Gravity has never held back Harry Styles, who achieved teen superstardom in One Direction and then transitioned remarkably well into solo fame just a year after the London boy band parted ways. His 2017 solo debut âSign of the Timesâ was a tender piano ballad that hinted at much grander sonic ambitions, thanks in part to producer Jeff Bhasker. The same yearâs self-titled album tousled his squeaky-clean image nicely with the squalling, leather-jacketed blues of âKiwiâ and Beatles-esque psych-pop of âCarolinaâ. His second album, 2019âs Fine Line, took his razor-sharp songwriting and casual vocal conviction to imaginative new heights, yielding the dizzying romance of âAdore Youâ and sensory delights of âWatermelon Sugarâ. Styles felt even more comfortably himself on 2022âs quaintly titled Harryâs House, adding some wryly meta third-person lyrics about himself amid the synth-pop effervescence of âAs It Wasâ before nailing ticklish R&B on âLate Night Talkingâ and channelling Prince (not for the first time) on âMusic for a Sushi Restaurantâ. Through it all, he cherry-picks freely from the past while still feeling refreshingly modern in his production and aesthetic choices. Yet heâs never without sincere emotion: Styles may be a reborn sonic adventurer, but he still has a pop starâs beating heart.
