After three long years, Harry Styles released his new album Harry’s House on May 20th. Following the release of his song, “As It Was,” fans had been awaiting the anticipated new album.

Sound

The album consists of 13 songs, ranging from upbeat pop to melancholic melodies. Styles’ past albums, “Fine Line” and “Harry Styles”, contained more rock and pop. 

His transition to more mellow songs shocked fans, mainly with the 6th track “Little Freak,” which everyone expected to be a scandalous rock song but is actually  a symphonic track.

Other songs such as “Music for a Sushi Restaurant,” “Late Night Talking,” “As It Was,” and “Daydreaming” still contain hints of his past albums. All of those tracks are lively pop songs similar to “Canyon Moon” and “Sunflower, Vol. 6” from Fine Line, but none of the songs from Harry’s House have the same punk feel as his past songs like “She” and “Woman.” 

Most of the songs have beautiful vocal work and harmonies, especially in “Little Freak” and “Boyfriends.” The way Styles layered his voice in “Little Freak” made the listening experience feel almost out-of-body. 

“Matilda” contains breathtaking vocals, but its lyrics give the song a heartwarming message inspired by Roald Dahl’s Matilda. One lyric that stood out was “Matilda, you talk of the pain like it’s all alright. But I know that you feel like a piece of you’s dead insidе,” which is said to relate to how Matilda was treated poorly by her parents in Dahl’s story. 

Styles also held a concert called “One Night Only in New York” where he performed the album in its entirety for the first time ever. Held in the UBS Arena in New York with a capacity of 18,500 people, the whole arena was filled with screaming fans. Though the album had only come out a few hours prior, live streams were able to pick up on fans singing along with Styles word for word.

As a whole, the album is both calming and energetic. Styles was able to creatively share an experience that is relatable and touching. 

Artist

The former One Direction member has grown his solo career to new heights over the past seven years. Harry Styles has over 110 nominations and 42 awards in his total musical career. He even has a Grammy for his song “Watermelon Sugar” in the category of Best Pop Solo Performance. 

Verdict

Overall, “Harry’s House” definitely introduced a new style of music for Harry Styles. Though it’s not as bold as his past albums, Styles was able to perfectly curate a delightful mix of melodies, lyrics, and moods.