You’ve got my devotion, but man, I can hate you sometimes.”
It’s impossible to truly rank all of the songs on this album, and we really can’t decide between these two. Fine Line is all about taking the good with the bad and finding the balance in love. It’s all about closure. It’s the most serious song on the album because it sums up all the feelings from the rest of the tracks prior to it. Treat People With Kindness is a slogan Harry has been using since 2017 during his first tour. It’s an empowering symbol of love and acceptance for his fans. It’s an outlier on the album though, as it doesn’t discuss the feelings during a relationship or breakup.
In case you can’t tell, Fine Line is definitely our favorite album at the moment. It’s important, we think, to emphasize that we really didn’t have any criteria for ranking these. We kind of just decided based on the arbitrary feeling we get from listening to them! Your favorites could be completely different than ours, and they would also be correct! We hope you enjoyed our input on this incredible album, and if you haven’t listened to it yet, stream it on Spotify!
https://open.spotify.com/album/7xV2TzoaVc0ycW7fwBwAml?si=e2SgCFptTOmTyPxzbtZYHg