Harry Styles’ new album, titled “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.” breaks his three-year hiatus with psychedelic and lively pop songs. The announcement was greeted by much anticipation from fans, who have been awaiting his return since the end of his world tour “Love on Tour” in July 2023.
The album, released March 6, consists of 12 tracks including one lead single titled “Aperture.” Using the lyric “We belong together” repeatedly, the song presents a collective message. The fast-paced beats combined with his lyrics create a sense of unity and unrestrained fun.
“The songs just make you want to jump out of your seat and dance,” freshman Alyssa Hernandez said.
Several of the other tracks on the album, including “Pop,” “American Girls,” “Ready, Steady, Go,” “Dance No More” and “Are You Listening Yet?” have energetic and bass-heavy beats which are a clear departure from Styles’ previous albums. The cautious joy in the songs accompanies themes of disregarding problems and societal pressures; he explores balancing responsibilities with letting loose through dance. His past albums such as “Fine Line” and “Harry’s House” consisted more of leisurely, emotional ballads in contrast to the upbeat disco-like tracks in the newest album.
“It was so different from his past albums, but I loved literally every song,” freshman Siyona Narang said. “The disco vibes were carried throughout, but I especially liked the slower songs.”
The only song written solely by Styles, “Coming Up Roses,” had romantic violin beats and more intimate lyrics like “There’s only me and you.” It was a slightly unexpected choice, considering the difference in tone and style from the other songs. However, it did match the album title with a more loving and stirring energy.
Styles is known for his eccentric and surreal music videos, and this album was no different. He released two music videos, one for “Aperture” and another for “American Girls.” Both videos centered around the theme of being drained and burdened from those around you and portrayed how Styles has at times hated being in the spotlight. “Aperture” ended with a figure that had been stalking Styles ultimately breaking out into dance with him, while “American Girls” focused more on how he craved a break from his now seemingly mundane routine.
Styles celebrated the release of his groundbreaking album with a performance in his hometown of Manchester, where attendees were forced to put away their phones and were instead supplied with disposable cameras. Netflix filmed the entire show, releasing “One Night in Manchester” on Saturday to make the performance accessible to fans around the world.
Before his Manchester show and the album release, Styles presented a cheerful and lighthearted performance of “Aperture” at the Brit Awards on Feb. 28. It featured a dance routine ending with backup dancers traveling in circles around Styles, ultimately reinforcing the message of unity and togetherness.
The album leaves a euphoric feeling, only furthered by Styles’ efforts to promote the message of dancing to escape. A few tracks such as “The Waiting Game” and “Carla’s Song” leave listeners wanting slightly more, yet the album still manages to convey his overall message effectively.
