After his massive Ticketmaster scandal, I was surprised to see so many people still celebrating Harry Styles’ new album “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” I am not a huge Styles fan myself, but I do know a surprising number of people who are. I thoroughly enjoyed his One Direction phase, but haven’t followed him much since their breakup. When I saw he came out with a new album, and people were raving about it on social media, I just had to listen to it for myself.
“Aperture”: I don’t think whatever this techno beat is really suits Harry Styles. His voice is a familiar one, not bad, but the beat definitely does not suit his voice. If this is what the whole album is, I might not make it through.
“American Girls”: As an American girl, I should love this song, right? Well, I think it’s definitely an improvement from the previous song. This feels more like Harry to me, based on the limited selection of other songs I have heard from him aside from this album. I like the meaning too; we American girls can be pretty life-changing!
“Ready, Steady, Go!”: My first observation was the fantastic use of bass in this song. It’s a twang I like. Well, I liked it up until the beat drop starting at 1:08. That weird sound in the instrumentals is throwing me off. I just don’t love this one.
“Are You Listening Yet?”: I really like the line “and your therapist’s well-fed,” but TUMMY TICKLED? I don’t want that. I do not like this funky beat he keeps trying to sing/talk to. He is not a funky singer; leave that stuff to Chromeo. The chorus is good, but the talking is so annoying and goes on for too long. Also, not every song has to end in repetition. Boring, next.
“Taste Back”: I like this one! (Kinda) I think it gets good around 0:56 since it’s actual singing in a STYLE (get it) that suits him. It’s a soft song that I love. It also has a satisfying ending. Solid!
“The Waiting Game”: Again with the STUPID BEATS. This one could be such a good song with the gentleness it holds, but then my ears get touched by the weird cymbal stuff in the background. This was a waiting game itself since the beginning sucked, but after that, it was good. I honestly like the meaning of this song. Sometimes, you gotta break your cycles to be fruitful.
“Season 2 Weight Loss”: Why does every song have to start out terrible? I can create a better one: Beep, Beep, Beep, Boop, Boop. ZZZ. See, much better than this. I’ll ready up the Atari from the 80s. Harry’s voice is nice, but it’s hard to appreciate it when I would rather listen to myself gag. AWFUL ending. Interesting point of view on better versions of yourself, though.
“Coming Up Roses”: Nah. Just not it. I usually like calmer songs, but I think this one is in the bottom three right now.
“Pop”: I don’t like the weird vibration sound in the instrumentals. Other than that, I really like this song! Especially when it picks up at 0:43. I love the electric guitar! His voice is rich and left me feeling cleansed from his previous monstrosities. I do not mind the electronic vibe of this one either. The instrumental break, where it really shines, is nicely placed and not irritating.
“Dance No More”: This music has not been hitting me like a ten out of ten, Harry. The song felt bland until 2:11, where I feel like I could hear a crowd going crazy, which I love about songs. Music is unifying, so when there are good, yellable parts, I get excited like I can feel the energy as if I were at a concert.
“Paint By Numbers”: I LOVE GUITAR! This is a great song. Very relaxing, very warm summer evening watching the sunset. The addition of the drums is perfect. You can’t go wrong combining guitar and drums with soft vocals like Harry’s.
“Carla’s Song”: Again, great intro. Good soft song which I really like. That is Harry. I feel like he is built for melancholy folk-pop like Hollow Coves. I will be adding this to my music menu, not just a taste tester. The repetition here does not bother me as much as it did with the others, though I do still think he overuses it. What a banger to end on.
While I don’t like Harry Styles, I am glad I gave him a chance just to solidify my opinions about him once more. Now, onto the wait for Noah Kahan’s new album!