The wait is finally over. After nearly four years, Harry Styles has finally returned with a new album, Kiss all the time. Disco, sometimes.
“Aperture,” the album’s pre-release single, was released in January, giving fans a sense of Styles’ long-awaited fourth studio album. He also announced the “Together, Together” tour, which will reach seven cities around the world. New York City is his only scheduled US stop for the year. He booked a 30-day stay at Madison Square Garden.
His last album, Harry’s housereleased in 2022, earned the British singer-songwriter a win for first album of the year at the Grammy Awards and led to an extensive 169-date world tour.
In the years following that tour — which concluded in June 2023 — Styles has been on an extended hiatus from music and acting, which he has branched out into in recent years. Styles has traveled the world and spent time in Japan, Germany, Spain, and Italy. The singer told Runner’s World that he particularly loved the Berlin club scene, which can definitely be heard Kiss all the time. Disco, sometimes.
to put Kiss all the time. Disco, sometimes In terms of Styles’ previous releases, the 12-track album feels more sonically connected to the 32-year-old’s 2019 sophomore solo album Thin lineWhich leans more towards pop rock. What sets Kiss all the time. Disco, sometimes Aside from that, Styles is very upfront about it with this headline, a sprinkling of the heavy urban pop that defined his Grammy-winning album, Harry’s house.
Although “Aperture” doesn’t necessarily embody the sonic theme of the entire album, it does capture its spirit. The title track is a little more disco than most of the songs on the album, but the whole album is great. Meanwhile, “Dance No More” carries a similar danceable flare and certainly stands out on the record.
Kiss all the time. Disco, sometimes It flows sonically from one song to the next, making it more than just an enjoyable listening experience. Here’s a track-by-track breakdown of Styles’ long-awaited return.
“slot”
Styles kicks off his first album in four years with the album’s pre-release single, “Aperture,” a jam-packed, nearly six-minute game of push-pull. “It’s better to know what you don’t know / The hole lets the light in,” Styles sings in the pre-chorus before diving into the song’s main message: “We belong together /
“This finally seems to be the only love.”“Aperture” prepares listeners for an album that feels at once at home in Styles’ discography and a little out of place. Lyrically and sonically, it’s one of the calmer songs on the album, even if it leans more towards a disco vibe than the majority of the album. The dichotomy within the song – a little sad but still hopeful – sets the tone for the song perfectly Kiss all the time. Disco, sometimeswhich at first glance shows Styles reflecting himself in a way he’s never done before.
“American girls”
Admittedly the most superficial offering on the album, this melodic track that pops up on PCH is a true sonic mash-up of his previous albums. It’s as if Styles was hoping to bring fans back into his world with “American Girls.” Think of it as a warm-up for what’s to come. “My friends love American girls / I’ve seen it on stages all over the world / My friends love American girls,” he cheekily sings in the song’s chorus. It’s catchy and fun, but given how interesting the rest of the album is, it’s unlikely to be at the top of anyone’s list.
“Ready, steady, go!”
This dreamy pop rock track is spot on Kiss all the time. Disco, sometimes It really starts to pick up. Styles opts for a funky vocal effect on the song’s chorus. It’s catchy enough that listeners will likely find themselves singing the chorus to themselves with lyrics like, “Once in the light, it’s already twice as fun.”
“Are you listening yet?”
Good, Are you listening yet?? Maybe he’s just looking too much into things — even if Styles never sounds like one who does things by accident — but the placement of this frenetic, guitar-laden track feels like the singer is checking the listener’s pulse at this point in the album. Pay attention, he seems to say. “Now you’re out of options/Are you listening yet?” He sings. The funky spoken word verses set against the rhythm guitar make this song fun and memorable.
“Taste again”
It feels very 2008 at this point in the album, with Vampire Weekend offering Styles’ most soulful yet. The overall message of the song seems to be about love and needing more of it. The bridge is undoubtedly a standout moment in the track, but the lyrics also make the song work: “Where did you find the confidence to call me baby?” And “You must be lonely in Paris if you talk like that,” just for the couple to share.
“Waiting game”
The album’s sixth track offers a slightly slower pace with some interesting pop moments. There are a lot of ways to interpret this song, but it probably sounds like a kind of self-reflection on Styles as a celebrity. “You can romanticize your flaws / Ignore your agency to stop / Write a song that has the details / While skimming off the top,” it could certainly be about anyone, but the song feels like it has a little more weight if those moments of introspection were intentional. The ending of the song is also beautiful.
“Weight Loss Season 2”
The title of the song that confused me the most, “Season 2 Weight Loss” features an electro pop opening with a distorted sound effect at the beginning. We seem to find patterns that embrace treble vocal effort Kiss all the time. Disco, sometimes. It’s nestled among some of the great songs on the album. “Let the light come in once in a while/You gotta sit down sometimes,” stands out as a lyric to remember.
“The roses are coming”
This track is one of the most romantic and grandiose songs on the album. With its waltzing beat, it would serve as the perfect soundtrack to the grand gesture moment in any romantic movie. It’s the most memorable song on the album, simply because it veers away from the established acoustic formula and further back. It also falls in the middle of the most disco-forward track on the album.
“pop”
Throughout its entirety Kiss all the time. Disco, sometimes“Pop” is one of the top two contenders for the most fun you can have, and is among the most popular disco and synth-pop tracks on record. It’s definitely the song most likely to get stuck in your head, with echoes of “pop!” Scattered throughout the song.
“Dance no more”
Sonically, this great track lives up to the promise of the disco-infused tracks laid out by ‘Aperture’. The song has it all – catchy lyrics, a dynamite outro, and a rock beat. It’s not clear what Styles’ next single will be, but “Dance No More” will certainly be in the running.
“Painting by numbers”
Styles slows it down with acoustic guitar for the penultimate track of the album. “Paint By Numbers” is another reflective track – the song’s opening lyric is “Oh, what a gift to behold.” It’s exactly the kind of song one would envision when hearing an artist who spends time traveling leisurely beforehand. It also seems that through this song, Styles is showing a quieter side of himself.
“Carla’s song”
The British pop star concludes the album as he begins it, in a dreamy space between melancholy and hope. But the decision to end this path seems important. The final lyrics of the album are absolutely perfect with the overall tone of the work – “I know what you like, you can hear it anytime.”
