Ever felt intimidated by a musician’s extensive back catalog? Been trying to get into a band, but you just don’t know where to begin? In 10 Songs is here to help, providing a clearcut entry point into the daunting discographies of iconic artists of all genres. This is your first step toward fandom — now all you have to do is take it.
There just aren’t that many entertainers like Harry Styles these days.
Harry is more than a pop hitmaker, and even more than the modern iteration of the charming, British rock star. He’s also more than a fashion provocateur, someone who regularly makes headlines for fairly gentle pushes against social boundaries and norms.
The thing about Harry Styles is that he’s a true renaissance man, the sort that used to exist in the era of Old Hollywood and just beyond, when someone like Frank Sinatra could be one of the best-selling artists of the time while also moving hordes of tickets at the Main Street cinema. Pop stars these days aren’t called to appear in films, tour the country, jump in for a stint hosting a late night show, co-chair a fashion gala, appear on a sketch comedy program, and then head back to the studio — and no one called upon Harry Styles to do so, either. He took it upon himself.
What’s so refreshing about Styles is that he genuinely seems to love learning about the work of being an entertainer, and does things because he wants to do them. It’s sometimes hard to believe that the nervous kid who auditioned for The X Factor and was tossed into One Direction has gone on to hone strengths in so many different areas, but Harry has also always had that indescribable It factor.
Some fans expressed mixed feelings about his budding career on the silver screen — that trailer for Don’t Worry, Darling is truly something — but Harry put any fears of moving into acting full-time to rest by confirming a third album, Harry’s House, which arrives this coming Friday, May 20th.
In preparation for Styles’ third solo effort, we’ve rounded up ten songs that speak to his story so far. Granted, they’re not the definitive top 10, nor are they the only 10 songs that paint a picture of his many strengths. What these 10 songs do demonstrate, though, is that Harry Styles isn’t afraid to try new things, and, more often than not, he ends up being great at them.
Here’s Harry Styles in 10 songs, featuring a playlist at the bottom for you to enjoy as you read along.
— Mary Siroky
Contributing Editor
