I went into the latest Harry Styles album with the highest of hopes yet walked away feeling conflicted. Some of the songs were the pop masterpieces I was expecting, but others seemed to blur together in my mind. Unsurprisingly, however, this album did have a few songs that felt like their sole purpose was to make me cry.
Before Harry Styles’ latest album announcement for “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” fans had not received an ounce of hope for more music since “Harry’s House” in 2022. Thus, there was a lot of hype and high expectations built up around this album release.
Styles released the lead single (and first song on the album) “Aperture” on Jan. 22. My reaction to this song mirrors my opinion about the entire album: mixed. I like the production and the lyrics, however this song is very long and extremely repetitive. I think Styles is an extremely talented artist who can make long songs work incredibly. For example, his song “She” is very long and has repetitive writing, but it fits with the musicality and production of the song. Sadly, his latest album had songs that were very lengthy but mundane in their production. This caused me to zone out a few times rather than bop my head to the music.
Luckily, there were a few songs that met my pop desires. I loved “Ready, Steady, Go!”, “Are You Listening Yet?” and “Taste Back.” These songs had beats that paired so well with their messaging. For the first two listed, I loved the muffled vocal manipulation because it kept me engaged for the entire song. “Taste Back” had such a peaceful tone, and I find myself humming this song frequently.
Now, moving on to the hard-hitters. I love an emotionally intense song, therefore it is only fair that my top three in order were: “Coming Up Roses,” “Paint By Numbers” and “The Waiting Game.” I predicted that “Coming Up Roses” would be my favorite song because of the title relating to the deep impact that roses have had on my life, and I am so happy the song did not disappoint. I love that this song combines the desire for reassurance with the acknowledgment that desires may hurt the people you love. “Paint By Numbers” reflects on the way expectations can weigh you down and teach you to behave differently. It is extremely relatable with such a minimal number of lyrics. “The Waiting Game” is a song that I believe any teenager experiencing romantic angst and anxiety should listen to. It explains the emotions that come from navigating the difficult path of young love.
A few of these songs are standout songs, but they are not enough to compete with the top spot compared to his prior albums. Some of them will probably grow on me, while others will remain forgettable. I am still unsure if I loved this album or if I merely just love Harry Styles. This album is categorized by my mixed feelings of ambivalence combined with emotional connection.
