Atwood Magazine’s writers dive into Harry Styles’ fourth album ‘Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.,’ a dance-ready pop record that balances flirtation, reflection, and kinetic release – unpacking its mix of communal energy and quiet introspection, its push toward disco and electronic textures, and the tension between Styles’ playful experimentation and the emotional depth that once defined him.

Featured here are Atwood writers Alex Killian, Ashley Littlefield, Brianna Corrine, Josh Weiner, and Kaiana Lee!

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To start, what is your relationship with Harry Styles’ music?

Kaiana Lee: As it was for many people my age, One Direction was my life as a preteen. I spent so much of my time ripping pictures of the boys’ faces out of my Tiger Beat magazine and painstakingly taping them to my bedroom walls. Louis was my favorite at the time, but as the band progressed and they went on to achieve solo careers I gravitated more toward Harry than anyone else. His first album had me in a chokehold. The month it was released, I screamed the lyrics to “Only Angel” on the freeway on the way home from the beach. This excitement for his music lasted all the way through my life. When Harry’s House was released, I remember dancing to “Music For a Sushi Restaurant” at my best friend’s wedding. And now this new record is giving me another touch of excitement. It’s safe to say Harry Styles has been a mainstay in my life. Adding new sounds and lyrics to the soundtrack of my life.

Brianna Corrine: Harry’s music has been like a shoulder for me; it is the thing I latch onto when I need something familiar and want to feel known. I reach for it just as easily as I do my favorite necklace and ring, my journal and pen, or the phone to call my mom. I came around to Harry’s music a little bit late in the game. I became a Directioner in my later teenage years, long after the hiatus began, and after I became enamoured with Harry’s music and then subsequently Niall, Louis, and Zayn’s. The first real pivotal moment for me with Harry Styles’ music was when I stumbled across his second album, Fine Line. I was alone in a dorm room, snowed in, and sick during my first year of university. I listened to it front to back and was just struck, made to be in complete awe. That album gave me my favorite song, and then it gave me some of my closest friends, and then I saw him on tour in 2021, which transformed my entire outlook. I finally understood how important being a fan of something is. I don’t remember that night half as well as I wish I did, but I remember the energy and how surreal it was to be in the same room as one of my idols, hearing music that changed my entire outlook on the scene. Since then, I’ve gone back and listened to his self-titled debut, fell in love with it, and have since just continued to fall deeper in love with his character as a musician and person and with his constant ingenuity in craft. For a long time, I strayed away from ‘mainstream pop’ because I thought it put a limit on how interesting a person could be, but then I found Harry, and in my own time, learned that that mentality isn’t true at all. It’s such a privilege to be a fan and to be a part of that community. I’ve always been enamoured by music, listening to everything from the Goo Goo Dolls and Peter Gabriel to Enya, The Doors, and Hannah Montana, Genesis, Prince, Mat Kearney, Cranberries, and The Killers, but it wasn’t really until Harry’s music that I permitted myself to explore my tastes and become a true audiophile.

Ashley Littlefield: A handful of people sat in a room as they navigated hardships during a music therapy session in the winter of 2023. An older teenage girl sat across the table from me and others in the room as she requested the song “Sunflower” Vol. 6 from Harry Styles’ 2019 album, Fine Line. On the first beat, she instantly smiled and began to sing along. This was the moment that sparked my connection with Harry Styles, as he turned the moment into a rare instance of light and joy amid the hardships others were experiencing. It was emotionally impactful to my understanding of Harry Styles’ songwriting and how music has the power to evaporate grief. Turning back time to high school, One Direction was popular, but the group’s music wasn’t on my radar, since I was deeply invested in discovering Indie music and listening to The Bravery, who were on my constant rotation on my iPod. Yet, years later, Harry Styles’ music found a special place in my heart, and I know it does for the same older teenage girl and others in that very room during a music therapy session, as well as for his audience across the globe.

Alex Killian: I was a 1D fan in college and was excited for his solo stuff, but never fully committed enough to truly call myself a fan. I’ve listened casually to each of his albums, with favorites from each and certain singles finding their way onto various playlists of mine through the years. I think he’s a great vocalist and a fantastic performer.

Josh Weiner: I still remember my first encounter with One Direction! I had come back for winter break midway through my sophomore year of college in 2011, and who should I find in the living room but my sister and her gal pals rocking out hysterically to “What Makes You Beautiful” as if it were the second coming of “I Want It That Way.” I was impressed by how enamored they seemed with the track and decided to check out the band behind it further. From then on, I continued to listen to One Direction as much as the next guy – they were pretty unavoidable for much of that period in the early 2010s – and then after the band went on indefinite (read: permanent) hiatus in 2016, I still kept an eye on what the individual members got up to. This allowed me to catch Niall Horan perform at Boston Calling and participate in a roundtable on Harry Styles’ album Fine Line. Now that the latter is back with another record, I’m certainly open-minded about seeing what he has to say/sing.

What are your initial impressions and reactions to Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.?

Kaiana: It honestly took me a while to decide my feelings on the record. I’m a huge fan of his debut album and Fine Line, and this record, though catchy at points, didn’t grip me the way those two did. Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. has some really sticky tunes. Tracks that admittedly I wouldn’t categorize as dance but easy danceable pop music. Something you cant help but tap a toe to. But theres alo songs that felt dragging at times. Breaking up the energy of the record and confusing the way I feel about it as a result. After some time I found myself liking those songs more and more. It’s a bit different for Harry and a fun way to return from such a long hiatus.

Brianna: I absolutely love it. I just want to dance while crying and stare up at the ceiling. In my notes app, when I listened to the album for the first time, I made a point of jotting down my first impressions, and while it’s incredibly scattered, the thing I kept writing down is that “he just gets it.” And I think what I’m trying to say with that is that Harry just knows how to evolve. There is a clear understanding of musicianship and artistship exhibited in his craft. The mix of having an orchestral-based song on the same album as a sentimental acoustic track and a heavily call-and-response-based dance track is a clear example of how boundless and clever Kissco is. While the level scope and breadth exhibited in Kissco may mean we have to wait four years for new music, I’m personally happy to wait. Personally, I admire an artist who takes their time in craft because it means there’s room for experience to happen. And that is what this album is a product of; it emanates the sound of controlled exploration. And the time in between projects and tours allows us as listeners and individuals to grow beside Harry and his music.

That being said, I think that this album, like his others, gleams with freshness and familiarity. There is an inevitability to the sonics; it’s an atmospheric, funky, soulful, acoustic, synth, bass-heavy, orchestral wonderland. It’s addictive and full of the most delicious earworms. On a technical note, I also feel it’s necessary to mention that it’s a remarkably balanced album that is mixed incredibly cleverly and well. I found that much of the mixing mirrored what was happening lyrically and orchestrally. The only real critique that I’ve come up with is that I might have liked to hear more of his voice, just as it is with less of the filters and distortion obscuring its purity. I think it could have made the moments with the heavy distortion stand out that much more and put a real highlight on the natural tone and clarity of his voice. After these years away, I just missed hearing the authentic ease of his vocal quality. But truly, there is so much care in his craft that I cannot name many qualms or complaints at this point.

Ashley: The latest release on Columbia Records by Harry Styles channels a nostalgic 2000s vibe and a contemporary beat, with influences and themes that are perfect for hitting the dancefloor. The production throughout the album features distinct, modulated drum patterns and punchy hi-hats, resulting in a fun, groove-saturated sound. Styles keeps listeners engaged by holding a conversation with them from the start, as in “Are You Listening Yet?” on Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. Styles gets to know the listener exceptionally well by asking questions and teasing, “Did you get your taste back / Or did you need a little love?” on “Taste Back.” Towards the end of the album, one of my personal favorites, “Paint By Numbers,” sonically narrates, “an image in your head / and now you’re stuck with it,” for listeners to imagine what it’s like to grow through life.

Alex: I didn’t have high expectations for this album and wasn’t a big fan of “Aperture” when it came out. Comparing it to his previous work, it doesn’t quite live up, in my opinion. I find a lot of the melodies and lyrics a little juvenile. Some of the production reminds me of Vampire Weekend or Two Door Cinema Club, which was so fresh back in, like, 2010. It’s giving mainstream pop cosplaying as dance music? Now that I’ve had some time with it, I’m appreciating it a bit more for what it is – easy radio pop with a sprinkle of dance.

Josh: I’m making my way through my second round of the album as I type this, and as best I can tell, it’s a well-crafted pop album that’s as enjoyable and danceable as the rest of Harry’s records. I admire the consistency he’s displayed throughout his career, both solo and with 1D – his music has been high-quality the whole while.

How does this album compare to Harry’s House and Fine Line – what are the most striking similarities or differences?

Kaiana: My favorite thing about Fine Line was the lyricism. His choice to go in a more indie-folk, pop direction for the record complemented the intention behind the lyrics. Fine Line featured similar themes as Harry’s House and Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. Love, loss, familial bonds, and self-reflection are all themes touched on in these records, but he doesn’t seem to stick the landing as well with this latest release. Where Fine Line and Harry’s House thrived respectively with their lyricism, though sonically different, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. continues these thoughts with less feeling. Almost as if he worked through them on the previous records and is reflecting on this latest one. The connection to it is thinner. That being said, the choices made, musically are similar between Harry’s House and this latest record. Though Harry’s House pushes more towards a pop-funk sound, they cross paths in the dance music lane. He uses his clearly extensive knowledge of music to call back to artists like LCD Soundsystem and Two Door Cinema Club, but keeps it true to the ‘Harry’ style and sound. This makes for an easy listen through his discography. You can hear clearly the progression in discovering his preferred sound and standing in his love for dancing between those two records.

Brianna: Harry has always pulled reference from the ‘greats,’ and it shows in how excellent his albums are. I’m talking Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, etc. And while they’re all definitely still in here (I’m looking at you, Prince), here we’ve definitely gotten closer to the likes of Yazoo, LCD Soundsystem, Jackson 5, and Simon and Garfunkel. As far as particular moments of likeness and difference. I’d say that there’s a lot of continuity of thought between them. Conversations around family and love from a song like “Canyon Moon” are continued in the images produced in “Paint By Numbers.” The ideas on ultimately unreciprocated love and feelings around love and lovelessness in relationships that are brought up in “Coming Up Roses” could be related to “Cherry.” There’s a likeness in the unifying group, anthemic nature that’s born in “Treat People with Kindness” and “Dance No More.” “Pop” also seems to be a direct jump off from “Cinema” in terms of diction and tempo. And “Carla’s Song” reads as a sister song to “Fine Line” while also having some sonic similarities to “Love of My Life.” All three of those songs seem to be more about human experience and finding comfort in contentment and balance than anything else, which feels pertinent in also mentioning that their place as the final tracks on their respective albums just rounds out each of the albums wonderfully. I’d also say that we’ve gotten a moment to reminisce on and with One Direction for one of the first times in his solo career with the song “Paint by Numbers,” which instrumentally calls back to “Once in a Lifetime” from One Direction’s album Four. As a whole, this album is funkier and dancier than any of his other albums.

Ashley: The production features more syncopated snares and synth flares to sustain bliss, diving into the delight and basking in a daylight glow heard in “Carla’s Song.” Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. demonstrates more electronic elements than his 2022 release Harry’s House, which shimmers with funky baselines. Harry’s House also touches on the same theme of learning to grow through the seasons of life. The cover art for the albums reflects the melodic themes and captures the production atmosphere, creating a cohesive visual and sonic connection. Now, in his recent release, the cover art is still juxtaposed, yet taking the disco outside of its regular nature for a discovery that charts new territory, which is what is out of the ordinary or expected.

Alex: I think this album falls into a little bit of a pattern for Harry, where some tracks bang, and others feel a bit like filler. Fine Line is such a masterpiece to me. Each track flows so effortlessly into the next, and there’s an assuredness to Harry’s vocals that’s almost mesmerizing. I don’t love every song, but I can follow the thread and appreciate each one for its contribution. Harry’s House felt like letting loose; maybe a little less substance than Fine Line, but a little more fun at the same time. I feel that on this new record, too, but Kiss All the Time comes across as sterile, even basic, compared to his previous two albums. It doesn’t strike me as specifically Harry Styles but as a generic dance-pop album, where as his previous albums felt much more intentional.

Styles has described the title Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. as a kind of life mantra about balance – loving people and moving through life with affection, but occasionally letting loose and having fun. How do you hear that philosophy reflected in the music itself?

Kaiana: Harry is absolutely kissing all the time on this record. Songs like “Taste Back” and “Pop” are flirtatious and carefree. Letting love and lust wash over him and finding time to enjoy it instead of chasing it down all the time. The letting loose aspect of the disco, occasionally shows he’s worked hard and often has to remind himself to stop and smell the roses. He spent so much time on his previous records and in his private life doing the work to strengthen his bonds with the people around him and most importantly himself and he’s found the best way to keep up with the lessons he’s learned and now he can find time to enjoy it. Dance and be silly by himself or with the ones he loves. But this mantra isn’t just for him; it’s a call to action in a way. He wants listeners to learn from the album to do the same work and it’s beautiful and inspiring.

Brianna: It is the thesis of the album, and really, I think the thesis of his entire discography. This is an album that chronicles a listener’s experience with music. There’s a keen sense of knowing in Harry’s lyricism and even in his instrumentation, where there’s always this sense of growth and release. He has such an understanding of tension and how to balance it in an album with an eventual break after showing vignettes of various situations or perspectives of scenes. His music is consistent in that way. With Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. I think we see this mantra reflected most internally. What I mean is, we can hear the work Harry has done outside of the studio in the music. We hear his experiences. Harry took his time in making this album, and so there is an intentionality in his craft. That said, the whole album screams of this philosophy in the way that he takes us on a journey through his emotions and thoughts about life, love, and industry. From the questions asked in “Are You Listening Yet?” to the half answers and wondering in “Season 2 Weight Loss” and “Coming Up Roses,” and the taffy-like resolve in “Carla’s Song.” It all follows the idea of letting life happen with you rather than outside of you, so well. It’s unstressed while recognizing that there are stressors, and it is just beautiful to hear such a healthy outlook translated into music.

Ashley: “Taste Back” is flirtatious and teasing, suggesting a sense of freedom and independence. The tune touches on the eagerness to have affection from afar and to claim independence or space to let a relationship grow, and the feedback in the silence of “It was tough at the time / but you called me back.” Towards the end of the record, “Dance No More” is a disco groove, with synths that drive the energy and get listeners up and moving to the rhythm, “It’s feeling like the music has been heaven sent / And there’s no difference in between the tears and the sweat, uh.” The lyrics have a way of reminding listeners to get lost in the moment and dance through life regardless of who dances or doesn’t, while making it fun and unconventional whenever it feels right – dance your way through life!

Alex: The album doesn’t impart any kind of philosophy to me personally, but I guess that’s the thing with art. It means different things to different people, and I can imagine heavy Harry fans are taking more from the album philosophically than I am.

Josh: Ah, I guess that I do spot a similarity between this album and his past two ones now! I remember that his old albums had a mixture of fun and compassionate songs – Fine Line, for instance, had big radio hits like “Adore You” and “Watermelon Sugar,” along with the self-explanatory “Treat People With Kindness.” And similarly, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally features several invitations to the big party (“Just for tonight, let’s go hangover chasing,” he suggests), while also slipping in some important moral reminders, such as how key it is for us to respect our mothers. Harry has a heart, it sure seems.

Styles has said the album was inspired in part by electronic and dance music and the communal energy of the dance floor. Where do you hear that influence most clearly across the record?

Brianna: Picking just one moment is difficult, but I think “Dance No More” is the obvious choice with the call out to the DJ and the shift we’ve seen in music and artist culture, where perhaps it could be suggested that music of the modern age lacks a certain soul that it used to have. Anyway, there’s a built-in interaction in the song with the call to the DJ and the integration of playful audience-targeted callbacks, very reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” It really is a song that you just want to let your body move to and throw wild shapes without a care in the world. I also thought there were some similarities between this song and Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” which just proves my point, it’s so late ’70s/early ’80s and oozes movement and groove. I’d also put “Pop” into the realm of an electronic dancefloor, but in a more alternative way. I immediately thought of 5 Seconds of Summer when listening to it, and Peter Gabriel because of the cadence of the delivery and the repetition that’s led by the heavy drums in the soundscape. I have a feeling that “Ready, Steady, Go!” and “Season 2 Weight Loss” are going to hit live. I wrote in my initial notes that they made my heart race. Both of them are just massive in their scale and took full control of the atmosphere. So, I’d say those four songs are probably the most inspired by the energy that’s held in a pit or dance floor.

Ashley:​ Electric glitches pulse throughout his discography in his tracks, especially in the kick drum as it propels the songs forward, igniting a cadence in “Ready, Steady, Go!” The lyrics reference the dancefloor in “One time in the light / It’s two times as fun already.” The tune is a dancefloor anthem paired with “Dance No More,” and touches on the infatuation with connection: “You touched me goodnight / Butterflied both in our bellies,” for a spontaneous affection and the enjoyment of the glow within a kinship. Styles is entertaining the idea of savoring a new muse. Across the record, the kick drums drive it to the dancefloor, and the start is affectionate and fun, not only for enjoying the experience on the dancefloor but also for sharing luminous, energetically joyful moments with those you’re dancing with. The song can be deeply felt by simply closing your eyes and reveling in the light as it glistens above, in the disco ball’s answered call.

Alex: I can see that particularly in the repetitiveness on a lot of the tracks, along with the general production being a bit more electronic, I guess. I’m not big on call-and-response but that’s a very communal element to throw in that we see here. There’s a feverish energy to some of the tracks, like “Pop,” “Are You Listening Yet?,” and “Dance No More,” that I like and recognize as something you could get lost in on the dance floor. As an avid electronic/dance listener, though, this album doesn’t quite land in that lane for me. You feel good electronic music in your bones, to the point where you have to turn the volume up even if it’s already a little too loud, and I never reach that point on this album.

Kaiana: The best part of dancing is finding someone to do it with. Letting go in a space where everyone is doing the same and finding freedom within it. In some spaces like “Season 2 Weight Loss” and “Dance No More,” where I feel the electronic dance influence is it’s strongest, Harry encapsulates this energy. The funky basslines on “Dance No More” and the sharp synths of “Season 2 Weight Loss” showcase the energy of the music he is pulling inspiration for clearly. “Dance No More” lyrically has a lot to say about the state of clubbing today and how no one, even the DJ, is interested in dancing like that used to. I respect Harry’s choice to point this out and I agree people are afraid to dance but this record doesn’t compare to some of the other great dance records that have come out over the pas few years. Albums that actually made people want to get to the dancefloor instead of observing thr lack of dancing from the sidelines.

Josh: I don’t see how imaginative a response I can make at this point, haha! But yes, “Dance No More” and “Ready, Steady, Go!” are definitely ones where that frenetic energy is on full display.

Styles also said Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. is “music that was meant to be played loud.” Does the album feel designed for big live moments or communal listening? How does that shape your experience of it?

Brianna: There are some albums that are made with the intent of being played live, and this is one of them. I do believe it is meant to be played loud, with the exceptions of “Coming Up Roses” and “Paint By Numbers,” which I think can be played more in solitary locations. “Coming Up Roses” is reminiscent of a cobbled street glowing tangerine at night, where there are few people around other than lovers holding each other in darkness. “Paint By Numbers” is for a kitchen or family home. That’s not to say that they too cannot be played loudly in a massive live moment, but they speak more to those small moments than that, in my opinion. The rest of the songs… crank them loud, as loud as they can go. Blow out the speakers, I beg. The project is incredibly introspective on what it means to be an artist, and it’s so evident in this final product. With the knowledge that Harry made this album with the intention of it being played live and loud as a way to mesh the worlds of the audience and artist together into a more singular experience, it just makes the album make so much sense. We are all meant to experience the album together – to sweat together, to cry together, to breathe together – and every element of this album makes way for that.

Ashley: The record sounds fantastic, loud as it elevates the elements! The beginning of the album deserves to be loud and live, as it certainly claims its distinct characteristics and production styles. However, towards the end of the album, the more introspective tracks excel at fostering a communal connection with the listener and at reflecting on the lyrics to provide perspective and shared meaning. For me, “Carla’s Song” creates a yearning and the magic of the anticipation for what is to come in the future: “It’s all there for you.”

Alex: Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but I can see that intention in the lack of conviction more than anything. This album is like, fun music to play in the background, more than a thoughtful album of individual tracks for me. The slower songs feel a bit out of place, especially if the intention was party vibes and big live moments. I just can’t catch a connecting thread through the album, so the softer moments feel disingenuous and the bigger moments feel random.

Kaiana: Harry has absolutely had albums that were meant to be played loud. His rock inspired debut album was played on full blast for months in my house. But this record I’m not so sure about. I can see turning up the volume for a few songs throughout the album. But others not so much. This is an album made to enjoy maybe not as background music but certainly not at full blast. It doesn’t have the right amount of oomph like his previous records have.

Josh: Well yes, all of the songs that we’ve highlighted as having been made with the party scene in mind definitely qualify as ones that deserve to be played loud.

Which song(s) stand out for you on the album, and why?

Kaiana: Immediately I knew “Pop” and “Ready, Steady, Go!” would be my favorites on the record. They both had the dancey energy i was looking for wrapped in the classic harry Styles flavor this record was lacking for me. Ready steady Go would not leave my head. That bassline was begging to be played and would not let up. Its simple but effective and took no time to grow on me. When going back and giving the album a few relistens I found myself instinctively going back to these two songs. Instead of playing the album from beginning to end like I typically would. Harry is at his best when he sticks to pop focused sounds with sticky bass riffs and flirtatious lyrics. If he’s going to make a pop album that is the sound he needs to stay true to.

Brianna: Purely off my initial listen and in no particular order… Maybe I’m biased as an American, but “American Girls” has me in a chokehold already. I cannot get enough of the way it escalates from the initial key chords to the bass and pulse-steadying drums, and the clarity of his vocal tone. It’s just good, it’s as simple as that. It makes me feel good. “Season 2 Weight Loss” feels like such an important song in terms of what it addresses as far as audience/artist relationships go, which could also be translated to a whole plane of relationships, ie, parent/child, artist/management, etc. Lyrically, it delivers, and the atmosphere it builds and maintains is magnetic. I also have to give credit to Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell, who did the backing vocals on this track. She’s in the back of a few other tracks, but on this one, she just gives it such a golden glow. Their voices complement one another so well, and she gives the song such life. “Carla’s Song” hit me like a gut punch because I am such a fan of “Fine Line.” It spoke to my whole experience of discovering his music and, subsequently, to the whole world that opened up to me after I let myself experience Harry’s music. Also, as someone who is constantly recommending music to people, this song just feels like holding hands to me. It’s the sonic experience of relishing in the glory of the rabbit hole of becoming a fan and sharing in that joy with others. And before I just start listing every song on the album, I’ll just say, I am a sucker for a waltz and a sucker for anything that makes me feel like a kid again. So I found “Coming Up Roses” to be a beautiful refrain. The orchestra had me welling with tears instantly. And “Paint With Numbers” made me think of childhood, I could see my sister and I running around with water balloons, washing away our sidewalk chalk art. It was so nice to hear Harry be so vulnerable on these two tracks and reveal himself a bit more with slightly more raw vocals backed by more stripped acoustics and honest lyrics.

Ashley: “Aperture” opens the record with sustained, oscillating keys, creating an ambient experience saturated with electronic textures. The track title itself resonates with the idea of opening the lens in life to “let the light in,” as a guide to widening the perspective or vantage point from which you currently see. The tune reflects on the need to adjust the light you work with, like a camera, while creating something memorable in your current timeline. Sonically, the introduction is a personal favorite for its tactile, experimental elements and bouncing, introspective baseline.

Next, blending the soundwaves, “American Girls” splashes cool keys that can wash away a heatwave in the mind with a single press of play. The hook of the lyrics catches my attention: “My friends are in love with American girls.” I connect with the song’s catchy, heartwarming nature, which resonates through Styles’ experience and influence. Towards the end of the record, “Paint By Numbers” softens, adding vulnerability through the stark contrast between the kick drums in the album’s introduction and gentle acoustic strumming. The songwriting, “It’s a lifetime of learning to paint by numbers and watching the colours run,” reflects on the softness of the role through growth in a coming-of-age track, set to a romantic, joyful harmony yearning for discovery through listening.

Alex: My favorites so far are “Season 2 Weight Loss,” “American Girls,” and “Dance No More.” The production on those tracks is more interesting, the lyrics are catchy, and, in general, they feel more fleshed out to me.

Josh: “American Girls,” “Dance No More,” and “Ready! Steady! Go!” were among my favorites, but personally the album didn’t have any glaring skips for me. The fact that it was a relatively skinny 12 tracks helped it to achieve that outcome.

Do you have any favorite lyrics so far? Which lines stand out?

Brianna: “You and me are skipping sleep with dirty feet” from “Ready, Steady, Go!”–- in part for the way the internal rhyme of “sleep” and feet” just sits so easily, and also because of the simplicity in the description and how it slyly slips in the suggestion of a history or growing messiness in a relationship. “Oh, what a gift it is to be noticed/ But it’s nothin’ to do with me” from “Paint By Numbers” – for the reflective moment on fame and idol status. I love an introspective moment of self-awareness. “Just for tonight, let’s go hangover chasing / And I’ll talk your ear off about why it’s safe” from “Coming Up Roses” – for the sentiment of giving in to reckless behavior and wanting to spend a little bit longer in a moment that you know is going to end.

Ashley: The first and last tracks – “Aperture” and “Carla’s Song” – connect a reflection I look forward to in albums when I listen, with lines like, “It’s best you know what you don’t / Aperture lets the light in,” and “Saw the light in the gold you discovered.” I especially enjoy the idea of sharing the joy of discovery with someone else. And finally, “Can you hear that voice delivering the news? / It’s all waiting there for you.” All of these lyrics connect to the desire for hope, anticipation, and the self-awareness and enjoyment of the discovery it takes, unique to our own timeline, and to the understanding that patience makes all the difference.

Alex: “You could’ve been here in my arms / But we’re nothing at all / You want a piece or nothing at all” from “Season 2 Weight Loss” and “It’s feeling like the music has been Heaven sent / And that there’s no difference in between the tears and the sweat” off “Dance No More.” Anyone who has really left it all out on the dance floor can resonate with the latter.

Kaiana: “Does all this seem to be bringin us closer, or am I back seating your life, judging how you drive” from “Coming Up Roses” is a beautiful description of that middling moment in a relationship. Is it really going to work or are we trying to force it to.

I also really love the opening lyrics of “Are Your Listening Yet?” – they’re like a slap to the face. “God Knows your life is on the brink / and your therapist well fed” gets me every time. It really made me think about the lyrics and what he was trying to say through this song. He packs a lot of punch in the entire song and those lyrics make the ears of anyone who relates perk up.

Josh: I kinda like the line “There is a bridge that leads to troubled waters,” from the album closer, “Carla’s Song.” It’s been over 50 years since Simon & Garfunkel introduced us to the concept to “a bridge over troubled waters,” and we’ve had plenty of time to discuss the meaning of that particular metaphor. But what about a bridge that leads to troubled waters? That’s something of a conversation starter, right there!

Where do you feel Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. sits in the pantheon of Harry Styles’ discography?

Brianna: Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. Feels like a natural progression for his music, the energy and ecstasy held within the bars match that which we’ve seen in his other projects, though this one is indeed far more disco and far more funk and electronica than the others. It strays from his debut and sophomore album’s rock sound pretty drastically, but thematically they’re all in the same universe. And I’d argue that there are more rock adjacent elements to be seen in this album than might be assumed from a base listen. “Pop” is pretty alternative and indie sounding, and “Are You Listening Yet?” is quite rhythmically jarring. I wrote in my notes app that it felt like the inevitable evolution, and I, for one, am so glad to see Harry bring a perpetually pure joy into creation. I also wildly respect him for his refusal to join the treadmill of monotonous, repetitive pop production and for his bravery in simply creating what he wants to make. In my opinion, it’s so much more rewarding an experience to be a fan of someone who respects the idea of growth. We all live lives separate from the artist, just as they live separate from us. The music is the commonality, and I think sometimes our relationships become too parasocial, and we start thinking that there should be this conveyor belt where we are all constantly fed, but growth doesn’t happen cyclically. Cycles make art stale. Harry’s music doesn’t have that brittle quality to it because he gives us time to mature, his music time to mature, and himself time to mature. Anyway, I won’t do a ranking for Harry’s albums because they’re all exceptional and I truly cannot rank them, but I will say that Kissco is a welcome addition to the collection. Top to bottom, front to back, it’s a tender, honest, introspective, exceedingly pleasurable project that was well worth the wait.

Ashley: As of last week, the recent Harry Styles release has been added to 12,000 on a collective waitlist, with the most wanted variant being opaque pink vinyl, for a nostalgic fever reminiscent of a revival, true to disco music. This year in pop music, a common theme and focus is the revival of dance music. This energy is exactly what this year feels called to do. The album is vivacious and charismatic, shimmering like the disco charm. The storytelling on this album connects love, growth, and the experience of aging, showing that the human experience is just as beautiful a process as “Paint By Numbers.” Harry Styles shares vulnerability and expresses the external glow of yearning for the night’s light through disco shine!

Alex: I fear that Harry has come to a point where he’s resting on his laurels a bit… or to be more optimistic, he’s evolving sonically, and this album is an example of growing pains. It’s giving “wanted to try something new, but scared to actually commit.” To me, this album is forgettable, especially compared to his previous work. It’s like a fun side quest, but I don’t feel Harry’s heart in it.

Kaiana: I sort of agree with Alex. The record as a whole falls short of what it was meant to be. It’s a natural progression for an artist at this point in their career. Harry has been a professional musician for quite a while now and through everything he’s been through he’s released some great art in his previous works and some just fine work now. He’s trying new things and finding his stride as an adult musician and solidified solo artist and taking his time while doing it. Because of that it sits perfectly where it is. Each record was Harry trying a new genre and finding what worked for him but this record shows either a misunderstanding of the genre he is attempting to portray or a fear to fail in executing it. If he went full force on the disco or edm sound maybe it would have been better but right now it falls flat in comparison with his previous work unfortunately.

Josh: Looking at Metacritic, Harry Styles’ most critically acclaimed solo album remains Harry’s Room, and since I know that album is a time-tested fan favorite, I won’t attempt to dethrone it from the top spot. But Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally was also a pretty decent record and has already managed to score some successful singles in the form of “Aperture” and “American Girls.” So, give it some time and I imagine it’ll fare well on the long-term ranking of Harry Styles’ top projects.

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“American Girls” – Harry Styles

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 © Stella Blackmon

Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

an album by Harry Styles