With the release of Harry Styles’ self-titled solo album May 12, it is safe to say One Direction is never, ever getting back together.
However, with more than 7.6 million albums sold in the U.S. alone, attempting a solo career after leaving a successful band like One Direction is not always well executed.
Each member of the band has drifted away from the upbeat pop sound that was synonymous with the teenager-oriented group. In the case of fellow former bandmates Liam Payne and Niall Horan, listeners are left confused and unimpressed.
Horan’s singer-songwriter approach to his first single, “This Town,” aligned with his vocal ability and affinity for guitar playing, despite it’s resemblance to “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s. Then his recent release, “Slow Hands,” is a heavily produced track that is too messy to accurately place into a genre.
In Payne’s collaboration with rapper Quavo, “Strip That Down,” I was more interested in Quavo’s verse than Payne’s awkwardly forced rhythm and blues sound. It’s almost as if the bandmates promised not to overlap in genre upon taking the hiatus, and Payne pulled the short straw and was forced to attempt R&B.
Thankfully, Styles developed a sound that compliments his expanded vocal and instrumental abilities. The album, which derives its main inspiration from ‘60s-era British rock, has enough variation in track styles to remain interesting without leaving listeners puzzled.
His first single, “Sign of the Times,” sounds eerily like a David Bowie piano ballad with its strong vocals and powerful instrumentals in the climax of the song.
“Sweet Creature” and “From the Dining Table” have a slow, acoustic sound that resembles the Beatles, whereas tracks like “Kiwi” and “Only Angel” are heavy rock ’n’ roll tracks.
The eclectic sound of this album introduces fans to a new side of Styles’ musical ability in a way that seems more natural for the artist than the music released by One Direction.
In his movie with Apple Music, “Behind the Album,” Styles describes his approach to creating his album post-One Direction.
“I kind of wanted to see if I could write something that people liked without knowing everything about me,” Styles said.
Despite staying out of the spotlight, Styles’ new sound and expanded musical ability give listeners more from the artist than the almost manufactured sound of One Direction. And that’s what makes this album beautiful.
