Harry Styles: The Album
Harry’s album reminds me of those simple days under a tree, whilst the sun is setting and there’s a soft breeze brushing against my cheeks. I have been waiting for Harry orientated songs since the accidental release of Don’t Let Me Go (I had to mention it, sorry). The pure grit in his voice is tranquilising and the album is a gift sent from the heavens. You can imagine how excited I was when he first released 'Sign of the Times'.
I like the simplicity of the album. The name, the album cover. Who needs a quirky album title when his name is more powerful? The songs alone set the mood for quirky. When I read the song title ‘Kiwi’ I was half expecting a song about a fruit salad. But boy oh boy was I wrong. The rockiness and up-tempo of the song had me dancing around in my bedroom in my shorts and stained t-shirt, feeling like a rocker. There’s something beautiful about this work of genius. It’s hard to believe that this was the song that he wrote as a ‘joke’, when in reality, it’s one of the best songs in the album.
I still remember the morning of the album release. I had read on BBC Radio One that Harry would be introducing his new songs on the Breakfast Show with (my main man) Nick Grimshaw, and naturally, my body clock decided that this show was too good to miss. I was wide awake by 6am and eagerly waiting for the sound of Harry’s unnaturally deep ass voice.
(Click photo for link to his official page)
I know what most of you are thinking, the only reason I’m complimenting the album is because I was a huge fan of One Direction and because I absolutely ADORE Harry. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I’ll be honest, I had my doubts about the album, I was even too scared to purchase tickets to his tour because of these doubts, but god do I regret not buying any. Each song had me waiting impatiently for the next. I couldn’t decide on one favourite so I decided to narrow it down to my top three.
Sweet Creature- we had the pleasure of hearing this waaaaaay before the album release. I’m a strong believer of everyone interpreting a song in different ways. Every song has a different meaning to different people. This song in particular, reminds me of my mum. It reminds me of home. ‘When I run out of road, you bring me home’ ‘We’re both stubborn, I know’ ‘I always think about you and how we don’t speak enough’ Gaaaah, it just reminds me of how I don’t get to speak to her enough now that I’ve moved out, how we’re both stubborn as fuck and how I can always count on her to make me feel at home.
Woman- ‘Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and see what we can find?’ Bruh, we’ve all had those moments. His vocals in this song are mesmerising. It has a fun element to it; the chorus somehow manages to put this unwanted smile on my face. If you ever want to know how it feels falling in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same, listen to this song. It may be minimalist in how little words he uses, but the effortlessness of the words is enough.
Two Ghosts- You know how everyone has those ‘take a long drive to clear your head whilst you blast a song through the speakers’ moments? This is that song for those moments. This is perfect for those country road drives or those drives on snake roads. It has an air of calmness and it somehow manages to loosen every knot in my body. The words in the song are an added bonus to this masterpiece. You can feel the raw emotions in his words. I think I fell in love over a hundred times when I first heard this song.
(Click on photo for Spotify link)
The whole album has this aura that reminds me of the sea. As stupid as this interpretation might sound, there’s elements and sounds that just remind me of the sea. Maybe I’m recovering from my high from the album, I don’t know.
I feel I should stop here and let you discover more of the art that has been produced by Mr Styles (mainly because if I continue talking about it, we’d be here all night). I have attached a link to his album on Spotify and a link to his official page which directs you to iTunes, Vevo and Apple Music. Anyone who feels they would dislike his music because of One Direction, put your cards to the side and keep an open mind. I mean, there’s no harm in trying something new, right? If anything, you’d have discovered new music. And discovering new music is a blessing in its own sense.
Stay lovely .x
(All rights go to original owners of the photos used)
