Harry Styles recently announced his second solo album, “Fine Line”, to be released on December 13th, and has dropped two singles to give fans a taste of what is to come. It has been a while since “Harry Styles,” his debut solo album, was released back in 2017. That album displayed exactly who Harry could be outside of One Direction, the iconic boyband where his musical career started. His music was edgier, smarter and more mature. The shift in his musical voice was a reflection of him coming into his own; writing songs just for himself.
Many artists struggle to find their own identity once they leave the band or start to grow up: look at every disney star who grows up to make a name for themselves. Many work hard to distance themselves from their early work, but few are able to do it in a way that feels natural — not just a rebellion for the sake of it. Many tend to come out with highly sexual, edgy content to shove in the faces of their audience to prove they have grown up.
After One Direction disbanded in 2016, everyone was eager to see what the members would do after. Who would fade back into irrelevance and who would actually create a career for themselves? Harry and Zayn have arguably had the best careers out of the bunch; both have had highly successful music and a large following. Harry’s new career, especially, has longevity. It has been a long time since One Direction’s glory days, but his new album release and world tour are highly anticipated. Although his fan base has grown up, their excitement and cult-like support for the singer has endured.
But why him? What made Harry Styles the one to break through and become a superstar on his own? Harry has undeniable talent and knows how to perform. More than that, his new music feels very true to himself and personal. It is a far cry from the upbeat pop music of One Direction and you can tell that he prefers a more alternative, rock and roll style. His solo work has a distinct identity away from the very mainstream music that most of his former bandmates went to. Harry’s doing exactly what he wants to doing and saying what he wants to say.. Fans respond to that.
Harry’s charismatic presence makes him more likeable than many other celebrities that start out young. His multiple appearances on SNL and interviews throughout the years have helped him cultivate an image of honesty and kindness . He blurslines with his androgynous style and cheeky music in a refreshingly genuine way. He’ll wear a tutu and look good doing it.
I’ll be going to see Harry in concert August 2020, and man, am I excited! I was never a huge One Direction fan —sorry I was a Justin Beiber girl — but I fell in love with Harry’s music and I think the rest of the world will fall for him too.