Harry Styles: His music is antidote to our post-pandemic bluesAt the Brit Awards, Harry Styles took home the most coveted award of the night, album of the year, for Harry's House
by The Conversation
17-02-2023 15:35
in Music
Harry Styles during his 2021 Grammy Award performance. Image: Kevin Winter | AFP.
At this year's Brit Awards, British artist Harry Styles took home the most coveted award of the night, album of the year, for Harry's House. He beat the likes of grime artist Stormzy, indie group The 1975 and the other big winners of the night, indie band Wet Leg. Styles also took home the awards for British artist of the year, song of the year (for As It Was) and best pop/R&B act.
--
HARRY'S HOUSE Styles swept all categories in which he was nominated. He also found great success at this year's Grammys, winning three of the six awards he was nominated for, one of which was the ceremony's most sought-after award, Album of the Year - beating Beyonc .
Styles has found worldwide success with Harry's House. It is a well crafted pop record that inspires joy and comfort through its breezy nature. This sort of happy, easy listening is exemplified in the album's three singles - As It Was, Late Night Talking and Music for a Sushi Restaurant.
It's difficult to pinpoint what makes a good pop song. The features that come together to make a hit are often elusive to most song writers. The sociologist Antoine Hennion (1983) suggested that it was a combination of musical style and technique, the producer, the media, and the public. All combine to create a successful song.
--
However, I think this approach makes music clinical, as if it is a formula to be followed. Sometimes what makes a song or an album popular is simply the way it makes us feel.
ALSO READ: Grammy Awards 2023: Harry Styles and Lizzo set to rock the stage
POP PERFECTION?
The album's first single As It Was leans toward a more pop-focused sound paired with a catchy chorus and euphoric instrumentation, featuring church bells. The lyrics discuss a romantic relationship and mental health issues, while also hinting towards the end of the pandemic.
--
The song represents people's need for escape and is purely enjoyable, danceable pop music. Variety called the song an effortlessly joyful lead single which bursts through like the sun after a summer downpour .
Styles' second offering, Late Night Talking, also falls into this pop-focused sound. The song discusses the experience of talking about absolutely nothing with someone you have a crush on, something we can all relate to.
The lyrics sometimes don't make sense but the punchy chorus is perfect for singing at the top of your lungs with friends. The instrumentation is simple but draws on 80s synth-pop and leaves you with a feeling of nostalgia.
These songs make you want to dance and sing with your friends and I think that is where the magic of this album comes from and why it was received so well by the public. One reviewer commented that the album was full of songs that blast to the heart of old-school funk, disco and soul, but never strays into pastiche, homage or cheap retro knock-off territory .
Harry's House is simply just fun pop music at the perfect time. We are coming out of a pandemic and are in a cost of living crisis - we need some easy and joyful listening.
ALSO READ: Keep your cougar paws away': Rihanna shuts trolls down!
Music for a Sushi Restaurant best fits into this category of fun, frivolous pop music. The song draws from pop significantly but is accented by jazz-like scatting and horn blasts throughout, again adding to the joyous nature of the song.
The music video echoes the strange lyrics, portraying Styles as a merman who becomes famous for doing performances in this sushi restaurant. But just as his fame is wavering, the restaurant owners become annoyed with his diva-ish behaviour and Styles ends up meeting the sharp end of a cleaver.
The joy of Styles' music and visual accompaniments solidifies his place as a purveyor of excellent pop music, one of which the British music industry can be proud.
Article by: Jack Williams. PhD student in the Department for Music, University of Bristol
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
CLICK HERE TO REAS MORE ARTICLES BY THE CONVERSATION
Mate50 Pro: Huawei's latest flagship smartphone available for purchase. CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
Harry Styles: His music is antidote to our post-pandemic bluesAt the Brit Awards, Harry Styles took home the most coveted award of the night, album of the year, for Harry's House
