Harry Styles Impresses with Debut Album
May 25, 2017
Former One Direction member Harry Styles recently released his first album, ‘Harry Styles’ on May 12, 2017. This album completely ditched the stereotypical bubblegum pop typical of boybands and instead took on a much grittier, rock sound that is reminiscent of rock from the 1970s and 1980s.
I won’t lie and say that I was not at one point obsessed with One Direction, but that was also during middle school when pretty much every girl was. Despite my previous obsession, when other members of One Direction released their first solo albums, I was not particularly impressed with their music.
However, Harry Styles surpassed my expectations, creating a sound that is far more mature than the music One Direction made. He proves time and time again on this album that his vocal talents are genuine and that he can sing several different styles of music with ease.
“Sign of the Times” was the first song to be released from the album, and it is one of my personal favorites. It talks about the state of our world in a catchy, rock anthem.
Harry Styles was previously a member of One Direction, but after the boyband broke up in 2016, all the members, including Styles, have pursued solo careers.
Another favorite from the album is “Kiwi,” which sounds like a classic rock song. The song is full of electric guitar riffs and solos, as well as lots of rage- yes, Styles is clearly angry, and it is certainly evident in this song.
One surprising thing about the album was that there are quite a few slower songs than there are faster ones. Songs like ‘Carolina’ and ‘Woman’ are some of the only faster songs on the album. I like that there are more slower songs because it gives me the impression that Styles cares about the music he is putting out there, and not just trying to produce music that will sell.
Not including lots of fast songs may not allow for Styles to have the next ‘song of the summer,’ but it certainly allows his talent and arrangements to be displayed.
The only complaint that I have with the album is that every song is about the same subject- women. He does sing both about love, heartbreak and everything in between, but the main idea of every song has to do with love. It would be nice if he had explored other topics through his music.
Overall, Harry Styles’ debut album is a hit, and it certainly sets him apart from other artists, particularly those who he was previously in a band with. It will be interesting to see how his music progresses as his grows older and matures even further than he already has.
