Fans rejoice! April just started and Harry Styles decided to give fans a taste of his new music. He dropped a new single “As It Was” and a music video along with it. The song is from his new album “Harry’s House” that will release on May 20th.
Fans were nervous and excited as the new single marked a new era of Harry’s music. The single didn’t disappoint as it already broke records, according to Spotify.
The song gives an 80’s dance-pop feel to it. It sounds like the 80’s sound of disco and synth-pop is making a return to music as artists like The Weeknd and Dua Lipa are incorporating into their albums. When you first hear the single, you just want to bust out dancing to the addicting beat. Once you go back and listen to the lyrics, the lyrics are more vulnerable, and it can bring the listener to tears. It’s a song to cry to as you dance the pain away. According to Esquire, when Styles spoke to BBC Radio 1 about the single, he said its about “embracing change, losing oneself, finding oneself.” That’s the beauty of music as it allows the people to express their feelings and open up.
Though Styles said what the single is about, people are still speculating what was the hidden meaning behind the song. It can vary from his romantic relationship to his childhood. The song and the music video leave it up to interpretation. The music video is very colorful as we start with Styles behind a reflective door wearing a bright red coat that reveals a red sequin suit underneath as he’s being pushed back into the door revealing another room. According to Pitchfork, the colorful music video was directed by Ukraine filmmaker Tanu Muiño who talked about how shooting it was bittersweet feeling.
“It was one of the happiest days of my life, but on the second day of the shoot, my country Ukraine was invaded so you can imagine the insane emotions we had while shooting. Me and my team from Ukraine poured so much love into this video and you can see it on screen. It will be a music video I will never forget and now I can happily retire,” said Tanu Muiño, according to Pitchfork.
The music video correlates so beautifully with the lyrics from the moment you hear Harry’s goddaughter call out to him to the last “as it was.” You can see how Styles felt disconnected to the world around him, but always tries to reunite with the girl in blue as they look each other for embrace and protection until they continue their separate paths in a never-ending circle where it’s only them in the room. Style points up to himself in a new setting where he could be addressing to himself about the difficulty of finding himself as he starts taking off his clothes until he’s only in his briefs. He’s in a vulnerable state as he looks up to the sky and hugs the girl in blue before both are transported to colorful room. They’re holding each other’s hand as they are in separate parts of the wall before being trapped by the people around them and separated by a blank canvas.
And he’s right, things aren’t the same as it was. Everything changes and instead of being afraid, it’s time to embrace it. Styles starts dancing which could be his form of accepting the change and passes the gates as a new person.
According to Billboard, Styles told Sirius XM’s The Morning Mash Up hosts Stanley T, Ryan Sampson and Nicole Ryan about his sentiments towards his new album.
“I feel like it’s the first time I’m making music and putting music out from a real place of personal freedom.” – Harry Styles
All in all, the song is a hit. Wouldn’t be surprised that the album will also be a success. May 20th can’t come any closer.