My favorite holiday is occurring again after nearly 4 years. I’ve established Harry Styles’ return to the music world with the release of his new single “Aperture” and the upcoming album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. As many businesses and fans all over the world are doing, I’m hosting a mini KATTDO listening party. If you are excited about this glorious day for the music world, here are some ways to celebrate.
- Themed Drinks
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My partner and I have thrown themed parties before, like a Love Island reunion-themed party. Honestly, half of the fun of parties is the setup. For me, a lot of these parties are more like “gatherings” of close friends. No matter how many people are attending, inventing themed drinks for the party is a great way to enhance the experience and get you excited.
For the KATTDO listening party, I’ll have a few themed drinks based on the album itself. One drink will be themed off the “kiss” part of the album, as a sparkly, edible-glitter-infused pink mocktail. Non-alcoholic drinks work well for these events, and having at least one non-alcoholic drink at the party means those who are driving or don’t want to drink can participate.
Where there is a “kiss” drink, there has to be a “disco” drink as well. These drinks can be set up however you want, whether it is a fancy cocktail or simply blue Kool-Aid. For an extra drink option, theme one after the elusive tomato motif of this album for the real obsessors. When you are done brainstorming, hop on Canva to create a personalized drink menu to add fun to your night!
- Harry Styles Trivia
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I have become a trivia enthusiast, and creating a specialized Harry Styles trivia game is something that stops the event from taking itself too seriously. You could do basic questions about his music, or get creative and have people guess your favorite song, or sort songs. You could even add in some throwbacks like Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling and Spitgate. He’s been around a while, so there’s a lot to choose from.
- Music Video Binge Watch
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I love music videos. They are the best of both worlds: an auditory experience with a captivating visual element. Personally, I will have a queue of Harry Styles’ best music videos on in the background while everyone arrives. The easiest way to do this is to create a YouTube playlist with all of your favorites in order. If you aren’t particular, just shuffle all of Harry Styles’ official music videos under his artist profile on YouTube.
@HarryStyles on YouTube - Listen to the Album
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I’ll admit, I’m having the listening party on March 7 so I can listen to KATTDO by myself upon its release at midnight on March 6. For a listening party, prepare to discuss the music and share your thoughts while the album is playing. If you are someone who likes to experience things quietly the first time, be sure to listen to the album in advance. I know I’ll be going through the album track-by-track to analyze and fully immerse myself in the experience before I meet up with friends for a larger discussion.
Parties often have staggered arrival times, and I’ll be waiting until everyone is present to begin the album experience. While listening to the album, feel free to pull out some card games to have a physical activity everyone can be a part of while listening. If you want to bring things to the next level, have everyone bring talking points about the album so you can share and discuss general pop culture thoughts and takes on the album.
Overall, listening parties are a fun way to gather people together for a common interest. Community is so important, and experiencing things together can make memories for a long time after the event itself is over. While you wait for Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., watch the “Aperture” music video and prepare for Harry Styles’ double-feature as the host and musical guest of SNL on March 14.