Harry Styles sounds different—and fans are loving it. Styles released his fourth studio album on March 6, marking his long-anticipated return to the music industry after a nearly four-year hiatus.
The latest album comes with a different and fresh feel to it—still distinctly Styles, but in a whole new way. Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. marks the beginning of a new era for the artist. Each of the twelve tracks feels whole-hearted and earnest, yet simultaneously introspective. The collective album’s sound is the perfect balance of carefree party pop and emotion-provoking lyrics, a contrast that reflects his unique journey as an artist. More than anything, it sounds like happiness.
During his four-year hiatus, Styles stepped back from music into a slower life in Italy, where he began to realize the joy in the smallest parts of everyday life. In his break, he seems to fall in love with music all over again, and this album is the culmination of that joy.
The tracklist pieces together the best of Styles over the years, with “American Girls” and “Ready, Steady, Go!” taking cues from his earlier album Fine Line, and “Paint by Numbers” being largely reminiscent of his One Direction pop ballad days. Many songs on the album blend perfectly with Styles’s traditional discography tone, but there are also many departures from his norm—in the style of disco dance music.
Starting off the tracklist, “Aperture” is the strategic tone-setter for the album, introducing the new sound of Harry Styles. Full of catchy undertones and synthesizer beats, the song is a powerful dance-inducing techno-pop anthem. The upbeat mood continues all the way into the fifth track, or “Taste Back,” which returns to Styles’s pop star strong suit. He brings back some of his more traditional vocals for a heavily lyricized song about nostalgia and old love, framed by a light-hearted and peppy backtrack.
Slowing down the pace, Styles transitions into “Waiting Game,” his strong voice taking on a distinctly mournful tone as he sings about the endless cycle of being caught in repetitive negative behaviors. He turns up the speed again for “Season 2 Weight Loss,” presumably to give listeners somewhat of a palate cleanser before the slightly soul-crushing “Coming Up Roses.”
As the slowest and arguably saddest song on the entire album, “Coming Up Roses” sees a complete return to Styles’s roots in strong lead vocals, improved by the melodic orchestral strings played underneath. The song is an ode to the impermanence of human relationships, and the value that can be found in each and every connection, if only for a little while. The instrumentals feel like nostalgia itself, and Styles’s calm voice only amplifies that message.
Switching back into disco after that emotional bullet, “Pop” and “Dance No More” offer a colorful foray into club music, accented with electronic beats and symphonies—a staple of this new album.
Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. is a euphoric commentary on the beauty of life, even amidst all the pain that people face. Styles shows how the human experience is difficult at times, but all you can do is live passionately and keep dancing through it. By the end of the album, everybody will be on their feet dancing, even if a little misty-eyed.
