‘Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally’, by Harry Styles - Album Review

The first time I listened to a Harry Styles solo song, I was on a random London night bus. ‘Sign of the Times’, his first ever single after One Direction, played loudly on my wired headphones as I made my way back home. I listened to ‘Lights Up’, the lead single from Styles’s sophomore album, early one morning after sleeping over at a friend’s house, panicking and fangirling by myself. When ‘As It Was’, from ‘Harry’s House’ came out, I was at a weird rave and had to go outside with a friend just so we could listen to the song amidst all the mayhem. Conversely, when ‘Aperture’ was released, I first listened to it as I sat down at my office desk. Some might call that a sign of maturity. They would probably be right. But the same logic can also be applied to Styles’s discography.

‘Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally’, the singer’s fourth and latest album, is proof of what happens when an artist is finally sure of their craft and creativity. Eclectic at its core, this is an album that feels both nonchalant and intentional in equal measure. If HS1 came from a place of desperately trying to break from something so deeply established, HS4 feels like a departure in a different way — secure and loving. The album is full of electro beats and party chants, but it’s so full of references that it almost becomes a living thing.

The album’s first track and lead single, ‘Aperture’, opens a door onto a different kind of sound Styles had yet to explore. The track echoes the vulnerability needed to accept that we’re constantly evolving versions of ourselves. It also plays into the concept of fandom thanks to a chorus that employs the idea that ‘we belong together’, and it ends up being a sort of mission statement to the album.

As we move on to a track that’s a personal favourite, ‘Ready, Steady, Go’, everything feels sonically covered in synth and glitter. The world feels silvery and sparkly as the track is essentially a party chant that pays homage to a typical night at the club – before spiralling into a psychedelic self-awareness crisis that demands immediate attention after a string of bad decisions (‘Are You Listening Yet?’).

As we approach the more feelings-heavy portion of the album, ‘The Waiting Game’ delivers a particular type of angst. With lyrics that dissect the madness that permeates modern-day relationships, the song targets the act of romanticising the lack of intimacy and commitment (‘you apologise, emotionally dry / and years go by’). ‘Coming Up Roses’ serves as the tipping point for the album. A heartbreaking ballad depicting a cocktail of fear, doubt, and pain, the song is a raw and vulnerable descriptor of the dark side of love. Throughout the lyrics, Styles admits to contradictory feelings and is faced with the fact that, sometimes, we cause harm to the people we love due to selfish or individual desires: ‘now I see your tears on account of my wants / and now it appears that I'm feeling guilty and worried’.

Photo Credit: Johnny Dufort

The album picks up rhythm once more — and it takes on a sleazy and dirty vibe. In a direct parallel to ‘Cinema’, from his previous album, in ‘Pop’, Styles aims to destroy the ‘squeaky clean fantasy’ that has accompanied him since his teenage years in One Direction. Which leads us right into ‘Paint By Numbers’, the first song the singer has released about his time in the boy band with such an intense vulnerability. It feels especially poignant in a time so heavily driven by nostalgia, but it’s also an ode to Styles’s growth both as an artist and an individual in the public eye.

True to its title, ‘Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally’ is a kaleidoscope of feelings, vulnerabilities, and insecurities masked by the eclectic sound of synth and electropop. It’s a rollercoaster of happiness, self-doubt, and the feeling often hidden in the women’s bathroom at a club – pure, undiluted camaraderie. It’s a reminder that love (and life) is meant to be lived as well as suffered, and that there is also joy to be found in the pitfalls of love lost and love found.

The album marks a departure from Styles’s previous projects, but it also marks the strongest opening of his career on the charts. In its first week, it debuted at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart. It’s the artist’s third time achieving this feat, but, according to the Official Charts Company, ‘Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally’ sold more than 183,000 copies since its release, eclipsing the first-week numbers of Styles’s previous record, ‘Harry’s House’, which sold 113,000 copies.

You can listen to ‘Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally’ by Harry Styles on all streaming platforms.

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WORDS RITA PETRONE