By: Sylvie Xu
Photo Courtesy of: Columbia Records
Brown hair, curly waves, hazel eyes, perfect jawline—that’s what makes him beautiful. During the summer of 2010, Harry Styles and his fellow One Direction bandmates swept up an international whirlwind as they soared their way to number one on the UK Singles Chart.
Almost 10 years later, One Direction has long been disbanded, and its (debatably) most popular former member Harry Styles has launched his very own record label and marked his abrupt return to pop culture with his latest single titled “Lights Up.”
The single premiered on Oct. 10 and the music video has racked up almost 18 million views in merely three days. Described as “deliciously unsubtle” by Vulture and “electric and steamy” by Vanity Fair, Styles’ new song takes on a rather different musical style. In the song, Styles steers away from his usual mainstream pop and soft rock ballads and redefines pop music with synthetic chords, organic piano accompaniment at the bridge, dramatic autotune effects at the chorus and a slight dash of Mellotron throughout the song. This sensual yet soothing musical style takes a rather exciting twist on present-day definitions of pop music. It also introduces the audience to Harry Styles, not as the lead singer of a boyband, but rather a solo-artist who has reinvented himself in his music.
Looking beyond the sounds and melody of the song, the music video of “Lights Up” is equally enticing. The video mostly features a wet Harry Styles entangling himself in a crowd of naked men and women. In other scenes, Styles is fully clothed, on the back of a motorcycle with both his arms outstretched in a gesture that signifies the enjoyment of freedom. This video comes as a surprise to the audience because Styles has never produced a music video containing such intimate and sensual content. However, this steamy twist gives rise to a powerful message surrounding self-expression and freedom while connecting Styles to his fans on a personal level.
Along from its soulful melody and captivating music video, “Lights Up” has also caught the attention of millions for another special reason: it was released on National Coming Out Day. In his song, Styles sang about the ups and downs of being different and going through changes with lyrics such as “I’m never coming back, can’t you see” and “it’d be so sweet if things just stayed the same.” In the chorus, Styles takes a more positive turn with lyrics of encouragement such as “lights up and they know who you are” and “step into the light.”
It is well known that Styles is a fierce defender of LGBTQ+ rights. Not only is the singer the face of Gucci’s new ageless genderless fragrance, but he has also modeled in pieces created by the genderfluid British designer Harris Reed. By releasing the song on National Coming Out Day, Styles is declaring a powerful message about the acceptance and embracement of the LGBTQ+ community.
However, it would not be wise to assume anything about Styles’ own sexuality from the contents of his music. Although some fans have speculated that the singer is bisexual because of his continuous efforts to promote and uplift the LGBTQ+ community, Styles has never released any official statements about his sexuality. In any case, the audience’s role is not to judge and aggregate labels onto artists, but rather to wholeheartedly experience the music that the artist presents to them.
No matter his sexuality, Styles conveys a message of self-acceptance in his new song “Lights Up” and deserves appreciation for his effort in spreading love with the power of music.
