After taking an almost three year hiatus, Harry Styles is back, and dare I say, better than ever. Styles released his fourth album on March 6. In this article, I am going to give my thoughts, reviews and give a ranking for each track.
- “American Girls”
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A song that makes it impossible to not want to get up and dance. I absolutely love this song.
I think that since Styles’ fanbase is largely made up of American girls, this song was almost like a personal thank you to them. It’s not only so fun, but also greatly written.
- “Coming Up Roses”
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This song is so beautiful and somewhat unexpected. It was a soft song on a dancing album, which I love, since the title prompts taking in all aspects of life. I think it’s about the beauty of relationships of all kinds and how meaningful connections are.
- “Carla’s Song”
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This is the “Matilda” of HS4. It’s like a personal letter to each individual listener, giving everyone a chance to make their own meaning and attach it to the song.
It’s so peaceful, yet still has an incredible beat. I adore the line “It’s all waiting there for you.” It represents the idea of letting life take control and accepting your life as is, in a positive way of course.
- “Paint By Numbers”
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This song was definitely a tribute to Liam Payne, which is why it holds such a high place on both the ranking and in my heart. It was the sweetest nod to Liam. As Styles rarely discusses One Direction, I think that this song was the perfect way to pour out his emotions.
- “Taste Back”
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This song isn’t only so catchy, but it’s also such has such a sweet message. I believe it’s a song about accepting the love around you. You aren’t yourself without the people that love you, and this song says that perfectly.
- “The Waiting Game”
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A song about the journey of finding other people to fit into your life. It’s one of my favorites because it’s not only a great message, but I love the beat of this song so much. It’s so cute and I can’t wait to hear a full stadium sing this during his upcoming tour.
- “Aperture”
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After listening to the full album, I understand why Styles released this as the single. It is a great song that can stand alone beside the album, however, it also fits perfectly within it. It is such a catchy song, and I love the idea of letting light in and making everything more positive.Â
- “Ready, Steady, Go!”
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I have to admit, on the first listen I didn’t love this song. However, after I listened a few more times, it is one of my favorites. The beat is so good and I love the repetition of counting in the song. It’s a fun and flirty song, with so much character amidst the rest of the album. I also just love the title.
- “Dance No More”
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Now this is a song that belongs on an album with this title. I love that it is something I’ve never heard before from Styles and that it has its own style apart from the rest of the songs. It’s so awesome and I love the line “Respect your mother.” It’s just fun and definitely a great one to sing and dance to.
- “Pop”
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“Pop” is “Cinema”‘s older, cooler sibling. It is so fun, with the same fun tone that “Cinema” has, yet it is much more fitting for this album. I love the lyrics. However, I think that the instrumentals really carry this song. It is not only a great dancing song, but will be so fun to sing along to with your friends.Â
- “Are You Listening Yet?”
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I really like the beat. I think it’s interesting as it’s so assertive, while so enticing at the same time. It’s pulling the listeners deeper into the song and beat as it goes on. I love the background vocals in this track. It adds to how good the song already is, while not taking away from the main vocals and instrumentals.
- “Season 2 Weight Loss”
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I really like this song. It is only last place because the beat reminded me of the “Grey’s Anatomy” theme song, which I could not get out of my head. Besides the beat, I think the lyrics are really great. They are some of the best on the album. If not for the beat, this would be much higher on the list.
This ranking was so difficult, considering this album has no skips on it. While this is a list of my favorites, I recommend listening for yourself, as everyone has different taste. I hope you all enjoy Styles’ new album and love it just as much as I do!