Harry Styles’ latest is self-aware all the time. Introspective, occasionally.
In his fourth solo album, Harry Styles yearns for love and discusses his possible identity crisis as a pop star. While some songs feature psychedelic-like beats, most of the songs in “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” are mellow and deeply personal, our columnist says. Julia Rodenberger | Contributing Illustrator
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
When One Direction “broke up” in 2015, it felt like a part of my childhood was gone. But, when Harry Styles debuted his self-titled solo album in 2017, it seemed to be the answer to resolve what was lost.
After “Fine Line” in 2019 and “Harry’s House” in 2022, two of my favorite albums to this day, I transformed from a One Direction fan to a Styles lover.
On March 6, Styles returned to the playing field after four years with “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” With high expectations, I didn’t expect Styles’ new album to live up to his latter work. I was strongly mistaken.
Across 12 tracks and a 43-minute runtime, “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” is a true example of how Styles’ solo work has allowed him to grow to his full potential.
Much like the memories I have of listening to Styles in his One Direction era from my iPod Touch, Styles’ most recent album brought back that nostalgia — but with a new touch. The album’s messaging reflects Styles’ growth and maturity now at 32 years old.
In Styles’ fourth solo album, the once boy band pop star has found his own voice and sound — which he discerns in the album’s first track.
Decorated with synths and psychedelic-like instrumentals, Styles opens with “Aperture,” which he released over a month before the album. Much like the romances and relationships he grapples with in “Harry’s House,” “Aperture” is a similar battle.
“We belong together / It finally appears it’s only love,” Styles sings in the song’s chorus.
Throughout the track, Styles’ allusive lyrics hint toward a yearning for love. Instead of a cry for help, “Aperture” is an optimistic ballad to finding love — something Styles maintains throughout the album.
Much like the album’s name, few of the tracks in “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” are purely disco music, appearing only occasionally (no pun intended). Songs like “Dance No More” and “Are You Listening Yet?” feel like disco ABBA tracks.
Contrasting the album’s opener, “American Girls” shifts away from electronic beats. Almost as personal as closing with a voicemail from his ex-girlfriend in the 2019 song “Cherry,” Styles’ marital doubts are ever-present in “American Girls.”
Next in the song, Styles moves toward a more positive note in the poetic harmonies of “Ready, Steady, Go!” Upon listening, I couldn’t decipher if I was listening to Styles or Simon & Garfunkel.
Between Styles’ introspective lyricism and the echoing instrumentals, the track resembles Simon & Garfunkel’s reflective hymns in both the acoustic and electric versions of “The Sound of Silence” from the 1960s.
“One time is alright / Two times is one too many,” Styles sings.
“The Waiting Game” and its allusive metaphors are a star of the album. With lyrics like “Write a ballad with the details while skimming off the top” and “you apologise, a dirty clown,” the metaphors hint toward Styles’ possible identity crisis as a pop star.
The album’s penultimate track, “Paint By Numbers,” is one of the album’s most mellow tunes. Juxtaposed with the disco tunes from the rest of the album, this track feels disconnected — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. From addressing the expectations equipped with stardom to a romantic partner’s age gap, Styles uses “Paint By Numbers” as a platform to explore his past.
Because the internet is seemingly obsessed with Styles’ dating history, one can probably infer that when Styles says “Was it a tragedy when you told her / ‘I’m not even 33’?” he is most likely referring to his ex-girlfriend Olivia Wilde, who is nearly 10 years older than him.
Despite its calming acoustics and clean rhymes, “Paint By Numbers” is near the top of my list for this album with its mellow acoustics and strong metaphorical lyrics.
Last but certainly not least, Styles concludes with my personal favorite track, “Carla’s Song,” a testament to the scope of the musician’s capabilities.
Styles pays homage to the 1960s and 1970s, drawing inspiration from Simon & Garfunkel’s “Kathy’s Song” (for its title) and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Styles told Zane Lowe.
“There is a bridge that leads to troubled waters,” Styles says.
This track was the perfect way to end the album; it’s like the last dance to close a night on the dancefloor.
After maybe 75 listens, “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” has definitely become my favorite Styles solo album, perhaps because of the 1960s and 1970s tribute or Styles’ self-awareness.
Styles has entered an era of introspection, and this album is transformative in the artist’s career. Hopefully, Styles will continue disco and kisses on the dance floor.
