Since we first meet Harry Styles as an “X Factor” contestant we all followed his steps on the road to stardom. One Directioners may have shed a tear for the band’s hiatus, but Harry Styles fans can’t get enough out of his new self-titled album, stating clear that his road has just begun and his story is still being written. Here are the hard facts about Harry Styles’ self-titled album.
Love and Sincerity
Photo source MTV
Since he “broke free” of One Direction, Harry Styles wanted to write his story as it is, the proverbial spread of wings. While still in the band, Harry Styles borrowed his songwriter skills to 1D hits like “Olivia,” “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Happily’’, but never felt quite happy with the final product due to not knowing if his thoughts will really reach the fans. With his self-titled album on the shelves, he can proudly say that he got to be honest with his fans, just as he wanted, sharing real-life stories about real-life people. While other artists sing about parties and fame, he tackled a topic that he felt was neglected, love. A subject that, as Harry says, has the biggest impact on a person “whether it’s platonic, romantic, loving it, gaining it, losing it … it always hits you hardest”. As he penned the name of the title, he taught about the name “Pink”, since he opted for a rock sound rather than a commercial pop (“Pink is the only true rock & roll colour”, said Harry), but in the end settled for his own name and the fans loved it.
About a Girl From “Carolina”
Photo source Just Jared
At this point in time, it’ more than clear, the album revolves around a very special girl in Harry’s heart. In an interview, Harry credited this mysterious girl as an inspiration and hinted that without her the album would have sounded a lot different. Many media outlets vehiculated that is an homage towards Taylor Swift or a courtship offering towards Kendall Jenner, but Harry actually had a different gal in mind. Harry said about the track “Carolina” that was written about that “someone” and that she just might find out about it since her name is in the song.
Visions of Pink
Photo source La X Más Música
A lot of themes flash in front of our eyes when we see Harry Styles’ album artwork design for the first time: war, purity, rebirth, vulnerability. At first, we catch a glimpse of Harry in a rather intimate endeavour, with his hands covering his face and his bare back displaying a lotus pendant while bathing in a murky pink water. The Lotus is a symbol of purity in Buddhism and as it hangs on Harry’s untattooed back one can only wonder if the artist is shielding his face from war and decay in the embodiment of the dirty and unclear water and showing his vulnerable and untouched side in a sign of rebirth. The pink shade of the water that sets the tone for the cover is a recurrent theme in Harry’s image. Dubbed by some as the “millennial pink”, due to brands using the hue to appeal to a younger generation, one can only wonder if Harry Styles is a keen business man or he really enjoys the colour.
Jamaica Getaway
Photo source LCI
Not a very peculiar place to record if you asked me. Like others before him, Harry found his oasis in the remote Geejam studio near Port Antonio, Jamaica, in efforts to get the creative juices flowing and also get some well-deserved peace and quiet. Thinking very fondly of his two months stay in Jamaica, he said that it was one of his happiest times in a while and that it was nice to escape the fame for a change. Heaven is indeed a place on earth!
Dream Come True
Photo source Paul Archibald
Many artists dream to just be in the same place were legendary bands like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Hollies once played, just to name a few. Harry took it one step further and actually had the chance to play his whole album in the iconic Abey Road Studio. To put it in his own words, the experience was “overwhelming, since the artist grew up as a Beatles fan right in the neighbourhood and always dreamed of a chance to be behind those walls.
Tour of Success
Harry’s record didn’t have much time to collect dust, selling just under 300,000 copies worldwide in the first week. His album then took it to charts where it topped at out in mere seconds, organisers barely keeping up with the demand. Taking all of this into account, I think it’s safe to presume that Harry is really enjoying his time apart from One Direction and fans could not be more supportive.
Photo source Billboard
Since we first saw that encrypted message late night on TV, fans went crazy over their favorite, Harry Style. His solo debut album marked a change, the industry gained another shoe wants to share all the good and the bad moments. Harry Styles’ album is not the end of One Direction, it’s just the beginning of Harry Styles.
Main photo source HollyPost
