A Midnight dance party is how I would describe Harry Styles’ new album: “Kiss all the time. Disco, Occasionally.”
The album consists of 12 pop songs abundant with synthesizers, snare and tastes of disco inspiration. All of these components work together to create a compressed feel to a lot of the songs on the album. His voice is one of things that drives the compressed feeling of the songs – it’s quiet and close.
While the album has an overall sound and theme that it comes back to, it also has great versatility. There are the songs that were designed to be played over and over on the radio, like “American Girls” and “Aperture,” but there are also songs that have different structures and are a more distinct listening experience, like “Coming up Roses” and “The Waiting Game.”
The album wasn’t just a hit in my eyes, but in the eyes of the public, debuting as the No. One album and making him the first solo artist since Alicia Keys to have their first four albums debut at the No. One spot. It’s not just a couple of hit songs carrying the record—every song has been in the upper half of the Billboard Top 100.
This album also seems to serve as a landmark of experimentation for Styles. His past three albums are quite different from this one, and while you have seen the progression of him trying new things, like in his last album, “Harry’s House,” this feels like an important leap from his past. Whether he returns to the style and sound of former albums or not, it’s important for an artist to experiment and try out the ideas they are passionate about. I think the success of this album will push styles to make more experimental decisions in the future.
There has been some pushback from fans thinking this album is one of his weakest releases, but I wholeheartedly disagree. I think every track has something interesting about it, which is not something I can say about his other albums. While the highs might not be as high as his previous work, the floor has been raised and there is a consistency to this album that lacks in others.
The highlight of the album is the song “Coming up Roses.” It’s a slower love song that has a flow and a grace to it that isn’t found in any of the other songs.
It will be interesting to see what the staying power on this album is. If the longevity is anything like the hype for the release, it won’t be an issue but due to some criticism and the uniqueness of the album, it’s not a sure thing.
I think in time, the initial pushback will subside and people’s eyes will be opened to the great things about this album, but only time will tell.
Overall, this album was a fun and whacky start to the month of March, and a tremendous kick off to music in 2026.
