I know what you’re thinking. This is going to be another superficial piece about some irrelevant teenage heartthrob written by a fan-girl who somehow let her obsession permeate into her work.
Now, only SOME of that is true. Yes, Harry Styles was apart of a world-renowned boyband. Yes, I am quite passionate about the work of this one individual. However… No, I will not just discuss what Styles’ latest haircut was or who he was just seen with. No, the contributions he has made for the music industry and society have made him well-deserving of the attention he attracts. And no, I did not just let Styles’ impact passively seep through my work, I opened the doors for it.
Styles’ past is one that has been highly publicized
– auditioning for a British singing competition, The X Factor UK, getting lumped into a boyband by Simon Cowell, finishing a disappointing third in the competition, and launching the sensational five-year career of One Direction.
In their active years, the band worked relentlessly to produce music, releasing five studio albums. Embarking on four world-tours, Styles could be seen dressed in some patterned top and black, skinny jeans, making a fool of himself. Accompanied by his bandmates, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik, Styles spent his time on stage running (or tripping) around, engaging with the crowds, and making dad-jokes.
Fast forward a couple of years and Styles’ is on tour for his self-titled debut album. While on stage, he stills gets in his cardio for the day, he still has the crowds responding back to him in one large voice, and he still cracks cheesy jokes. However, this time, he is surrounded by his close group of bandmembers that solely play instruments. He could be rocking either a glittery, sea-foam blue blouse with white bell-bottoms or a Gucci floral-embroidery suit, with the Pride flag often draped over his shoulders.
Before we delve into the social disturbance that Styles has evoked, let’s talk about music.
Styles’ 2017 debut album, Harry Styles, is truly a work of art. While the album did not compete well against other main-stream works, Harry Styles quickly solidified his place in the music industry as a classic Rock icon. The album artwork includes a variety of shots of Styles’, in high fashion and submerged in water alluding to some sort of baptism or his rebirth as a rock and roll artist.
The tracklist of the album is set up as if to tell a story. The start of the album conveys Styles in a state of distress, recovering from a break-up or an addiction with the hazy, acoustic track Meet Me in the Hallway. The eight middle pieces are a rollercoaster of emotions with the innocent tale Sweet Creature to the ecstatic, high track Kiwi. The ninth and final song is a somber, aching close From the Dining Table.
What makes Harry Styles so exceptional from what currently circulates the music charts is the impact the nostalgia-fueled album has on the music industry’s future generation. Styles has reopened the doors of classic rock, with a hint of Britpop, to the youth by exposing his pre-existing pop-based following to his new, almost radical, image. In an age where it seems like every song played on the radio station has the same rhythmic tone and generic lyrics, Harry Styles is a breath of fresh air of a new world.
His album takes inspiration from artists such as David Bowie, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Prince, The Beatles, and many more past idols – ultimately forging his own style. He uses the voices of the past to influence the voices of the future. This timeless piece of work, Harry Styles touches the souls of music-lovers of all ages. Ultimately, this album serves as a bridge for the generation disparity that is impacted by what we listen to, so that we can all enjoy the universal beauty of music.
Styles uses his voice for more than just music. While he is a fairly inactive social media user, Styles does use his multitude of platforms to advocate for what he believes in. Putting a big emphasis on gun control, immigration, and sexual harassment, Styles donated a hefty amount of $1.2 million to multiple charities in 2018. Every famous person that has met Styles only has appraisals and good things to say about him, I mean, his life motto is “Treat People With Kindness.”
However, I do believe his greatest impact on society today is his slashing of toxic masculinity. After going solo as an artist, Styles really began experimenting with fashion and his image. He is known for his lavish clothing on stage and on the red carpet, often sporting Gucci or Yves Saint Laurent. His nails are always carefully painted and his fingers are adorned in extravagant rings. He likes to blur the line between the genders – creating fluidity and ambiguity.
This is so important, not because there is anything wrong with male celebrities wanting to dress in what is known as more “masculine” clothing, but because of the representation of those who don’t want to be restricted of what they can and cannot wear. Styles going out of his comfort zone to fully express himself encourages little boys and girls to do the same thing without being afraid of judgment or weird looks.
When asked about his sexuality, he has always said that he does not like labels. This is not him accepting or denying anything, but rather, it is him rejecting yet another ridiculous norm that we must identify with one thing or another, something society has pushed for too long. Styles vocalizing LGBQT+ rights to his following as well as the world continues to progress the conversation of inclusivity and sets the tone for those of future generations.
Harry Styles is more than just a former boyband member. His music holds emotion and his influence holds great power. He is a legend in the making.
Stream his new music coming out soon. 🙂
Incredibly well written piece!! I never knew about his platform or charity work but it appears that his image is neatly spotless and represents the phrase “love you neighbor”. I hope he can continue to reach people in ways other than charity or incorporate more messages into song lyrics. Do you know of any of his songs which demonstrate his viewpoints or ideas in their lyrics?
Thank you so much! I wouldn’t necessarily that his reputation is spotless due to his recent, Rolling Stones interview where he admits to indulging in drugs/psychedelics for creative inspiration. Also, some people criticize some his lyrics for portraying in a typical, sexist way as “dirty girls,” like in his song Kiwi. However, to answer your question, I think that the ballad Sign of the Times mostly conveys his message. While he could be singing about love/heartbreak, he also could be singing about overcoming adversity and accepting life.
very thought provoking. really liked the part where he said he ‘doesn’t like label’ 😉
His music and style is really refreshing because it’s so different from the mainstream music scene today. I definitely think his willingness to branch out and make music that fits his persona and voice should be commended! And his sound has matured a lot since 1D (which was also pretty iconic), but his current style is so fitting and perfect!!
I was never really interested in one direction during their peak, boy band popularity (I was the paradigm “not like other girls” girl), but in the years since their break up, I have found myself intested in the different paths each boy took; Harry’s music seems to be the most diversified and abnormal from typical pop hits–though that’s not to say ome haven’t been on the builboard. Do you know why he was originally singles out and popularized more than the others? He seems very confident in who he is, which is why I believe he has been able to make a large part of his impact on traditional gender roles and switching music up.
During the One Direction years, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik were the ones who got the most solos in their songs. However, I think that Harry seemed to be the public favorite due to his physical appearance and confidence as well as his vocal ability. Zayn was the one who could hit the high notes but he was much more closed off and there were some people who would attack his race (calling him a terrorist.) After they split, Harry still had that strong fan-base that stuck with him. He seemed to bud into a new, radical image which is really appealing to young people.
Honestly, I always kind of thought Harry Styles was overrated in his 1D years (my thoughts have now changed after reading your post, of course). I’ve become more aware of him recently after his popularity on Twitter (which although it has not really been him posting, there have been a lot of accounts celebrating his fashion and dismantling of toxic masculinity, as you’ve mentioned). I think your telling of his story, from the days of X Factor to now, has been really enlightening about his character and journey. I noticed earlier you mentioned in another comment that his reputation isn’t necessarily spotless because his use of drugs/psychedelics, but do you think that takes away from the work he’s done or should that be considered separately (or should it even change how his character is perceived at all)?
I can definitely understand why people would have found him and the band overrated during their peak. I guess its just depends on everybody’s preference in music 🙂 It’s hard answering your question without sounding like a hypocrite, I know that psychedelic drugs are very illegal, but him taking them does not take away his impact on society. They are separate things and he should be condemned for the drugs, but he still brings good to the world. Also, it’s important that he isn’t advertising for everybody to start taking them. he’s just admitted to taking them. However, it’s hard to say how I feel about it.