Pop music never stays quiet for long. But when pop icon Harry Styles disappears, the silence feels louder than ever.
Styles has become one of the most influential and recognizable public figures during his time in the music industry, leaving fans waiting in anticipation for his next move.
The exhilaration of Styles’s most recent tour, Love On Tour, still echoes through pop culture with its colorful feather boas and line dancing that shifted arenas into celebrations of self-expression.
After a four-year drought, that silence is broken with the album release of Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally on March 6, the latest chapter in Styles’s ever-evolving sound.
The exotic synth and beat of Styles’s new sound begins with “Aperture,” the lead single of the album. Yet again, his lyrics hold emotional depth and vulnerability beneath the electropop mix. Choosing this as a single was a bold choice, as its slightly unconventional sound is different from his past singles. However, his trademark melody breaks through, leaving no doubt that Styles will stay on the radio.
Styles explores his new psychedelic, electronic palette most clearly on “Dance No More,” a song where the ambiance of the 80s is unapologetically honored, giving true disco the revival it deserves. Ironically, for an album title that suggests disco should only appear occasionally, the track becomes a full embrace of the genre and leans completely into its glamorous rhythms.
Despite the album’s overall electronic vibe, listeners can take a quick dance break during track eight, titled “Coming Up Roses,” an emotional powerhouse that captures the tragic uncertainty of love. The song, which Styles wrote entirely on his own, is a piano-forward ballad that reflects the idea that sometimes the most loving and strong relationships don’t last.
The repetition of the line, “There’s only me and you” serves as a moment of acceptance; although love doesn’t always last, there is beauty in the fact that it once did. Styles’s soft and smooth vocals combine with a beautiful orchestra to create an unforgettable piece of art that shines.
Although the majority of this album’s sound ventures into new territory for Styles, he does pay homage to his previous sound. Along with “Coming Up Roses,” “Paint By Numbers” is another gentle track that feels reminiscent of his earlier work. Specifically, Harry’s House, released in 2022, is widely considered Styles’ most successful album to date, which balanced upbeat pop with softer, more reflective songs.
Tracks like these give listeners a moment to breathe and reflect, something that feels less common with this new release. Although they are impactful, those softer moments on Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally are few and far between, leaving us preferring the balance and depth that Harry’s House achieved.
In many ways, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally is a breath of fresh air. At a moment where pop stars often recycle the same sound, Styles sidesteps the norm and refuses to settle into the industry’s predictable cycle. Recent pop projects, like Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet and Man’s Best Friend, have drawn criticism for sounding strikingly similar to one another. But Styles’s record is openly experimental, introducing listeners to a new side of Styles: An artist willing to push past the polished pop formulas that he once followed.
Ultimately, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally proves that Styles is not interested in standing still. While the album occasionally sacrifices the balance that made Harry’s House so widely loved, it replaces that comfort with something more daring. If anything, this album reaffirms why he remains pop’s reigning “it-boy.”
When Styles returns from the silence, the world can’t help but watch and listen.