He’s back. Fans have been long awaiting Harry Styles’ return to pop music, and on March 6, he responded. Styles’ fourth solo studio album, “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally” (KATTDO), brings him back into pop view..
Long-time Harries can easily identify the classic Styles formula in this new album: soft pop hits, a power ballad, upbeat songs that beg for dancing and, of course, a couple of songs about sex. Threads of Styles’ favorite themes, from love and sex to drugs and dancing, still flow throughout, but this album breaks from the formula by pairing these ideas with the lyrical journey of self-discovery. After a lifetime in the limelight, the album expresses Styles’ need to explore his identity beyond his career.
Styles has been on hiatus since 2023, following his nearly 2-year-long worldwide “Love on Tour” run. According to Styles, he has spent his extended break clubbing in Berlin, traipsing around Italy, running a sub-3 marathon, shaving his head and writing his new album.
In a conversation with Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s radio host, Styles said he wanted to take a break from making music to discern whether it was really his true calling. After realizing that it was, Styles released a 9-minute video of an instrumental piano piece he performed during the last “Love on Tour” show. The song flashes memories of fans from the tour and positioned Styles for the release of “Aperture.” The now hit-single brings fans right back to the nostalgic sparkly outfits, feather boas, fruit costumes and friendship from “Love on Tour.” The song asks listeners to reunite with Styles through music, with the lyrics, “We belong together.”
“Taste Back,” the fifth track on the album, is a vulnerable yet comforting track with an echoing harmony. The song is for those who feel a bit lost, but Styles offers a solution: “You just need a little love.” The “must be lonely out in Paris” reference is perfect for “The Summer I Turned Pretty” edits, but more than that, the song is relatable to any young person who feels they have lost themselves and are looking for a way back.
A standout on the album, “Coming Up Roses,” reminded me of why I fell in love with Styles in the first place. Nothing gets me like a bittersweet ballad from Styles, where a strong melodic piano joins the conversation. The ballad explores the idea that not everything beautiful has to last forever, and that’s okay. Standing out from the dressed-up, heavily produced sound on the album, “Coming Up Roses” is just Styles, the piano and you, the listener. Styles has a beautiful voice, and he picks a couple of songs to pull at listeners’ heartstrings and leave them with a poignant message of love on each album (and it’s always my favorite).
“Pop” is arguably the most fun song on the album. It has a unique tune and is clearly a sister to track 8 of “Harry’s House,” “Cinema,” where Styles says, “You pop when we get intimate.” Now, in “Pop,” he adds, “It’s just me, on my knees, squeaky clean fantasy. It’s meant to be, ‘pop.’” The thrilling, yet hazy, element of these songs is one of Styles’ melodic signatures. Another is his tendency to move the listener, literally. It’s hard to get through the following track, “Dance No More,” without dancing along. It’s a care-free, funky song. Both songs truly satisfy listeners’ disco desire, fulfilling the teaser in the album’s title.
“Ready, Steady, Go!” and “Are You Listening Yet?” are two tracks on the album that reassure fans that Styles is, in fact, still a freak. “Are You Listening Yet?” declares “the fix of all fixes” is “un-intimate sex.” The songs now belong to his growing canon of “I love sex” songs that can be found on every album: “Carolina” and “Only Angel” from his first album, “Watermelon Sugar” from his second, and” Late Night Talking” and “Cinema” from his third. The songs both end before you even know it; true to their rushed bass line, chaotic instrumentals and candid message.
“Carla’s Song” ties the album up in a lovely bow. After his long journey of self-discovery, Styles has clearly come to understand himself better and has accepted that his journey may never end. He sings “I know what you like. You can hear it anytime,” as a reminder to himself and his fans of why he loves making music and impacting people’s lives through song. The melody is a tribute to Simon & Garfunkel, and the lyrics describe the experience of introducing his friend, Carla, to his favorite music. The song starts slowly and builds to the realization that, “It’s all waiting there for you.” He can return to music and understand himself outside of it. Styles has clearly grown during his time off, and “Carla’s Song” gives the space for his audience to acknowledge it.
I genuinely think Styles is his own biggest competitor. The album was a joy to listen to, but sadly can’t beat his other albums. KATTDO has a couple of songs, such as “Are You Listening Yet?” and “Paint By Numbers,” that felt incomplete. Does this mean the whole album was bad? Of course not, but for a fifth star, I would have to love it more than the rest of his discography.
“Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally” was a pleasant reminder that an album doesn’t have to be life-altering. Instead, Styles reminds his listeners to value the relationships they have and never forget to have a touch of fun along the way.
