Harry Styles' songs: The meanings behind some of his best lyrics 🎶
He is one of the biggest stars on the planet right now!
Harry Styles launched his solo career back in 2017, following the news that the One Direction boys were taking a hiatus and focusing on solo careers. Since then, Harry has become one of the most talked about stars in the world - with his latest album 'Harry's House' even breaking a record previously held by Taylor Swift AND bagging two Grammy Awards!
Since releasing solo material, tracks such as 'Watermelon Sugar', 'Falling', 'Sign of The Times' and 'Golden' - to name a few - have won Harry a whole host of awards. After winning all four awards that he was nominated for at The BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard, it's clear that the former 1D star has a knack for releasing hit songs - so join us as we take a look at the meanings behind some of his most successful releases over the years...
‘Sign of the Times’ - 2017
Harry’s debut single was a monumental success, peaking at Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. Not only that, but Rolling Stone also ranked it as the best song of 2017. The beautiful video also went on to win a BRIT Award for British Video of the Year, in 2018.
Shortly after the track's release, Harry revealed the surprising and quite dark meaning behind the lyrics. Opening up about the song, he said was inspired by ‘fundamentals’, and is written from the point of view of a young mother, who deals with being told that she has five minutes left to live following giving birth.
Speaking about 'Sign of the Times', Harry told Rolling Stone: "Most of the stuff that hurts me about what’s going on at the moment is not politics, it’s fundamentals. Equal rights. For everyone, all races, sexes, everything...
"'Sign of the Times' came from 'This isn’t the first time we’ve been in a hard time, and it’s not going to be the last time'. The song is written from a point of view as if a mother was giving birth to a child and there’s a complication. The mother is told, ‘The child is fine, but you’re not going to make it.’ The mother has five minutes to tell the child, ‘Go forth and conquer.'"
The song was certified 3x Platinum by the BPI in March 2024, meaning that it's seen a whopping 1.8 million sales in the UK - that's pretty impressive!
‘Two Ghosts’ – 2017
Harry performed this beautiful track on The Late Late Show with James Corden on an acoustic guitar, showing a different side of the singer from his days in One Direction.
The melodic song is about change, detailing how people change and grow apart. Commonly thought to be about his ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift, many believe Harry touches on how things changed between the pair since they parted ways.
The track details that although some things remain the same, they are not the same people they used to be. As things have made them grow apart, they are 'ghosts' to each other.
Although the singer has never confirmed if the song is specifically about his ex, tending to stay cryptic on the matter, fans have spied that some of the lyrics include strong references to some pretty iconic characteristics of both Harry and Taylor.
Some of the lyrics in question read: "Same lips red, same eyes blue. Same white shirt, couple more tattoos. But it’s not you and it’s not me. Tastes so sweet, looks so real. Sounds like something that I used to feel. But I can’t touch what I see."
‘Sweet Creature’ - 2017
This track from Harry’s first album showed his musical range as ‘Sweet Creature’ has a folk and rock sound to it, different from the pop music fans were used to Harry releasing.
The meaning behind the melodic song revolves around an imperfect relationship, that although involves difficulties and fighting, is powerful enough to always go back to. Without Harry going into too much detail, the lyrics hear him discuss a woman who it's hard to argue with, but she brings him "home" when he "runs out of road".
Within the lyrics, we hear Harry describe how although the relationship has difficulties, they know they belong together. He also takes pressure off by adding "we're still young".
He sings: "Sweet creature, had another talk about where it's going wrong. But we're still young. We don't know where we're going, but we know where we belong."
‘Kiwi’- 2017
‘Kiwi’ was the final single to be released from Harry’s first album and he also performed it live on the runway during the 2017 Victoria Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai.
This track shows the rock side of Harry, which he often talks about when he talks about his music inspirations such as Fleetwood Mac.
'Kiwi' is about a wild woman who sends Harry crazy, and with lyrics like: "And now she's all over me, it's like I paid for it. It's like I paid for it, I'm gonna pay for this," it seems like although the woman has turned his head, not much good is going to come out of getting involved with her.
The song addresses false rumours, and how his relationship with fame drives him crazy - even though he slightly enjoys it.
Harry has descried the song as a release of energy, saying: "It’s one of the first ones I wrote for the album, when I was getting out a lot of energy. I hadn’t written in a long time, and this is what came out of it."
Of course, fans have speculated who the song may be about, with model and reality TV star Kendall Jenner being a huge contender. While taking part in Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Harry did reveal that some songs on his debut album were in fact about Kendall, however would not reveal which ones.
'Watermelon Sugar' - 2019
Harry dropped his super sexy music video for 'Watermelon Sugar' in May 2020, after releasing this single in 2019 and he had more than 9 million views in just one day!
The video starts with a message saying it is 'dedicated to touching' as it was released during the COVID-19 pandemic. The music video is another fan favourite as it features Harry sitting at a table on beach, before he is joined by A LOT of beautiful women eating watermelons!
But just what is the song about? Well, as well as being about his love for women, including a pretty cheeky metaphor, Harry explained: "It doesn't really matter what it's about. It's about the sweetness of life."
The song was a huge success, reaching Number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and Number 1 on the US Billboard top 100. As well as bagging him his very first Grammy Award, for Best Pop Solo Performance in 2021, the track has now won eight awards in total - including a BRIT!
‘Golden’ - 2019
Harry released the highly anticipated video for ‘Golden’ which is the fifth single to be released from ‘Fine Line’ in October 2020. As per usual with the star, the single featured an amazing video which has gone on to rack up over 77 million views.
The video shows Harry running around the Amalfi Coast in Italy looking very tanned and wearing a number of iconic outfits that the singer is known for.
Although the track is pretty upbeat, the lyrics discuss love, loss and loneliness. Although it has a cheerful nature about being in love, it also serves as a hopeful song about being vulnerable and moving on from heartbreak.
‘Adore You’ - 2019
When Harry released 'Adore You' in December 2019, the song reached Number 7 in the UK and was a huge hit around the world! It was even certified 3x Platinum in the UK in July 2024, with 1.8 million sales in the UK - nearly five years after it was released, showing just how popular it is!
Quite clearly, the song is about Harry's love and adoration for someone. The chorus hears him tell his love interest not to worry about expectations, or assumptions, as all he wants is to adore them.
Harry sings: "Walk in your rainbow paradise. Strawberry lipstick state of mind. I get so lost inside your eyes. Would you believe it?"
He continues: "Honey, I'd walk through fire for you. Just let me adore you."
‘Lights Up’ – 2019
This was the first single to be released from Harry’s second album ‘Fine Line’ and peaked at Number 3 in the UK singles chart. The video shows Harry topless with models all around him and is a fan favourite, it currently has 82 million views on YouTube.
The song is about freedom that can be found when we are open and vulnerable, detailing how the way others perceive us should not define who we are. The song references someone changing, and despite being sorry, won't go back to how things were before.
The song reminds listeners that as change happens in life, others will judge, however our worth does not lie within their opinions.
‘Falling’ - 2019
Harry Styles released the heart-breaking music video for 'Falling' in early 2020. The video starts with Harry playing a grand piano which is filling up with water. As the water continues to flow over the piano, the room around him fills up.
The song, which reached Number 15 in the UK top 40, is about a bad break up, and 'falling' back into a dark place. Within the track, Harry admits that the breakdown the relationship was his fault, and the pain he feels doing through the difficult break-up. The lyrics read: "I’m in my bed, and you’re not here, and there’s no one to blame but the drink and my wandering hands."
Again, there were a few rumours surrounding who the song was about, with Harry's ex Camille Rowe being the top contender this time. In the music video, the Eiffel Tower's silhouette can be seen outside the window - with many thinking this is a nod to Camille, who was raised between France and the US.
On top of that, a voicemail heard at the end of Haz's song ‘Cherry’ is heavily rumoured to be Camille’s voice. In 'Falling', we hear Harry sing: "And I'm well aware I write too many songs about you." Could this mean this is another track about Camille?
Harry gave an incredible moving performance of ‘Falling’ at the 2020 BRIT Awards, showing a different side to the star compared to his usual live performances.
‘Treat People with Kindness’ - 2019
Two years after the song's initial release, Harry kicked off 2021 in style and by releasing the video we didn’t know we needed for 'Treat People with Kindness' - him and the incredible Phoebe Waller Bridge dancing in a very stylish old-school video. The upbeat toe-tapper hit racked up 7 million views in one day.
The song has a quite literal meaning - treat people with kindness! The lyrics relate to making small changes in your life, leading to your own personal happiness as well as that of others. Harry sings: "Giving second chances, I don’t need all the answers. Feeling good in my skin, I just keep on dancin’. And if we’re here long enough, we’ll see it’s all for us."
The lyrics detail how we should treat others how we would like to be treated, and we should all accept one another, singing: "And we can treat people with kindness, find a place to feel good."
‘Treat People with Kindness’ re-entered the UK singles chart at Number 2 following the release of the video.
'As It Was' - 2022
Harry released 'As It Was' ahead of his highly-anticipated third album 'Harry's House', which came out on 20th May 2022. The song was an instant hit, with former bandmate Niall Horan also revealing that it was his favourite current song, telling American Golf: "Ooh, good question, wow, I’ll go with Harry’s song, ‘As It Was.’ Great song."
It comes as no surprise, then, that the song became another Number 1 hit for Harry, even going on to win him the 2023 BRIT Award for Song of The Year. But what is the song about? Well, although Harry hasn't confirmed the true meaning, it is widely thought that the lyrics allude to his relationship with fame, and how his life is "not the same as it was" before he entered the public eye.
The song also touches on loneliness, and others caring for Harry and showing concern for him. This is thought to give another nod to the struggles he may face now that he is in the public spotlight. He sings: "Answer the phone, Harry, you’re no good alone. Why are you sitting at home on the floor? What kind of pills are you on?"
Many think that the track may also be a reference to his 'relationship' with Olivia Wilde, although this has never been confirmed by Harry. Lyrics that stand out to fans include: "Leave America, two kids follow her, I don't wanna talk about who's doin' it first."
'Music for a Sushi Restaurant' - 2022
Aah, more food-related metaphors! Providing us with one of Harry's quirkiest music video's of his career, 'Music for a Sushi Restaurant' was an instant hit as soon as fan's heard it on Harry's third album 'Harry's House'.
The track peaked at Number 3 in the UK chart, and was certified Platinum by the BPI in August 2023. At the time of writing, the music video has racked up over 29 million views on YouTube. The song, along with listing ingredients for sushi, talks about the desire to be in a relationship - and was even almost the title to the whole album!
Harry told NPR: "I was in a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles with my producer and one of our songs came on from the last album, and I kind of said, like, ‘This is really strange music for a sushi restaurant,’ and then I was like, ‘Oh, that would be a really fun album title.' And then as this song started being made, I kind of just said, ‘Music at a sushi restaurant.’"
The music video was also a huge talking point for the track. Although the song has an up-beat, jazz vibe, the video is thought to have a quite dark and deep meaning. As Harry appears as a human-squid hybrid, performing to adoring crowds, when he loses his voice, he is cooked and eaten.
The cut-throat nature of the music video has been perceived by many to relate to how Harry feels in the industry, with one fan describing it on Twitter as: 'like some sensationalized piece of meat that can be cooked and destroyed at any moment." (sic)
Another fan took to Twitter to say the video shows how: 'if an artist falls short in their ability instead of giving them space to improve and do better, they’re just destroyed instead.' (sic)
'Matilda' - 2022
'Matilda' features on 'Harry's House' and contains some rather emotional lyrics. In an interview with Apple Music, Harry revealed that the song is about someone else's experience.
He said: "I wanna support you in some way. But it's not necessarily my place to make it about me; cause it's not my experience. Sometimes it's just about listening. I hope that's what it did, I hope it just says 'I was listening to you.'"
Making a reference to the character Matilda from the popular Roald Dahl book, Harry said: "Imagine Matilda grown up."
When asked if the person who Harry wrote the song about knows it's about them, Harry simply answered: "No. I think they'll know."
The BPI announced that 'Matilda' had been certified Platinum in April 2024, seeing over 600,000 sales in the UK and becoming the fourth track from 'Harry's House' to receive the commendation.
'Daylight' - 2022
'Daylight' features on 'Harry's House' and is accompanied by a circus-themed music video. In 2022, Harry revealed that the song was written as a 'stream of consciousness'. Some fans speculated about whether 'Daylight' is potentially about his ex Taylor Swift - who has a song of the same name.
However, when asked about this, Harry said: "You are reading too much into it. You know I'd love to tell you that you're spot on, but you're not. We will always wonder."
The song focuses on a lover who pushed Harry away, despite all of his affection for them. Harry sings: "If I was a bluebird, I would fly to you. You'd be the spoon, dip you in honey so I could be sticking to you."
Does Harry write his own songs?
Yes, he sure does! The ‘Adore You’ singer has written all of his tracks since becoming a solo artist. He has worked with a number of co-writers but is credited for each track he has released. Here's a fun fact about Harry writing songs - he wrote the beautiful ballad ‘Falling’ in 20 minutes with his producer Kid Harpoon while only wearing a shower towel.
Now take a look at Harry's fashion evolution:
2010: One Direction
After initially auditioning as solo candidates, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and the late Liam Payne were put together by Simon Cowell as One Direction. On stage, the teenagers were heavily styled by The X Factor producers but off stage, 16-year-old Harry joined his bandmates in wearing typically teen-friendly tracksuits, hoodies and gilets.
2010: Harry's animal hat
Harry sent teens around the UK crazy when he rocked an adorable fluffy animal hat outside The X Factor. Of course, sales for the hat went through the roof when it was discovered to be from River Island!
2011: Blazers and jeans
The One Direction revolution swept the globe and the boys' popularity skyrocketed. They signed to Simon Cowell's Syco label, embarked on The X Factor tour and released their debut single 'What Makes You Beautiful'. In 2011, Harry Styles tended to stick to the blazer and jeans combination and of course, always matching his fellow bandmates.
2012: More blazers
In 2012, Harry's signature curls remained and so did his love for a blazer. The One Direction stars attended countless award shows and wore countless blazers!
2013: Patterned shirts at London Fashion Week
In 2013, it was clear that 19-year-old Harry was beginning to break the boyband mould. The teen heartthrob was expressing himself with the occasional patterned shirt, Chelsea boots and skinny jeans. Harry sat front row at London Fashion Week and even won a British Fashion Award!
2014: Long hair and bigger hats
As One Direction embarked on their worldwide stadium 'Where We Are' tour, Harry continued to experiment with his fashion and was well away from his teenage 'laid back' style. Harry was rarely seen without a hat for his longer locks.
2015: Harry Styles in THAT suit
In March 2015, One Direction announced that Zayn Malik would be leaving the band and subsequently breaking Directioners' hearts all over the land. Luckily, Harry remedied this by continuing his fashion evolution and wearing more prints, patterns and distinctly different looks to the rest of the band. No one will ever forget this Gucci suit the singer wore to the 2015 American Music Awards.
2016: Harry with long hair in Los Angeles
One Direction announced their hiatus in 2016 and released their fifth studio album 'Made In The A.M.'. Harry was pictured at LAX Airport in January 2016 wearing his favourite Saint Laurent camel boots.
2017: Harry's debut album and new style
2017 saw the birth of Harry Styles as a solo artist and the singer's now signature style. After cutting his hair for his acting role in 'Dunkirk', Harry embarked on the promotional tour of his debut album wearing more colour, and heavily aligning himself with the brand he is now synonymous with, Gucci. At the 2017 Aria Awards, the 'Sign Of The Times' singer wore a patterned metallic suit and gold heeled boots.
2018: Harry Styles walking in the footsteps of music legends
In 2018, the 24-year-old was announced as the new face of Gucci's tailoring campaign which was shot in and around a North London chip shop. Later in the year, Harry performed with Fleetwood Mac and also attended a Halloween party dressed as a young Elton John!
2019: Harry Styles at the Met Gala in New York
In 2019, Harry Styles solidified himself as a young fashion icon by co-hosting THE fashion event of the year, the Met Gala. Harry Styles expressed his interpretation of the theme, 'Camp: Notes On Fashion', by confidently flouting stereotypical gender norms (for which he is now famous) on the red carpet in a bespoke Gucci look.
2020: Harry Styles in a trio of looks at the Brit Awards
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Harry Styles attended the 2020 BRIT Awards and wore a trio of perfectly put together outfits during the course of the evening. The 'Fine Line' singer wore a brown suit on the red carpet, a custom-made Gucci lace jumpsuit for his performance of 'Falling' and a bright yellow Marc Jacobs suit to finish the night.
The year concluded with Harry appearing on the cover of Vogue!
2021: Harry Styles at the Grammys
In March, Harry Styles wore custom Gucci to the 63rd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. He wore a purple feather boa on the red carpet and all leather with a green feather boa on stage as he opened the ceremony with a performance of 'Watermelon Sugar'. He won his first Grammy Award for 'Watermelon Sugar' later on in the ceremony.
2021: Harry's suit at The Brit Awards
At The BRIT Awards 2021, Harry repped a brown and cream 70s-inspired Gucci suit, with a matching handbag and trainers. The singer, who picked up the award for Best Single that night, clearly has great taste, as Friends superstar Jennifer Aniston even wore the same outfit as she posed for her cover shoot for InStyle's September issue.
2021: Happy Harryween!
Harry Styles celebrated Halloween 2021 in style, as he performed at his Harryween Fancy Dress Party at Madison Square Garden. The singer donned various styles, from Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, to Pennywise the clown from IT.
2022: Harry Styles headlines Coachella
Harry took to the stage at Coachella festival in California, in April 2022, wearing a rainbow, sequin jump suit.
2022: Harry Styles at the Venice Film Festival
In September 2022, Harry appeared at the 79th Venice International Film Festival to promote his new film Don't Worry Darling. He arrived on the red carpet wearing a navy suit with a light blue shirt with elongated collars.
2022: Harry at the Don't Worry Darling photo call
For the Don't Worry Darling photo call in New York, Harry opted for a smart double-breasted velvet blazer teamed with striped trousers.
2022: Harry at the LA My Policeman premiere
Harry looked dapper in a suit at the Los Angeles premiere of My Policeman, which sees Harry take on the role of Tom Burgess.
2023: Harry at the Grammys
Harry is the king of red carpet looks and his Grammys attire certainly didn't disappoint. He looked flawless in a crystal-covered rainbow jumpsuit for the 2023 ceremony.
2022: Harry performs at the Grammys
For his Grammys performance, Harry donned an incredible Gucci silver fringe sparkling jumpsuit.
2023: Harry with his Grammy Awards
Another 2023 Grammys fit from Harry! He looked cool posing with his awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, as he teamed a sparkly top with a blazer and beige trousers.
2023: Harry Styles at the BRIT Awards
Harry wowed on the red carpet at the 2023 BRIT Awards by wearing a black peplum blazer, flares and an oversized flower choker. The ceremony proved to be an incredible night for Harry, as he scooped four awards - Song of the Year, British Album, Artist and Pop/R&B Act.
2023: Harry performed at the BRIT Awards
Harry delivered an incredible performance at the BRIT Awards as he sang his smash hit 'As It Was'. Harry opted for a sparkly red Gucci jacket for his performance.
2023: Madame Tussauds unveils seven new waxworks of Harry
Madame Tussauds unveiled seven new waxworks of Harry Styles in July 2023. The waxworks feature some of Harry's most iconic outfits and are available to view in Madame Tussauds attractions around the world.
His London waxwork wears an outfit inspired by his fashion choice at the My Policeman premiere in 2022. In Madame Tussauds Berlin, Harry's waxwork sports a pink leather waistcoat and oversized pink fur coat, whilst in New York, he is wearing a rainbow sequined jumpsuit that was made famous by his 2022 Coachella performance.
Harry's 'Love On Tour' looks have provided the inspiration for the outfits in Madame Tussauds Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Singapore and Sydney. In Amsterdam, Harry's figure sports a pink embroidered, double-breasted suit, in LA he wears a bronze-fringe sequin vest.
Meanwhile, the Singapore attraction sees Harry wear a blue and yellow outfit from the Glasgow 'Love On Tour' show, whilst he sports an electric pink shirt and feather boa from his San Jose concert in Sydney.
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