From boy band member to debuting his fourth solo album at No. 1 on the charts, Harry Styles’ resurgence through his new album continued to influence pop culture and the music industry.
Styles’ new album, “Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally,” dropped on March 6. It marked his first album since 2022. The songs featured a disco-tech and dance-heavy sound with several melancholic ballads throughout.
In an interview with Haruki Murakami, a Japanese author and runner, published March 3, Styles discussed the inspiration behind the album. He said he was influenced by the communal feeling and anonymity of a dance floor.
“I wanted to recreate [what] I had on the dance floor, being lost in instrumentation and the musicality,” Styles said. “It was so immersive, like, this is how I want to feel when I’m on stage too… I wanted it to feel like, ‘Oh, we’re in this music together. Like I’m in it with you.’”
From there, his inspiration leaned further into the qualities of running.
“I’ve found the hypnotic, meditative aspect of music to have a lot of synergy with the meditative aspect of running,” Styles said. “When I’m running is when I have… time to think a lot about what I’m making and other things in life too.”
Aislyn Barnett, junior entrepreneurship major at Florida Gulf Coast University, had been a fan of Styles for many years. Barnett said she anticipated a new album because Styles had stayed away from the spotlight for a couple of years. Her favorite song on the album was “The Waiting Game.”
“It encapsulates how I often feel being a girl in my 20s navigating relationships, while trying to stay patient and hopeful, it also has sort of a nostalgic feeling to it that I love,” Barnett said. “It mixes emotions in the lyrics that are relatable with music that is undeniably beautiful.”
Fans and listeners responded to the album in different ways. Some praised it while others offered mixed reactions. Natalie Stephenson, junior nursing major, shared her thoughts on the album.
“I wasn’t a huge fan of all the songs on the album like I usually am… this album is very different than all of his others, so I think it threw a lot of people off,” Stephenson said.
Since his time as a member of One Direction, Styles grew up, branched out and developed his own sound beyond the boy band persona. This evolution appeared throughout the album, which reflected many life experiences.
One experience included the loss of his friend and former bandmate Liam Payne in 2024. The experience affected Styles and how he viewed his own life, influencing the album’s shift between soft melodies and upbeat undertones.
“It’s so difficult to lose a friend who is so like you in so many ways… it was a really important moment for me in terms of taking a look at my life and being able to say to myself, ‘OK, what do I want to do with my life? How do I want to live my life?’” Styles said. “’And I think the greatest way you can honor your friends who pass away is by living your life to the fullest.’”
Styles also continued to influence pop culture through his openness and relatability. He often walked openly around cities and did not hide from fans.
“[He reminds] us easily that he is a real person, not just a figment of the public eye… his character shines through in his music, where he follows what he feels inspired by, not trends or what others in the industry are doing,” Barnett said.
Styles’ influence on the music industry extended beyond his musical talent to his identity as a person and artist.
“He embraces his own personal style no matter how different it may be. His music, the way he carries himself, even the outfits he wears on tour, just stand out,” Stephenson said.
With disco undertones and reflections on meaningful life experiences, Styles ushered in a new era of his music that continued to shape pop culture.
