By now, most everyone has heard the name Harry Styles. He is a three-time Grammy award winner who dominated the Billboard Charts throughout 2022 and 2023. Furthermore, Styles has been in the spotlight since he was a teenager, auditioning for shows like The X-Factor in 2010. Recently, he has made a name for himself in the music industry and in pop culture. So, in honor of Mr. Styles, we will be doing a deep dive into his third album, Harry’s House. This deep dive will be a look at each song on the album. Harry’s House was released on May 20, 2022. It later won many awards including “Album of the Year” at the 2023 Grammy’s.

“Music for a Sushi Restaurant”:

This song is the very first song of the album. It begins with upbeat synth horns, mimicking the style of traditional Asian music. The music starts to build up, bringing in vocals, drums, and a catchy bass line. Throughout the song, Styles is constantly referencing food like fried rice, ice cream, and bubblegum. The chorus is filled with upbeat horns and vocals that perform pop-like chord regression. The lyrics are filled with symbolism and repetition. Overall, this song has a positive vibe and up-lifting attitude to it. So far, this album has kicked off with a catchy song that you will find it hard to dislike.

“Late Night Talking”:

The second song of the album is yet another upbeat and peppy song. Throughout the song, there is a use of synth horns, synth piano, drums, bass, and guitar. “Late Night Talking” is a perfect combination of modern pop and disco. This song tells a personal story of being in a relationship while touring. Throughout the song, Styles constantly says, “Wish I was around, I just wanna— make you happier, baby”. Harry is known for making his music personal, so it is no surprise that this song explains a personal situation that he has had. Additionally, it is impossible to not dance while listening to this song. If you like Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You” or Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)”, then you will like “Late Night Talking”.

“Grapejuice”:

The third song is a lot more laid back than the first two. When the song starts, and throughout the entirety of the song, we can hear Styles whisper counting “1,2,3” and “1,2”. This song has soft synth horns consistently playing throughout, as well as drums, bass, piano, and a soft guitar. This song has a very relaxing feeling and is guaranteed to calm a person down. I find it to be the perfect song to blast in the car on a nice 70-degree day with the windows down. The chorus is filled with multiple falsetto notes, which Styles pulls off wonderfully. Overall, this song is simple and lyrically genius.

“As it Was”:

The fourth song is probably the most known song from the album. The song dominated the billboard charts and has won multiple awards since its release on April 1, 2022. The song opens with Styles’ goddaughter, Ruby Winston, saying, “Come on, Harry, we wanna say “good night” to you.” This song has a very catchy and upbeat pop tune. It is filled with drums, synths, guitar, and bass. Yet, the lyrics are completely different from the other musical elements. They are sad and deep thoughts that Styles has put into this song. For example, in the second verse, Harry sings, “Answer the phone— Harry, you’re no good alone,” and, “Ringing the bell— And nobody’s coming to help.” Many fans have speculated that this song is about a breakup that Harry experienced. Other fans have also speculated that it is about him and his sister after their parents’ divorce. Whatever the song is about, it is incredibly catchy and fun to sing along to. Even though “As it Was” is the most popular song from this album, it is not the best on this album.

“Daylight”:

The fifth song is very much like “Grapejuice” in the sense that it is very calm and relaxing, almost having a slow and simple beat. Throughout the song, there are constant drums, synths, guitar, bass, and multiple harmonies. The harmonies are brilliant and pop up in places that don’t necessarily need them, but they work amazingly and add more to the song. Additionally, the meaning behind the song is touching and sentimental. Styles is able to convey the feeling of constantly going back to someone, even when they do not treat you right or show you enough love and support. He demonstrates this when he 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.” I find these lyrics incredibly fantastic due to the fact that honey is not healthy for birds to eat. This song is similar to “Ophelia” by the Lumineers.

“Little Freak”:

Now, don’t be deceived by the title of the sixth song. Before I listened to this song for the first time, I thought it was going to be another upbeat pop song. However, it is quite the opposite. The lyrics are heart-wrenching and beautiful. This is the very first slow/sad song of the album, and it’s certainly not the last. This song is the embodiment of what it feels like to wonder about a person that has done you wrong, more specifically, what they are doing now that you are no longer in their life. With lyrics like “I’m not worried about where— you are— Or who you go home to, I’m— Just thinking about you” we can clearly see this fact. In the bridge of the song, we can hear Harry singing “Jumped in feet first, and I— landed too hard— A broken ankle, karma rules— You never saw my birthmark.” This means that Harry gave everything to this person, however, this person didn’t even care about him that much. This song is beautifully tragic and truly wonderful. If you like “Heather” by Conan Gray, “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron, or any sad Taylor Swift song, then you will like “Little Freak”. In my opinion, this song is the best on Harry’s House.

“Matilda”:

A person might recognize the name “Matilda” from the book Matilda by Roald Dahl or from the 1996 movie Matilda. However, the seventh song isn’t talking about a Roald Dahl character. Like “Little Freak”, “Matilda” is a devastating song. It is about growing up in an unloving family and later feeling like your pain is insignificant. However, as Styles shows in this song, it is okay to feel pain and to move on from those who have hurt us. He sings, “You can let it go— You can throw a party full of— everyone you know— And not invite your family,— ‘cause they never showed you— love.” I find these lyrics very reassuring and hopeful. Later he says, “Matilda, you talk of the pain like— it’s all alright— But I know that you feel like a— piece of you’s dead inside.” This lyric explains what I meant by feeling like our trauma is insignificant. The song starts off with only a soft guitar. It then transforms into piano around the bridge of the song. The harmonies are, again, brilliant throughout the end of the song. This song is very much like “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, “You’re On Your Own, Kid” by Taylor Swift, and “Slipping Through My Fingers” by ABBA.

“Cinema”:

Now, in the eighth song, we take a complete turn with our emotions and dive right into a very provocative song. The song starts off with a “groovy” twist of guitar and bass along with drums. This song brings back a modern twist to disco, not just with the music, but also the lyrics. Through the chorus, Styles constantly uses slang terms from the 70s. In the chorus, Styles sings, “I just think you’re cool— I dig your cinema.” This song is definitely a great song to listen to and sing along to. This song gives off disco/groovy vibes, and to be honest, I am here for it. It is very similar to “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, and it also is similar to “Get Down On It” by Kool & The Gang.

“Daydreaming”:

The ninth song has a very upbeat tempo along with catchy lyrics. “Daydreaming” consists of trumpets, drums, piano, bass, and guitar. Harry sampled the Brothers Johnson’s song, “Ain’t We Funkin’ Now”.  The lyrics convey the emotion of being in the beginning stages of a relationship, where you are somewhat obsessed with your partner. My favorite part about this song must be the trumpets throughout the song. They make me want to jump around and dance like no one is watching. Yet, even though I am a big fan of Harry Styles, I do think this song is not the greatest song on this album.

“Keep Driving”:

I think the tenth song is more on the softer side. It has a great story of a couple going through a rough patch and questioning if they should still stay together. In the chorus, Styles says, “A small concern with how the— engine sounds— We held darkness in withheld— clouds— I would ask, “Should we just— keep driving?””. This song is very reliant on drums, synth piano, guitar, and bass. “Keep Driving” has one of the best bridges on the album. During the bridge, the tempo speeds up and the music gets more intense. If you like songs like “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz or “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles, then you will love this song.

“Satellite”:

I would say the eleventh song is a close second to “Little Freak”. This amazing song is about unrequited love. In other words, it is about loving someone, and they ultimately don’t love you or see that you love them. “Satellite” definitely has a space-like vibe to the music, obviously referencing not only an actual satellite, but also the lyrics. This space-like vibe is heavily reliant on synths, drums, and bass. The chorus starts with, “Spinning out, waiting for ya to— pull me in— I can see you’re lonely down— there— Don’t you know that I am right— here?”. Harry is saying that he is the “satellite” and the other person is the “Earth”. The bridge of this song is particularly different from others. Instead of Styles singing, we get a drum solo from Harry’s drummer, Sarah Jones. Jones is able to successfully pull this solo off, and it will make you want to do Harry’s famous “Satellite Stomps”. Additionally, we get speckles of Styles’ vocals throughout the bridge. Overall, this song is definitely worth a listen.

“Boyfriends”:

The twelfth song shows a new point of view that Styles has never explored before. It comes from the point of view of a boyfriend’s partner. This song is completely acoustic (which I love by the way). It has multiple harmonies throughout the whole song. Styles starts the song by playing a reverse recording of the ending line of the song. I think it is very clever and it makes the song truly unique. However, the first verse of the song starts with, “Boyfriends— They think you’re so easy— They take you for granted.” Many fans have heavily related to this song through their own relationship experiences. It has also been heavily debated on whether Harry himself experienced this, or if he is sharing someone else’s story. Either way, it is a beautiful song and is relatable.

“Love of My Life”:

The final, thirteenth song is another beautifully written song (I wouldn’t expect less from Mr. Styles). This song is heavily reliant on synths, guitar, and drums. The rhythm of this song is like nothing I have ever heard of before. It is a very rare melody and is unique. This song is about losing the love of a person’s life. In the chorus, Styles says, “Baby, you were the love of my— life, woah— Maybe, you don’t know what’s— lost ‘til you find it.” I found this lyric heartbreaking. Styles continues with, “It’s not what I wanted, to leave— you behind— Don’t know where you’ll land— when you fly.” This song also demonstrates Harry’s vocal abilities by starting off with mostly low notes. His voice progresses throughout the chorus. I think this song is probably the best song that could have ended this album, and in true Harry Styles fashion, he chose a devastating song to end it.

Overall, this album is unique to not only other artists, but to Harry’s other albums as well. I would say that Styles successfully used his writing and musical abilities to his advantage. No wonder this won “Album of the Year” at the 2023 Grammy’s. This album is perfect for those looking for something fresh and new to listen to. If you like heartbreaking songs, funky disco-like music, and unique sounds, then this album is for you.