There’s a lot of anticipation surrounding the upcoming album, Fine Line, from the pop star Harry Styles. But before going solo, this hit-maker had a boy band past. He was the lead vocals in the famous group One Direction, but since then he has taken himself in a different direction. At the beginning of his solo career, Styles created a well-rounded mix from various genres to produce his debut album self-titled Harry Styles. The iconic pink album cover is easily recognizable, and although it wasn’t as popular as some other albums, Styles continues to create a name for himself apart from his old band-mates. Where other ex-members, such as Louis Tomilson or Zayn Malik, have been pumping out chart-topping hits since the group’s disbanding, Styles has been taking his time producing his music. His first album was released in 2017, about 2 years following the breakup. Such songs as “Carolina” and “Sweet Creature” take soulful lyrics and combine them with acoustic guitar riffs and simple melodies, a sound not common in today’s pop hits. Styles’ main hit off the album, “Sign of the Times,” is a slow ballad with his emotions obvious through the lyrics. This song gave Styles his fame as solo artist, rather than as the front man of a boy band. 

Styles is in the process of releasing his next album, Fine Line. Although only three songs have been released at the time this article is being written, they have all been recognized by music outlets and streaming platform’s pop playlists. Styles continues to bring new sounds and combinations to the world of pop, which is desperately needed in a time when most of the songs of the radio tend to blur together. A student at Lincoln-Way Central, Carly Schiene, is someone who has not yet heard Styles’ music. “I just haven’t gotten around to it,” Schiene says, “I’ve heard great things about it and I’ll listen to it soon.” Schiene exemplifies that Styles’ music isn’t terribly popular, but he’s slowly edging his way into the music industry with new sounds and calming lyrics. All in all, Styles is able to create meaningful songs while still breaking into the pop music genre.