Growing up in a village near Manchester, Styles’ music career took off when he appeared on The X Factor at the age of 16. There he said that he also had a job in a bakery. That ended after “The X Factor” and the success of the band One Direction, which was formed there.
After the boy band ended, Styles began a solo career in 2017 and became even more famous. His catchy pop songs, borrowing from the 70s rock sound of bands such as Fleetwood Mac, earned him critical acclaim. The specific image of amiability that he has acquired certainly also plays a part in his popularity today.
One of Styles’ songs is called “Treat People With Kindness” and he probably means it. At his concerts he really seems very “kind”, i.e. nice. For example, he calls on people to hold hands and wish each other a good time.
In interviews he talks about his experiences in therapy. Models he worked with for a music video called him the “King of Consensus” because he always asked if it was okay before attacking them according to a stage direction.
This fits with our times, when it has become more normal to talk about feelings and there is more sensitivity when it comes to sexist or otherwise discriminatory actions. Even in business today there is talk of a new “kindness economy” that demands responsiveness in the world of work. Harry Styles is perhaps their most famous advocate.
The musician is also at the forefront of the “cute” trend in current pop culture. Just think of the film “Barbie”, Taylor Swift and her celebrity cat or cute selfie filters on social media. Styles fits in well. He often opts for cute outfits. A fluffy blue knitted sweater with an embroidered cartoon duck. Colorful pearl necklaces. Or a sweater vest with sheep on it. He watched a lot of romantic comedies, he said a few years ago, and he loved the cult romance “The Notebook.”
In terms of fashion, the Brit breaks gender stereotypes. He was the first man to appear alone on the cover of the US edition of Vogue magazine – in women’s clothing. Of course, he is not the first pop star with an androgynous clothing style. But while stars like David Bowie were ahead of their time, Harry Styles captures the zeitgeist exactly.
While this is true for his image, his music is actually more backwards. With his solo debut he turned to classically orchestrated rock and pop structures. His musical role models are Stevie Nicks (he is also friends with the Fleetwood Mac singer) and Elton John. Styles’ famous single “Sign Of The Times”, one of the most uplifting ballads in recent pop music history, sounds inspired by the latter.
Styles is known for hits like the ’80s-inspired “As It Was” and the impeccably fleet-footed pop-rock banger “Watermelon Sugar.” But he also wrote quiet folk songs together with various songwriting partners, for example “From The Dining Table”, “Sweet Creature” and “Cherry”.
His last album, “Harry’s House,” came out in 2022. He went on a long world tour with it. The last date was in July 2023, and since then things have become quieter about the musician. He is occasionally spotted with actress Taylor Russell. For example, at a U2 concert or swimming in a public swimming lake in north London. He once said in an interview that he swims outside every day.
In recent years, Styles has also worked as an actor. His first role was a church mouse, he said in an interview – in a school play. Cult director Christopher Nolan promptly hired him for his first feature film in the war film “Dunkirk” (2017). His role as a naive husband in Olivia Wilde’s thriller “Don’t Worry Darling” caused a bit of a stir, also because of dating rumors about the director. However, Styles has yet to achieve great success as an actor.