Since his X-Factor days, Styles has had a bit of a branding problem. When One Direction broke up, he desperately tried to leave behind his teen heartthrob pop persona and attempted to go solo as a young rockstar. He never quite managed to break away from his tween reputation and his attempt at a rebrand was awkward and did not sit comfortably with fans.

Now, Styles is back with solo album number two and this time, he has a clear message of who he is and the kind of music he wants to make. Styles seems to have accepted his pop roots while also paying homage to his rock influences that shaped his passion for music growing up. The result is a confident, self-assured album with some catchy tunes.

The album begins with the strong track “Golden”. The track is fun, playful, and appeases his pop following. “Adore You” follows shortly after and it follows in the same vein. The track is familiar but also has enough elements that it is going to appeal to the indie audience. Think Miles Kane, Childish Gambino and something a little funkier.

“Falling” on the other hand is slower and more deliberate. Styles sound more mature as he showcases a stronger and more impassioned side of his vocal range. “Treat People With Kindness” is upbeat and powerful. Styles borrows a choir to create those empowering, positives vibes that 2019 has been all about. For the first time, it actually feels like Style has something to say and is confident saying it. He has come into himself and seems to no longer be relying on a PR team to create his personality for him.

The titular track “Fine Line” strips things back to acoustic guitar and Styles’ soft and confessional singing. “Put a price on emotion / I’m looking for something to buy / You’ve got my devotion / But man, I can hate you sometimes,” he sings. In “To Be So Lonely” Styles sings “I’m just an arrogant son of a bitch who can’t admit when he’s sorry.” This new Harry Styles is switched on and comfortable to admit his shortcomings. It wouldn’t be absurd to consider Styles’ voice on Fine Line as representative of a generation of young men navigating through non-toxicity and generational backlash.

So basically, and we can’t quite believe we are saying this, Fine Line is a decent album. Harry Styles can no longer be considered a “guilty pleasure” but a talented young artist with something to say and a talent for saying it.

4/5

The post Harry Styles’ “Fine Line” is Quite Brilliant appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Harry Styles has released his second album, Fine Line, a 12-track album yesterday. The singles of “Lights Up,” “Watermelon Sugar,” and “Adore You,” are joined by “Golden,” “Cherry,” “To Be So Lonely,” “Sunflower Vol.6,” “She,” “Treat People With Kindness,” “Falling,” “Canyon Moon,” and “Fine Line.” So far, the only songs to have music videos are “Lights Up” and “Adore You.”

Styles sat down with Rolling Stones to discuss the tracks of the new album and said, “The overall arc is just that I tried to redefine what success means to me. I tried to rewire what I thought about it. A lot changes in two years, especially after coming out of the band and just working out what life is now. I feel so much freer, making this album — you get to a place where you feel happy even if the song is about the time when you weren’t that happy.”

To record Fine Line, Styles spent six weeks at Shangri-La studio in Malibu wearing bell-bottom jeans and visiting the beach. Styles promoted the album over the past two months by tweeting for the first time in five months and hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live. More recently, he hosted the Late Late Show, filling in for James Corden.

Now that Fine Line has been released, we can only expect that Styles will go back to hiding before his world tour.

The post The Wait is Over – Harry Styles’s New Album is Here! appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The show will run from April to October and he will be playing throughout Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia.

Joining Styles on his tour are King Princess, Jenny Lewis, and Koffee.

Tickets are already available for the US and Canada shows for Ticket Master’s Verified Fans and the rest of the pubic can purchase tickets for any of the tours on November 22.

If you want to catch Styles sooner, check him out on SNL this Saturday, November 16 where he will be hosting and performing music from Fine Line.

The post Harry Styles Sets Dates For 2020 World Tour appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Since his X-Factor days, Styles has had a bit of a branding problem. When One Direction broke up, he desperately tried to leave behind his teen heartthrob pop persona and attempted to go solo as a young rockstar. He never quite managed to break away from his tween reputation and his attempt at a rebrand was awkward and did not sit comfortably with fans.

Now, Styles is back with solo album number two and this time, he has a clear message of who he is and the kind of music he wants to make. Styles seems to have accepted his pop roots while also paying homage to his rock influences that shaped his passion for music growing up. The result is a confident, self-assured album with some catchy tunes.

The album begins with the strong track “Golden”. The track is fun, playful, and appeases his pop following. “Adore You” follows shortly after and it follows in the same vein. The track is familiar but also has enough elements that it is going to appeal to the indie audience. Think Miles Kane, Childish Gambino and something a little funkier.

“Falling” on the other hand is slower and more deliberate. Styles sound more mature as he showcases a stronger and more impassioned side of his vocal range. “Treat People With Kindness” is upbeat and powerful. Styles borrows a choir to create those empowering, positives vibes that 2019 has been all about. For the first time, it actually feels like Style has something to say and is confident saying it. He has come into himself and seems to no longer be relying on a PR team to create his personality for him.

The titular track “Fine Line” strips things back to acoustic guitar and Styles’ soft and confessional singing. “Put a price on emotion / I’m looking for something to buy / You’ve got my devotion / But man, I can hate you sometimes,” he sings. In “To Be So Lonely” Styles sings “I’m just an arrogant son of a bitch who can’t admit when he’s sorry.” This new Harry Styles is switched on and comfortable to admit his shortcomings. It wouldn’t be absurd to consider Styles’ voice on Fine Line as representative of a generation of young men navigating through non-toxicity and generational backlash.

So basically, and we can’t quite believe we are saying this, Fine Line is a decent album. Harry Styles can no longer be considered a “guilty pleasure” but a talented young artist with something to say and a talent for saying it.

4/5

The post Harry Styles’ “Fine Line” is Quite Brilliant appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Harry Styles has released his second album, Fine Line, a 12-track album yesterday. The singles of “Lights Up,” “Watermelon Sugar,” and “Adore You,” are joined by “Golden,” “Cherry,” “To Be So Lonely,” “Sunflower Vol.6,” “She,” “Treat People With Kindness,” “Falling,” “Canyon Moon,” and “Fine Line.” So far, the only songs to have music videos are “Lights Up” and “Adore You.”

Styles sat down with Rolling Stones to discuss the tracks of the new album and said, “The overall arc is just that I tried to redefine what success means to me. I tried to rewire what I thought about it. A lot changes in two years, especially after coming out of the band and just working out what life is now. I feel so much freer, making this album — you get to a place where you feel happy even if the song is about the time when you weren’t that happy.”

To record Fine Line, Styles spent six weeks at Shangri-La studio in Malibu wearing bell-bottom jeans and visiting the beach. Styles promoted the album over the past two months by tweeting for the first time in five months and hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live. More recently, he hosted the Late Late Show, filling in for James Corden.

Now that Fine Line has been released, we can only expect that Styles will go back to hiding before his world tour.

The post The Wait is Over – Harry Styles’s New Album is Here! appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The show will run from April to October and he will be playing throughout Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia.

Joining Styles on his tour are King Princess, Jenny Lewis, and Koffee.

Tickets are already available for the US and Canada shows for Ticket Master’s Verified Fans and the rest of the pubic can purchase tickets for any of the tours on November 22.

If you want to catch Styles sooner, check him out on SNL this Saturday, November 16 where he will be hosting and performing music from Fine Line.

The post Harry Styles Sets Dates For 2020 World Tour appeared first on Hot Pop Today.