About 15 years ago, Harry Styles took the stage on The X Factor UK, a British reality television singing show where contestants competed for a chance to secure a recording contract. Having spent his entire life in the public eye, many fans have watched him evolve from a teenage boy band sensation in One Direction to a powerful solo artist with the release of his 2017 self-titled debut, Harry Styles. After a 3 year long tour, followed by a 2 year hiatus, Styles has returned with his new hit album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. 

While his debut leaned into melodic soft rock, with hit tracks “Sign of the Times” and “Kiwi,” and his second album, Fine Line, heavily influenced by 70’s indie pop, this new era depends heavily on heavy synthesizers and chill disco beats. Styles took a leap away from his usual pop rock to a heavily influenced electronic and synthesized sound. It’s incredibly inspiring to see an artist with such a reputation to experiment so freely within his production of music. He favors playing around with music, and prioritizing artistic curiosity over a song that he knows would be a radio hit. 

The second track, “American Girls” has already become a standout viral sensation on social media platforms, such as Tiktok and Instagram. Its infectious, upbeat energy is perfect for car rides in the summer with the windows down, and volume all the way up.  

One of my favorites from the album so far has been “Carla’s Song,” not just because of the beautiful layering of instrumentals and repetition of lyrics, but also because of what drew him to create the song. In Harry Styles: One Night In Manchester, A Netflix Original, he explains that he wrote about a time where he had introduced a new song to a friend that he was very familiar with, but she had never heard. “I watched as she discovered something magical…It reminded me why I wanted to touch and be a part of music in the first place,” explained Styles to the crowd. It’s incredibly touching to hear how just watching someone experience a new sound, and fall in love with what they are listening to, is exactly what inspires another person to keep creating.

I have been a Harry Styles fan since I first listened to One Direction in seventh grade. So when Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally was released on March 6 I was very excited. It has been on a constant loop in my car ever since. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making Styles the second male solo artist to have his first four albums debut at No.1. This album is very upbeat but also mellow. It varies from very lively songs like “Aperture” and “Dance No More” to more relaxed songs like “Paint By Numbers” and “Coming Up Roses.” 

Harry Styles’ last tour was the massive 22-month “Love On Tour,” which ran from September 2021 to July 2023. “Aperture” was the leading single for this album and was a great way for Styles to re-emerge into the pop culture realm after taking a 2 year hiatus after this tour. “Aperture” had caught me and many others off guard with its amazing beat that was unlike anything else Styles has done in the past. I really enjoyed the lyricism and the overall sound of the song. 

Picking a song to call my favorite from this album was very difficult but the conclusion I have made is that I really enjoy “American Girls” and “Coming Up Roses.” “American Girls” has such a contagious, good atmosphere to it and this song has become one of the main hits on this album. On Harry Styles – Zane Lowe & Apple Music ‘Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally’ Interview Styles talks about how “Coming Up Roses” is a love song to him and how special something can be. To him not everything has to last forever in order for it to be special and that’s what this song represents. The instrumental along with the overall mood to this song is just very lovely and I really enjoy it. 

This album overall had a very good range of music and you could tell Styles was being very experimental with different sounds and beats in his songs. I think he exceeded with the execution of Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally and would definitely recommend listening if you have not already. 

I have never once been a Harry Styles fan, even back in his One Direction days. I was always a Zayn fan and once he left the group didn’t matter to me anymore. Regardless, I listened to Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, because I wanted to listen to something out of my comfort zone. After listening to it more than once, I can easily describe the album in two words; white noise. 

I don’t mean that in a mean way necessarily, it’s just my honest truth. How can the album be named Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, and I’m not really picking up the disco. Is the whole point of a disco not to dance? If anyone is moving they’re just kinda twirling. It doesn’t help that it feels like Harry is falling asleep on the tracks, mumbling and drooling over the lyrics. 

Harry sounds depressed in this album but almost like he’s trying to be happy. I find the album to be melancholic which itself isn’t bad, but in this album it leaves plenty to be desired. While there is no one song that I have a major issue with, it just doesn’t seem fun. I was bored by the second song and I wanted to turn it off. 

But there were good bits. “Are You Listening Yet?”, “Pop”, and “Coming Up Roses” were fantastic. Would I put them on my playlist? No, but there was something to grip on too. It felt like I was getting tempted with substance before Harry quickly closed that door and we moved on to the next hollow song. 

The description of white noise makes sense. I listened to this while doing chores and it was perfect background noise, i.e. white noise. Disco is mentioned but it seems soulless and you could tell it was produced by white people, which it was, i.e. white noise. This is a middle of the road album, if it was on a scale it would rank a 5/10 at the highest. I might touch it again when I need to do dishes, but it’ll probably just be buried in my listening history, never to be played again. 

I’ve never been a huge Harry fan. He’s got a few songs I’ve liked in the past, like “From the Dining Table”, but I was always more of a Belieber as a kid so I never got into One Direction like that. After listening to Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, though, I feel like my perspective on his work has totally shifted. 

I was expecting a fun, generic pop album made with the sole intention of dominating the charts, but I feel like his latest release is the exact opposite. On first listen, I quite disliked it. All the songs felt like they had the same predictable aspects. After a few more listens, I’ve come to love it; especially “Paint By Numbers”. 

Something about this song just makes me feel a rush of nostalgia, and appreciation for all the memories I’ve made throughout the last several years. Each lyric feels like the perfect way to say goodbye to high school, which makes his the timing of his release so much more perfect, as it’s just a few months before graduation. 

I wouldn’t say it’s a no skip album for me, as I’m not the biggest fan of “Pop” or “Are You Listening Yet?”. The album as a whole feels cohesive, though, as all the songs and their placements feel purposeful. As the weather gets warmer I predict some of the more upbeat songs will begin to grow on me, once the winter depression leaves the air. 

All in all, I think Harry did a fantastic job ensuring a variety within his songs, leaving enough room for popularity on the radio and social media without giving up the artistic aspect of his music. I hope for more songs similar to “Paint by Numbers” and “Carla’s Song” in the future, as I feel they fit his style well.