by Tana Coulon
Since exploding onto the music scene as a former member of One Direction, the biggest boy band in the world, Harry Styles has continued to flaunt his musical talent. Styles began his musical career in 2010 on The X Factor, a British music competition. After being with One Direction for several years, the band announced their indefinite hiatus in 2016, and since then, Styles has persisted with his solo career and continues to thrive. With the new release of his third studio album, Harry’s House, Styles continues to prosper as a solo artist. He utilizes events from his personal life to bring skillfully crafted witty lyrics into play.
The newly released album has already broken numerous sales records. After just three days of being released, Harry’s House broke the record for the biggest vinyl sales week in the U.S. since 1991 by selling 182,000 copies. Apple Music tweeted, “In its first two hours, #HarrysHouse earned the most first-day streams for a pop album released in 2022.” “As It Was” was the first released single from the album, and it has been the U.S. number one single for four consecutive weeks, while three additional songs in the top 10. NME voiced their opinion on Harry’s House with a four-star review, and even claimed that the album was his “best work yet.”
Not only do fans adore Harry’s House, but Styles himself has called it his “favorite album” during a conversation with interviewer Zane Lowe. He also discusses that his happiness no longer depends on the success of his music. As Styles was working on the album, the title Harry’s House was more of an internal location rather than a geographical location. A newfound electronic sound can be heard throughout the album, along with intimate tones that the musician has included in his songs. At the age of 28, Styles expresses how he is still continuing to come to terms with the past decade of his career and how he is viewed by the public eye. He also shared details about how the idea of Harry’s House came to be what it is. While living in Japan, he listened to Haruomi Hosono's 1973 album Hosono House, which mirrors the title that Styles had chosen for his work.
Styles starts off the album with a catchy ‘70’s sounding opener, “Music For A Sushi Restaurant.” All around, the song eases the listener with a feel-good, upbeat tone. Continuing with a cheerful tempo, Styles expresses his feelings in his next track “Late Night Talking.”
While the album generally holds optimistic attitudes, the heartfelt track “Matilda” dives into complicated, deeper feelings with lyrics such as, “You can throw a party full of everyone you know/And not invite your family 'cause they never showed you love.”
With a delicate guitar picking pattern, the track examines dealing with childhood traumas and eventually blooming into your own person and leaving behind your past by starting anew and surrounding yourself with those who hold faithful love towards you.
Styles also centers the more sensual side of a relationship in the track “Cinema” With a passionate tone, he conveys his adoration for the relationship in the lyrics, “I just think you're cool / I dig your cinema/Do you think I'm cool too? Or am I too into you?"
Styles closes off his long awaited third studio album with the song, “Love Of My Life.” The song is a trip down memory lane for Styles, remembering past sorrowful and joyful memories in a relationship. He communicates the longing that he holds when it comes to this past relationship and explains that his intentions were to not break it apart. The realization that what they had could have worked out if certain pieces were put into play from both parties also floods back to Harry throughout the song.
Fans of One Direction have watched Harry Styles grow into an established independent artist while also growing alongside him as well, which plays into sentimental factors of the album. In music, Styles has coasted through emotions and feelings, and with Harry’s House, we can truly see the person that he has developed into and can observe him establish a persona that he is truly comfortable with. By touching on sensitive points, Harry tears his walls down and takes listeners through portions of his life that he has chosen to present to his fans. Harry’s House reflects heavily on his identity and how he has grown since being a teen idol. He has matured into a position where he is capable of being fully vulnerable in his work, which is why it is no surprise as to why this album is his favorite piece that he has worked on.