Harry’s Back! Styles Introduces New Album with “As It Was”

After nearly three years of no new music, Styles has successfully resurrected his fan base with a new single.

Image provided through the Creative Commons License via Google.

Gigi Hanner, Sandscript Author

Over two years ago, in December 2019, Harry Styles released his second album Fine Line.  His tour was postponed until the late summer of 2021 due to COVID, and fans have been speculating that Styles had new music up his sleeve since that tour wrapped up. Last month, Styles announced that his third album Harry’s House will be released on May 20th. Now, fans have been given a taste of what the album will sound like with new single “As It Was”.

Just ten days after its release, the song has already broken numerous records. It became the most streamed track from a male artist on Spotify within a 24-hour period. The song is now also topping the singles charts in the UK, the second time he’s reached the top in his home country. 

This song is a perfect example of one that is upbeat but has depressing lyrics. Styles sings about the past while backed with a high-energy track. Listeners can choose to focus on the music and dance along or can listen to the lyrics and ponder. With lyrics like “I don’t want to talk about the way that it was” and “Nobody’s comin’ to help,” the song is full of deeper meaning.

The lyrics could represent a myriad of different things that are known about Styles, from his parents’ divorce to his speculated relationship with actress Olivia Wilde. Styles has not come out and given any explanation behind the song, so it’s anyone’s guess for what he’s actually talking about. Nonetheless, the discernible message has to do with moving on from the past and realizing how much things change as time goes on. 

The music is exciting and bouncy and hides the existential message of the lyrics very well. It sounds quite similar to Styles’ past work and is an exciting and captivating tune. The pop feel and intricate lyricism from Styles’ previous albums is present once again in this song. The song has now spread all over TikTok and other social media platforms alike, becoming incredibly popular very quickly.

 It’s a fun, catchy song that has excited fans and new listeners alike, and it makes for an excellent beginning to this new album. The long hiatus in between Styles’ albums was hard to muscle through, but he has come back with a bang and made it worth the wait. Waiting another month to hear the rest of the songs will certainly be difficult now that we know a little bit about what to expect.