Harry Styles Fine Line Part 9

Pay Wall.

The cheap-ass twats can't pay that $2 per year.

Fuck them with something rusty.

Not everyone is a DL addict like you, Mr Klan Pedo.

I am a Larry shipper, a Larry believer if you will.

Since we made those posts about Harry's clothes taking away from people noticing his talent, it happened in a post in the Daily Mail. So many people commented that he sang beautifully at yhe Brit Awards, but bashed his outfit. I do think his stylist is playing a sick joke on him. Look at the comments on this post.

Considering that the dailymail readers like to bash people in general, it's a testament to Harry's skill and charisma, that they praised his performance. But what they say about his clothes is probably a good representation of what a lot of the general public thinks.

I feel the media, fashion magazines (who actually always praised him, also when he still dressed fittingly and gave him fashion awards already in 2013) and also the fans create this biased positive feedback impression for both him and his team. They think it's all great, because some fans tweet them and rave about the outfits or copy them, but his hardcore fanbase will love everything he does, no matter how ridiculous. Some might even genuinely like it.

But the problem is that only a small portion of his fans are involved in stan social media and even less praise the outfits. I guess a lot of fans just say nothing, if they don't like it, because they don't want to criticise Harry or get bashed by other fans. On the other hand there was a joking tweet yesterday about him performing in skinny jeans and t-shirt, that got over 14k likes! And I'm certainly not saying that he has to perform in that, no, he can and should have a nice stage outfit, especially for the BRITs. But I feel there's a vast majority out there likes Harry not for, but despite his current outfits (which seems the case in the dailymail comment section) and some might not even give his music a chance and that's like playing football with a broken foot, when you could actually use both.

[QUOTE]I do think his stylist is playing a sick joke on him

Normally I might agree, but in this case I don't. Given how obvious it was a rip off of Prince, I get the feeling the idea for this came from either Harry or his team - another tiresome attempt to copy a legend, rather than develop his own style (whether that be musical or fashion).

That said, I do blame the stylist for the yellow suit, but also, Harry agreed to wear it so he has to share the blame.

That's the Prince outfit it was obviously inspired by. But Prince's outfit is actually tailored and a much better fit - both literally (it's snug in all the right places and doesn't just look like he got swaddled in tons of lace fabric, held together by braces) and figuratively. Prince had the hair, makeup and energy to look like a rococo rockstar in that outfit. It's so different to what Harry looked like on stage, even the lace gloves seem different.

R6 I'd say Harry's stylist is part of his team. Lambert said in an interview that they chose the outfit together with Gucci in Italy iirc, so he definitely had a hand in that. And maybe Harry liked it, I can't know that. But I think it's a good stylist's job to steer their client into the right direction and incorporate certain elements in a way that actually fit the client and look good. It's not like Harry has never worn lace before and he looked amazing. Even the runway look of that particular Gucci lace shirt (with different trouser) looked better than what Harry wore at the BRITs.

So yes, of course Harry agreed to wear all those things, but he seems to be surrounded by people (stylists, artistic directors, fashion designers), who seem determined to just create certain outfits without caring if it actually fits. Or, as you said, if it honors the individual identity of the musician they have in front of them.

[QUOTE]I'd say Harry's stylist is part of his team

Of course, but I meant more the upper levels of his team - the ones setting the overall strategy, including this aspect of mimicking legends. If we're really in a situation where a stylist is somehow allowed to make those kind of strategic decisions, there's a lot more to worry about.

And again, even in such a situation, Harry cannot be absolved his share of the blame. He hires these people. He has the final say. I mean, unless we're going to go full-on cynical and assume he's entirely manufactured and has no judgement of his own, then yes he has to take a lot of the blame.

I honestly don't see how he is "mimicking legends" apart from fashion choices. I know it's been a complaint by some about his first album, I don't agree with it - sure he was obviously inspired by 70s rock, folk and pop, but so are many others. I haven't really seen such complaints about his second album. His fashion in this era seems to refer to Bowie, Prince and the New Romantics movement - his album sounds nothing like that. So I doubt there's an overreaching strategy in that regard, but obviously his stylist Harry Lambert has a lot of influence and publicity. He got interviewed by Vogue both in May and now, he is credited for discovering Harris Reed and there's now another stylist in this team, who works also for Meghan Trainor (coincidentally her last red carpet look was a lot worse than other stuff she wore). Also Harry's creative director, who also works together with his stylist, got recently interviewed for a magazine as well. Those are a lot of people, who try to get their names out there...

I never said that Harry is blameless, in the end he is the one, who wears that stuff. But between all those professionals in his team and fashion designers, who want to realise their vision and the magazines and hardcore fans cheering him on to be "daring" and "groundbreaking", I can see how he might be influenced to go with increasingly worse looks. He is known for being a good sport and probably doesn't take it that seriously - it fits with his quotes about "fun" fashion and doing stuff "outside your comfort zone" and how he's now "more confident". Maybe he confuses being confident with not caring anymore how you look like, I don't know. Because it's interesting to me that back when he still had great style, he never looked not confident to me. Quite the contrary, he had swagger, that personally I actually see less now.

But of course I don't really know what's going on. It seems unlikely to me considering his style over the years and how he dresses in private, but maybe Harry comes up with those looks all on his own. However as I said: it would be his stylist's job to steer his client into the right direction and come up with looks that both appeal to the client AND fit him. So yes, I blame the stylist and artistic direction the most.

[QUOTE]but maybe Harry comes up with those looks all on his own

Ugh, I never said that. It's clear you love hearing yourself type, but don't try and pretend I said things I didn't just so you can add a few more dreary sentences to your endless paragraphs.

[QUOTE]it would be his stylist's job to steer his client into the right direction and come up with looks that both [bold]appeal to the client[/bold] AND fit him

If he didn't like it - whether that by the style or the fit - he wouldn't wear it. But somehow you think someone else is most to blame. Get the stan goggles off.

I never said that you implied he comes up with those looks himself. Obviously I just tried to make a point, that in the end I can't know what really happens behind the scenes, that's why I wrote this. But no matter what happens - from one extreme of the stylist choosing everything to the other extreme of Harry choosing everything - the conclusion is the same for me.

And yes, apparently my paragraphs are too long, because they seem to impair your reading comprehension. I'll try to write in short, easily comprehensible sentences from now on.

Add Gaga to the list of the copied

Harry has a great physique. 6 ft tall, tight, high ass, long legs which are lean and muscled, flat stomach, broad back and shoulders. He could absolutely carry off the tight white lace trousers Prince has on, with a more floating lace shirt over that. I really like the bridal fabric of his white outfit.

But that's not what happened. The trousers Lambert put him in are huge and actually make him look heavy round the waist, especially with the addition of the ridiculous suspenders (which he adds to nearly every outfit at the moment for some reason). The silhouette isn't attractive but dumpy. Overkill!

I liked the tight navy jumpsuit he wore to the Capital Ball. You could see all the lines of his body clearly and he could really move around in it. It still had some glitter in the fabric for that glam rock vibe.

Capital Ball outfit.

Lambert has said the Brit looks are a hint as to the looks for the tour so...take that for what it is

R19 So true. I hate most of the clothes Harry wears, but Harry Lambert doesn't make them better with his awful tailoring. Ugh. It frustrates me to look at Harry's outfits. They don't look good, the don't flow, and it's like he's doing it for the shock factor and not self-expression. He ends up looking horrid and comical.

R13 I agree, the Jingle Bell Ball outfit was good - definitely my favourite this era! As you said, he could move around, it fit his body, had that glam touch and was sexy. He seemed very natural in it, like he didn't even have to think about it and could just perform. I also liked the shoes with it, because they didn't change his walk or gave him a stilted silhouette like the high heeled ones.

Unfortunately it seems tour outfits will rather be like the Brits performance look instead, as R15 said. Harry Lambert didn't say which one of the three looks he meant, but he said after the Met Gala, that they were done with suits and going for a New Romantics look instead. The two other Brits looks were suits and not particularly New Romantics, which leaves the performance outfit. I don't think tour outfits will be quite as elaborate (Lambert said the Brits look was something "special"), but he probably meant the general silhouette with big pants and braces. Harry also said on the Graham Norton Show that it will be a big pants year for him.

^^Oops, I mesnt R13, not R19.

'But he probably meant the general silhouette with big pants and braces.'

I think you're right, but WHY when he looks so good in tight trousers, unlike 80% of men? I prefer the mid heeled boots he wears. His 2015 outfits were the best for me, with the horsebit/snaffle YSL black boots, tight black jeans and a fancy shirt or a plain white T. His upper arms are great - big biceps he works hard to maintain - yet he hides those as well!

I do think only skinny, very tall guys look good in those voluminous pants. The models who wear them on the catwalk look fine. Harry is slim but he's not bone thin like Ezra Miller or Timmy (thank goodness).

Did anyone see Sam Smith wearing a Harry outfit on Graham Norton? He had the high waisted brown 1930s trousers, belt and a sparkly top. He's put on weight and it didn't look flattering.

The song Harry sang at the Brits. Falling, is still at number 2 in the UK iTunes. He really should make it a single.

I hate Falling so much. It sounds dated.

R19 I agree with all you said. I love his 2015 looks, he also had some very nice coats during that time. I don't get either, why he wears so many layers and so much fabric these days, hiding both his fit body and his tattoos.

And yes, I think Harris Reed actually looks good in their own creations, because they have that super tall, skinny body, as you say. Same goes for David Bowie, Tilda Swinton, Florence Welch... I think there are flattering looks for every body type, the key is just finding what fits both the body and the whole energy and personality of someone.

I've watched the Falling performance quite a few times now and I remembered that sometime in 2018 Harry had these black trousers with a black velvet stripe on the side. Personally I think if they had paired these trousers with a much better tailored version of the lace shirt, no gloves and no braces, he would have looked pretty good, very princely (as in both, royalty and an hommage to Prince).

R20 I'm pretty sure he will, they shot a music video for it, so I guess they'll release that soon.

R22 Those changes make it an entirely different outfit. lol The whole thing should just be burnt.

R23 You're not wrong lol.

Very few people liked the white outfit, even in his fandom. Tight black trousers and the same shirt (sans gloves) would have looked great, agreed. I'm really sick of the suspenders/braces.

I'm still annoyed that he had the chance to go on a respected show like Jools Holland and win some people over, yet he showed up looking like a fucking fool in those big balloon pants and suspenders. He's not the quirky talent he thinks he is, like FKA Twigs and Janelle Monet, or an apologetic, bold pop star like Lady Gaga, etc. He's not super musically talented or creative. He's a meek, mild, "kind" yes man who's scared speak up on anything, who'd be nothing without the writers, producers, and musicians that craft him. He looks like a fool and will never be taken seriously.

Yes, I'm a weak ho who fell in love with him in his 1D days and thought he'd have a lot to offer when he eventually went solo. How wrong I was.

I also wish that he would have worn something else on Jools Holland, because I saw on twitter that most of the general show audience commented on his look and not on his songs or performance. If people get so distracted by your outfit, that they don't even notice the music anymore, that's not very helpful. Artists like FKA Twigs have a different energy and their outfits fit their experimental music and performances. I'm not saying that Harry should only perform in simple clothes, because he looks great in a good stage outfit as well. But I wish he would have toned it down a bit and worn something that fits his body and the music he's making.

I disagree about the other things, I think he is musically very talented. Obviously as singer, but also as songwriter. It depends on your tastes, but the songs he wrote most of or composed the melody alone are usually my favourites (like She from his new album vs. the singles, that seem more of a collaborative effort). I also don't think he is scared or as a musician should be required to "speak up" on anything. Why? If you want your musicians to give comments about everything, there's always someone like Matty Healy. But it's funny how nobody ever demands that any of the other 1D guys (or tons of other musicians) "speak up". It seems a bit like people trying to find something to hold against him.

[QUOTE]But it's funny how nobody ever demands that any of the other 1D guys (or tons of other musicians) "speak up".

They aren't as successful, and they're not going around claiming to have wrote songs about BLM and everything else under the sun. Though, really, a big part of this is the fault of his fans. Their constant attempts to portray Harry as some kind of woke warrior is really why a lot of this demand for him to speak out has developed.

I don't think Harry ever claimed he wrote a song about BLM? Or anything like that? Where does that come from? From what I remember the only thing he said about his songs is that they are about his ex girlfriend and the end of that relationship and about coming to terms with things he struggled with, self-acceptance and freedom.

For R29

Sign of the Times is his only political song but he never knew how to talk about it, really. One critic described it well by saying it defined the 'vague mood of planetary anxiety' in 2017, but he never ran with it. The idea of wanting to run but being stuck in place is a good one.

I like Harry but I do get frustrated by his responses in interviews. He read Susan Sontag's On Camp but his only comment as Met Gala host was 'fashion should be fun'. He then told the Guardian that sexuality 'should be fun'. Maybe this was a deliberate attempt to create soundbites which everyone would remember (and we do, when we don't remember word for word anything Matty Healy says) but it came across as shallow and uneducated.

He [italic]said[/italic] he read Susan Sontag's On Camp. None of his comments convinced me he actually did. Hell, his outfit didn't even convince me he did.

..

.

R30 But if you read that article and not just the catchy headline, you'll see that he actually never said it. The interviewer asked if political events (BLM, Trump, Brexit, ...) influence his songwriting and he said Sign of the Times is his way of acknowledging and looking at several different things - he never said which or how or what to make of it. Like R31 said it's hardly more than a "vague mood of planetary anxiety". To go from that and say he claims he wrote a song about BLM... that's just misunderstanding and misquoting him and the intention behind it is quite clear.

R32 His outfit was designed and chosen by Gucci - there's no connection between it and whether or not Harry read Susan Sontag. Apart from that it was praised by fashion magazines as one of the outfits that actually fit the theme. Personally I dislike the cut of the trousers, but I agree that it was fitting for the theme. If it wasn't "camp" I don't know what is.

He literally said the song was him commenting on BLM, Trump, Brexit, etc. I know you can't handle the concept of him being less than perfect, but they're literally his own words:

[QUOTE]You were making this album in the time of Brexit, Black Lives Matter and Donald Trump. Did any of that outside chaos make it into the songwriting?

[QUOTE]We’re in a difficult time, and I think we’ve been in many difficult times before. But we happen to be in a time where things happening around the world are absolutely impossible to ignore. I think it would’ve been strange to not acknowledge what was going on at all. For example, “Sign of the Times,” for me, it’s looking at several different things. [bold]That’s me commenting on different things.[/bold]

[QUOTE][bold]What kinds of things?[/bold]

[QUOTE][bold]Everything you were talking about[/bold]

[QUOTE]If it wasn't "camp" I don't know what is.

Obviously.

....

R33

What am I supposed to make of this?

Harry couldn't care less about what the Fashion Police think about what he wears. He's too busy getting a lot of cock.

R27, when I say Harry never speaks up on anything, I'm definitely not talking about politics or world issues. I'm talking about him being so ultra guarded and always choosing his words super carefully that it makes him boring as hell. His interviews are so boring because he never says anything. Never lets his guard down. I used to love him, but I never loved his print or verbal interviews because he doesn't say shit. Plus he talks so slowly that it's infuriating. Also, he's mentioned that he barely says anything and laughs about it, and knoes it frustrates people.

There are people that I don't care for, but I'll warch their interviews over Harry's because they know how to cute, funny, engaging, without all the walls up. Harry's so mind numbingly dull that I'm over making excuses for him or pretendimg he's engaging. And I think Harry can sing, but his voice is not exceptional or noteworthy. He can barely play instruments, and I'm sorry, but his writing is not all that. Yet he struts around in those outfits like he's so quirky and talented. Somebody on his team puffed his head up and made him thjmk he's more than he is.

I'm poster #40...sorry for the incorrectly spelled words. It's tricky typing on a phone sometimes.

R40 He was perfectly suited as part of a group. He let the others do all the work of avoiding saying anything, and then he'd come in with some joke and everyone would think he's oh-so-charming compared to the rest. But solo Harry has exposed that trick.

In a way, I think his fans are partly to blame too. Despite all the shortcomings you laid out, they still act like he's some intellectual god and praise him as such. So there's no impetus for him to change or improve. If they're going to eat it all up anyway, why bother working at it?

R42 Exactly. He fandom swears he's a fashion genius.

This era is horrible even compared to the mostly sleek HS1 2017 wardrobe.

Gucci has done him no favors.

Falling is now an official single! As soon as it starts getting radio play, it should do really well. Already at 41 in the UK Official Charts. Poor Niall has fallen to 95 with his new single.

R45

I DO LOVE THIS SONG.

Just to say I agree with the other posters here, Harry's increasingly ridiculous outfits ( and I think the trio of Brits outfit were the worst he has worn for a long time) have become a serious distraction from the music so far as the general public are concerned & when all you see on social media are jokes about his outfits every time he performs surely his team realise that's not a good thing? We have Harry Lambert and Kid Harpoon et al saying Harry is the 'driving force' behind everything but is he really? I've started to get the impression from all of the Kid Harpoon interviews that the album was as much his project as Harry's and do we really at this point have any idea what Harry's all about music wise anyway when this album is so completely different from HS1 ( which imo has been 100% for commercial reason)s. It all comes back to the problem I've had with Harry for a long time ie I have no idea who he really is or what he stands for.

As an aside Molly Hawkins, Harry's Creative Director was interviewed recently and she said that the ethos for the Fine Line project was '“When I think about seeing Harry live as a fan, I try to remember how I felt about Leonardo DiCaprio when I was 13, and how as a young woman it was fucking awesome to see a man that was so romantic and unabashed.” So she is basically saying the project is aimed at making him a pin-up for kids ie a boybander As I've said on here before this whole campaign has been to reclaim the younger fans with a more poppy sound to recoup some of the losses made on HS1.

R47 Maybe Harry shouldn't have been so quick to want to leave the band. He had the most success that he will ever have. Obviously he has no clue where he wants to go, he just wants to be famous.

R40 This isn't meant in any way negatively, it's really an honest question, but why do you follow Harry's career? Obviously this is all a matter of tastes and preferences, some people like this, some people like that... but it sounds a bit to me like there's not much you actually like about him as a person or musician?

I'm also annoyed by some things in this era, but in the end there are definitely reasons, why I'm here. I absolutely love his singing and his voice. It's one of the most pleasant things ever to me, unique and recognisable and it makes otherwise somewhat unremarkable 1D songs listenable to me. I also 100 % love his first album and I think he has some pretty good songs on the second too. Tbh if I'd think his voice isn't exceptional or noteworthy and his songwriting not all that, I wouldn't follow his career, because why? There are so many artists out there, I'm sure someone would be more to my taste then.

I also enjoy many of his interviews, I like his sense of humour and I also like his more serious interviews, when he has time to think and talk and explains stuff about his music. In general I liked the interviews of his first era more, but for example the Zane Lowe interview was really good imho. He might not be someone, who bares his whole life in interviews, but I always got something interesting out of them. I feel sometimes he's very subtle with what he says, maybe it comes across as too guarded for some. And he was always a slow talker, even in 1D, I don't get why - after 10 years (!) - people still expect him to speak faster?

In the end everyone has to find an artist they care for, at least in some regard, but it's hardly fair to expect someone to change basically every aspect of their personality and art to suit personal tastes more.

R49 Everyone has an opinion.

R49 Yes, but R50 can't cope with that concept - everyone must agree with her (come on, we all can tell) or be banished from the thread so she can continue to live in her bubble of perfect Harry. Does make one wonder why she doesn't just stick to Tumblr though.

[QUOTE]Obviously he has no clue where he wants to go, he just wants to be famous.

Agreed. So he just does whatever he's told, says whatever he's told, wears whatever he's told - as long as he's assured it will make him more famous. There's just no substance - which also means there's no judgement. For example, if Harry were even a fraction of the style expert his fans like to pretend he is, he would've balked at some of the outfits chosen for him. But he isn't, so he doesn't.

Got my reply numbers mixed around, but you get the point

'Maybe Harry shouldn't have been so quick to want to leave the band. He had the most success that he will ever have. '

Keep up. Harry's current album is still in the top ten in the UK/Us after ten weeks. The 1d albums never managed that. He outsold the debut numbers of all but two 1d albums in his first week.

He's also making much more money than he made in 1d. Since the band split, he's doubled his fortune in just three years. Went from 33m pounds sterling in 2015 to 64m in 2018 after his world tour. That's without the Fine Line sales. He has another huge arena tour this year.

Harry has been hugely successful, and success attracts haters. He's had the polar opposite of the sophomore slump.

Zayn had the epitome of the sophomore slump and it looks like Niall is heading for one too. He's released three singles from his new album and none of them charted well. Put a Little Love On Me didn't chart at all in the UK or US, Nice to Meet Ya peaked at 63 on the Hot 100 and 22 on the UK Top 40. This latest one No Judgement is at 97 on the Hot 100 and 95 on the UK charts.

Niall seems to be melting down. He spends hours every day on Twitter retweeting his own hashtag. Really bizarre behaviour that he's never engaged in before this year. It really smacks of desperation.

R51 lol of course you can't answer a legit, honest question. Since I make no real secret of my opinion, you know that I hardly think everthing Harry ever does is perfect and have criticised a number of things, but of course there are also things I still like, otherwise I wouldn't consider myself still someone, who likes this guy and his music.

R50 I never said anything against opinions, plenty of people can't stand Harry Styles and that's okay. I was just wondering, because R43 made it seem like they are or at least were a fan. If someone says "I used to love him", but continues to explain they don't like his voice, songwriting and think his personality is dull and way of speaking is annoying, I think it's a legit question to ask what they actually like(d) or what continues to hold them in his thrall. I explicitly stated that this is not meant in a negative way, just honest curiosity.

R56 By criticised you mean blaming other people for the stuff you don't like, despite the fact that at the end of the day Harry is in charge of all of them? Sure.

I didn't answer a question because I wasn't asked it. But there's also the fact you have no right to act as though people need to explain themselves to you. And also to remind you this is DL, so not everyone has to be a fan to post here.

R49, i used to love Harry, but not so much anymore. I like venting my disappointment in this thread. Besides, this is a general Harry discussion thread, not a fan thread. So negatives and positives can be discussed. Harry's not a bad person by any means. He has an all right singing voice. He's just not the woke, intelligent, fashionista, lyrical genius, musical prodigy that his fans think he is.

So according to The Daily Mail, Harry has hired Mick Jagger's bodyguard after the mugging. The bodyguard was apparently spotted with him the night of The Brits.

R59 Is that just another stunt tie in with Mick? Harry's always had a bodyguard.

""He has an all right singing voice. He's just not the woke, intelligent, fashionista, lyrical genius, musical prodigy that his fans think he is.""

Or that his record company and management team want you to believe.

Bieber's Changes is about to debut with 230k, with tour bundles. Fine Line sold over 240k more! Harry really is doing incredibly well.

R40 is the Welp Troll. Used to be on here posting manically about Harry and Louis being the 21st century's answer to Romeo and Juliet. This troll still harbours a grudge against Harry for splitting up 1d. Usually sings Niall's praises and tries to make a case for him being more successful than Harry. Good luck with that this era.

[QUOTE] So he just does whatever he's told, says whatever he's told, wears whatever he's told - as long as he's assured it will make him more famous.

Nope. HS1 and Fine Line aren't your typically commercial albums stocked with big Senorita type hits that were written to fit in with what's popular on the charts. If Harry wanted to be the most famous pop boy, he'd have brought out more chart ready songs instead of 5 minute long slide guitar anthems like She and Fine Line. I'm sure Sony would have loved more chart friendly albuma.

Pretty sure Sony would also like him to have a social media presence. That would make him more famous, but he has steadfastly refused to engage since 2015, beyond the bare minimum. Not so malleable after all.

Paper, Faded, Vogue, GQ, Esquire write about Harry every week and will have requested interviews/covers many, many, many times. A fame junkie would have complied. Harry refuses to, again probably against his label's wishes.

Your description fits Niall and Liam, both hungry as hell. It doesn't fit Harry.

R63, I'm who you refer to as the "Welp Troll." Well, you've got me mixed up with someone else, because I 'm glad 1D is over. I don't like Louis. His singing voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me, and I don't like his looks at all, and never have. I don't care for Niall. I don't like his singing voice (reminds me of unseasoned chicken, so plan and meh), and he's not attractive to me either. I don't like short dudes. And sorry, but I fucking despise Larry and anything having to do with it.

Why are you acting like a teenage girl?

Wonder what ugly outfit Harry is gonna wear on The Today Show this week?

Harry is beautiful and Vogue called him a fashion icon.

Niall's is suffering from the sophomore slump.

....

Falling music video is coming on Friday! The preview snippet looks really promising, very fitting and I love the set design.

Everyone block the scat troll at R70. Probably a jealous ot3 stan.

Love the Falling clip. His voice is incredible on that song.

This video on Harry's Instagram already has 4.6m likes! His fandom is really growing week by week. None of his other posts have more than 4m.

Harry did a NPR Tiny Desk concert in Washington DC today and I'm so hyped for it lol. I hoped he would do one of those one day. I really love the whole concept and they have invited so many great musicians, it's always a pleasure to watch. I hope they upload his soon, apparently he played Cherry, Watermelon Sugar, Adore You and To Be So Lonely.

Looking forward to that too! Fans of the other boys are bent out of shape about it and Jools Holland. Why isn't Niall allowed on? Because his second era is a disaster and he isn't globally known as an excellent vocalist. When he tries to belt out songs he sounds as if he's bellowing like a bull.

I've always had the sense Niall is a lot more of an asshole in private than one would think. He always seemed to be the one who'd backchat to the paparazzi and so on, and probably got away with it because no-one cared about him.

Niall is an asshole. Hailee Steinfeld comfirmed that with her latest release, Wrong Direction, about her one year relationship with Niall. She wrote 'even on my tiptoes, I couldn't reach your ego'. A journo who reviewed the song confirmed that Niall pushed him off a table backstage at a festival in 2012 so he could sit down.

Niall is rude in person with that nasty loud Irish bluster and his egomania has been evident on Twitter recently. He's forever saying what a hunk/model/lovely fella he is and how amazing his songs are. On and on he tweets, begging fans to buy tickets to his shows or to stream his songs. Once or twice he's gone on for four hours at a stretch.

Interesting R77. Must admit not heard that before, but in fairness never really sought out any info on him. No wonder he and Shawn Mendes seem to be friends - Mendes being another who I think is a prick in real life.

Did anything ever come of him getting that modelling agency signing? I'm guessing he paid for it.

To me Niall always seemed like a nice enough guy in 1D and he was friendly with Harry until the very end, when it seems there might have been already difficulties behind the scenes. I still enjoy his interviews and I think Nice To Meet Ya was a nice song (much better than No Judgment), I looked forward to him having more rock influences in his sound. But recently it seems pretty obvious to me that his label must be breathing down his neck. Hard. His tweets about streams and tour tickets don't make it seem like everything pans out as hoped, especially not with No Judgement so far, and seem increasingly desperate.

I also noticed that his fans, who so far seemed mostly indifferent or not opposed to Harry (maybe because the guys are still on friendly terms), get more bent out of shape, as R75 said. Not quite on the delusional level a lot of Louis's fans are, but still, I've already seen mentions of "sabotage" and whatnot. If Niall's second era doesn't go well for him, I guess this will get only worse.

However I wish journalists would stop asking the other boys about Harry all the time. I get it, they want the attention and clicks, because these days Harry just has to breathe somewhere and he garners articles (I've seen three already about the extremely newsworthy and important fact that he was at a gym class in Washington DC lol), but still. I think questions about 1D in general are to be expected, it's where they all came from and technically they're still on "hiatus". But interviewers so often ask specifically about Harry and not the others - it has to gnaw on both the guys and their fans.

[QUOTE] Did anything ever come of him getting that modelling agency signing? I'm guessing he paid for it.

Nothing much. He had one photoshoot in Vietnamese Harpers Bazaar last year, and they put him in turtle necks to cover his permanent double chin.

Niall's latest best friend Lewis Capaldi is a complete dick, seems to be drunk on every red carpet.

So Harry has a Halloween extravaganza at MSG in October - two nights with gay musician Orville Peck supporting. If he sells this out he will have sold out FIVE nights at msg this year...that's 100k people. Meanwhile poor Louis can't sell out his second night at the tiny Pier 17.

Harry's going to make bank from this.

I watched Harry's performance on The Today Show. I am never too impressed by his live vocals. The "oh honey" in Adore You is always flat. He usually always sounds like he's straining his voice, even though he lowers the key in live performances.

[QUOTE] Vietnamese Harpers Bazaar

That's actually hilarious

Niall is carrying too much weight on his face and just isn't as photogenic as he was in the 1d days.

Falling video out tomorrow.

The Falling video looks amazing so far, really curious how it will turn out.

Fine Line has gone platinum.

A quote from Harry's latest interview with NPR : "When I started making this album ... I felt like it had to be big. The last record wasn't really a radio record: The single ["Sign of the Times"] from it was a 6-minute piano ballad, so it wasn't the typical formula. So I felt a bit of pressure that I wanted to make something that worked......... It was two or three in the morning, and we were having a drink and just talking. I was saying how I have all these records that I'd love to make, I love all this kind of music and in five years I want to make this kind of record, and in 10 years I want to make this kind of album, and then I'll get to make the music that I really want to make. And Tyler just said "You just have to make the music that you want to make — right now. That's the only way of doing it, otherwise you're going to regret it." And "Cherry" was the result of that? "Yeah, so we stayed and Sammy started playing the guitar riff, and we did it through the night and recorded it. Everybody came back in the morning and listened to it ... I heard it when it was finished and was like "This is the kind of music I want to make."

This pretty much mirrors what he said in his interview with Zane Lowe but firstly is he saying that HS1 didn't 'work'? He also seems to be repeating that he isn't making the sort of music he REALLY wants to make at the moment ( bar Cherry) and that Cherry is the sort of music he wants to make, as though it was some sort of revelation, so I think we can safely say he doesn't want to be a 'rock star' after all and leaves me thinking he really hasn't yet found his direction at all which is why we have 2 such different albums.

he has it all

he is the new super star !!!!!!

Can I add to what I said at R89 that I 100% don't think HS1 performed commercially as well as Harry thought it would and it's as though he's trying to justify why that album fell short in these interviews and I also 100% believe he was therefore under label pressure for this album to be a commercial success.

R89 TIt seems HS1 aka "not a radio record" has prompted the wish for a "big record", which seems to have been planned as (commercially successful?) stepping stone for the music he really wants to make = apparently not "big songs". But he portrays it like he decided NOT to do that and write an album instead, that's true, authentic and fun to him. Therefore Fine Line, despite whatever was planned for this record, is according to him very much what he wanted to make, even more so than HS1, which was not fun & too try hard.

Cherry actually makes a lot of sense to me and I suspect that was always his musical direction. The acoustic guitar and harmonies have a similar sound/genre to Crosby, Stills & Nash's Helplessly Hoping, which was both on his 2016 mixtape of all-time favourites for Another Man and he recently said to Rolling Stone: "'Helplessly Hoping' is the song I would play if I had three minutes to live. It's one of my one-more-time-before-I-go type of songs." Cherry also progresses into a very folky, nearly country tune - from the snippet we saw of his Tiny Desk concert this is even more apparent live - which reminds me of Mumford & Sons. I think they were already a favourite of his in 1D and some of the songs he wrote for 1D have a slightly similar sound (e.g. Happily). So I'd say this is a fairly constant sound through all the years.

His 2016 mixtape is very interesting in general: it features folk, country, oldies, britpop/soft rock (of the Beatles-esque variety) and Pink Floyd's Breathe, a pretty slow, meandering prog/psychedelic rock number, similar to his other Pink Floyd fav Shine On You Crazy Diamond. What the mixtape doesn't have is more contemporary rock or faster paced rock songs, not even the Stones or something like that. There's nothing on it that sounds like Kiwi (or the Kiwi intro they played on tour), Only Angel, Medicine or even Carolina or his Ultralight Beam cover. So yes, I guess it could be that this kind of rock music and rockstar aesthetic was actually never his thing, only what he thought was expected of him and he freed himself from that on his second album.

R92 The problem is I actually don't believe him at this point. I think Fine Line IS the 'more commercial' album that will eventually lead to the music he wants to make.There have been so many contraditions and backtracking in HS1 and Fine Line promo and the bottom line is that 3 of the songs on Fine Line weren't even written when Liam Gallagher heard the album/ Harry was seen with Rob Stringer as late as March 2019. 2 of those last minute songs ended up being the official 1st and 2nd UK singles and 1st US single ( Adore You with a massive promo campaign behind it) and TPWK is ( according to Harry) going to be the big fan/sing along on tour, although its patently obvious nothing from Fine Line will touch Kiwi and Medicine in that regard. Another 3 songs were written whilst he was touring so along time before he had the revelation that was Cherry! And if Cherry is the sort of music he wants to make we've still got another 6 minute SOTT in Fine Line and I wouldn't say the rest of the album had the same sound as Cherry either ( Canyon Moon on Fine Line and Sweet Creature form HS1 are the closest if he's actually saying that folky sound is what he's really into. This is just my opinion but I think Columbia have had a lot more control over this album than the last album where Rob Stringer told him to go away and do whatever he wanted essentially.

R92 What you say makes a lot of sense to me and I'd agree with it. But it brings me in this dilemma of where do I draw the line? What is promo talk and what is not? And why this specific promo talk - why not say he wanted to experiment more on his second album and try out new sounds, why basically say HS1 wasn't it, because he couldn't be as fun, free and authentic as he is now? Why make authenticity a major selling point now, when the record label might have had more influence with this one? And does promo talk only apply to his music or also when he talks about finally being free and confident? Or about his fashion taste?

Maybe I'm naive, but to me most HS1 era interviews made perfectly sense, his music taste, even his fashion up to a certain point, it felt believable as continuation and progress from 1D Harry. Now the jump into this second era feels like a much bigger departure from what I've assumed was Harry (and of course a big part of the image I had in my mind was assumptions, since I don't know him). And if I think most of it is promo stuff, I'm kind of afraid of entering delusional Larrie territory = holding on to a version of Harry, that might never have existed and couldn't be further from the truth now. I wouldn't want that.

R94 I wrote the post before yours at R93 and I 100% agree with your post.

I actually can't make sense of his interviews this time around at all. I would also say that Kid Harpoon speaks as though the album is as much his as Harrys and that wouldn't surprise me at all.

Sorry, I meant R93

Btw I agree, I think of all the Fine Line songs Cherry, maybe To Be So Lonely, She (Pink Floyd vibes) and Canyon Moon (folky, a bit similar to Oh Anna) are closest to HS1. Fine Line on the other hand, as good as that song is, is way more of a departure, it's very Bon Iver, which I didn't realise Harry was into.

And TPWK.. don't get me started. Obviously it's a matter of taste, but I just don't really understand it. He said he felt so inspired from his tour, that he immediately went into the recording studio afterwards, because he wanted to write an album with live performances in mind and make it as fun and joyous as it could be. As you said, the biggest crowd pleasers during tour were Medicine and Kiwi, but he didn't write one single song like that for his second album. He rather wrote TPWK of all things. And did he really think a relaxed, mid-tempo summer bop like Watermelon Sugar would be more fun live than something like Kiwi - "Kiwi walked so Watermelon Sugar could run"? Therefore my only explanation is that he really isn't into that kind of faster rock (Only Angel, Medicine and Kiwi were also among the first songs for HS1, nearly 4 whole years ago) and tried to progress beyond that.

If that's the case he wonder if he resents that he can't get rid of Kiwi live. I also wonder if any of the new songs will become classics of his repertoire like SOTT did (because I suspect he'll still have to sing that song in 20 years).

R95 I actually meant to respond to you (R93?), not R92, I'm sorry. A mess lol.

Speaking of Kid Harpoon, here's a new interview with Music Week. A few very interesting parts that also relate directly to our discussion here.

I can't link the interview because it's behind a paywall but these are the relevant paras from Harry's UK Sony boss Ferdy Unger's interview to Music Week back in May 207 when Harry launched his solo career:

"Harry Styles crashed onto the Albums Chart at No.1 on Friday (May 19) – and successfully launched his new, rock-oriented career, according to his label boss Ferdy Unger-Hamilton. The self-titled solo debut by the One Direction star sold 56,630 copies last week, including 10,057 units from streams, according to the Official Charts Company. That fell short of first week sales by the likes of Rag’N’Bone Man (117,101) and Stormzy (68,594). But Columbia president Unger-Hamilton told Music Week the label’s key objective, to reposition Styles, had been achieved. “He’s gone in a completely different direction, not just for him but for any of his peers,” said Unger-Hamilton. “He’s taken everything he’s learned from One Direction and put it into doing exactly what he wants to do creatively. We’re really pleased with the way it’s been received.” “What he’s tried to do is keep it about the music,” said Unger-Hamilton. “I don’t think he’s too interested in being a celebrity, he’s interested in being a musician. He wants to be a rock star – and the only way you can do that is to do it properly.” And Unger-Hamilton said Columbia is plotting a long campaign to help win over new audiences. “That’s clearly our intention,” said the exec. “We don’t want to alienate his original audience but a lot of people who wouldn’t have bought One Direction records have said, I love [Sign Of The Times]. The maturity in the music belies what you would have expected him to write.” Styles has a lengthy tour of concert halls lined up for the end of the year and Unger-Hamilton expects those dates to seal Styles’ rock star credentials once and for all."

I can't find the quote but Rob Stringer said he sent Harry away after he signed his contract with them and said he had all the time he needed and didn't need to come back until he had an album he was happy with. Then we had the music journo from the Daily Telegraph saying Sony weren't too happy with the results!

This time around we have Sony boss Rob Stringer telling Music Week : " We made the record over a longer period of time than the last one, so we had more time to come up with ideas. It was like we were working on this really exciting thing that we knew would be different to coming straight off the back of One Direction into the first solo record. We knew we had more space, that’s what was exciting. We did it without as much pressure as there was off the back of 1D. It was a more languid process, which was great........... This isn’t somebody who’s figuring out who he is, he knows who he is, very clearly. Our job is to reflect that and it’s really not difficult."

So Rob Stringer suggests he was heavily involved in the album making process this time around, which had been left to Harry for HS1 and that imo explains alot especially when Rob Stringer has $80 million invested in him.

[QUOTE]What is promo talk and what is not?

It's all promo talk. Frankly, he hasn't earned the right to be taken honestly. There's too much bullshit, too much avoidance, too many non-answers. Maybe once he has a track record of dropping all that and having consistent points to make, people can start believing him. But as it is - well, the label said they have a marketing plan to get new audiences, and this seems to me to be part of that. Change your story depending upon whether you think the interview will be mostly read by existing fans or who you hope will be new fans.

R99 . Perfectly said. Sad, but true.

Kid Harpoon talking about Harry's taste in music during HS1 promo: 'Instead, ( Kid Harpoon) paints a picture of a huge music nerd, one who is particularly passionate about classic rock and country, getting to explore his taste on his own terms."

Kid Harpoon talking about Harry's taste in music during Fine Line promo: "“He loves pop music, but he also loves Bon Iver, and weird ’70s records that you've never heard of, he loves [LA soft-rock band] Bread.”

R98 Thank you for copying that! I didn't know it yet, it's very interesting! So if I understand it correctly Sony said to Harry he can do what he wants and he came back with HS1, which rumouredly didn't make the label very happy, but they adjusted the promo strategy to make him into a mature rockstar? Or do you think the label's key objective for HS1 was to make this kind of record from the very beginning to create a clear cut from 1D, therefore better rock than pop? I mean, what Unger-Hamilton said in 2017 still makes sense to me: even in 1D Harry was considered the "rockstar" of the band with his fashion and long hair. And with what I perceived as his musical influences it seemed natural and organic to me that he would go into more of a classic rock direction. To me HS1 promo also seemed to focus (as written in the article) quite on his music and I also see what he meant with "not a celebrity", Harry is usually very private with his relationships, vanishes from the public eye for longer stretches of time, no drama & gossip or clearly staged pap walks and all that.

And yes, it really sounds like Rob Stringer was way more involved this time around. It's interesting though, because I know he was the one, who sanctioned the 6 minute version of Sign of the Times as first single instead of a 3-4 minute radio edit, that Jeff Bhasker & Harry prepared. But I guess this time around it was more about making numbers instead. The contradictions - even from Stringer - still send me though. Going from a clear "he wants to be a rock star" (with an album listed as rock everywhere) to a pretty different second album (now listed as pop) and then saying "this isn’t somebody who’s figuring out who he is, he knows who he is, very clearly"... Also Stringer saying there was much less pressure with the second album and Harry saying he felt a lot of pressure to write a big record now, because the first one wasn't a radio record. Yeah...

I would say wth are they doing, but I mean - it works. I don't see many people talking about this outside of here and Fine Line was received incredibly well, both by critics and fans. Everyone loves it and it got platinum today, only two months after its release. HS1 needed two years for platinum.

[QUOTE]even in 1D Harry was considered the "rockstar" of the band with his fashion and long hair

The fact that music isn't even mentioned sums up the current music industry so well.

[QUOTE]But I guess this time around it was more about making numbers instead. The contradictions - even from Stringer - still send me though.

Maybe that's because Stringer initially bought the kind of hype that Harry and Jeff were selling about him being the new Bowie/Jagger - and it took HS1 for him to see that wasn't the case and so enact a reversal.

And as for the actual comments you quoted - well he would say that, wouldn't he? He's not going to admit to forcing a change or applying pressure. He wants everyone to think it's authentic and real, not studio decisions, etc.

R101 I'm laughing, but yeah, this illustrates the direction for each era pretty well. The question is just if this change to pop & Bon Iver reflects an actual change in Harry's music taste (I guess it can happen) or even a return to his musical roots, or if at least one of these quotes should also push a certain narrative.

R98 I forgot to ask, do you have a link to the Daily Telegraph article, where they said Sony wasn't happy with HS1? I was looking for it, but it's hard to find.

R103 You're not wrong, unfortunately, with your assessment of the music industry. But with 1D there was of course the problem, that all the boys released the same (modern pop rock) music, which was mostly not written by them - so there wasn't really anything to go by for their solo careers, except aesthetics and what they have said about their musical preferences. And we have some of that from Harry, from the earliest days of 1D until the end he mentioned or quoted many artists, from Pink Floyd to Van Morrison to Joni Mitchell. It reflects his taste on the 2016 mixtape and some of the non-singles from Fine Line (She, Canyon Moon), but yeah, it's not Kiwi/Medicine rockstar territory and it makes me wonder if those songs were more influenced by his aesthetic and reputation. And this leads of course to the next question of how real was his late 1D/early solo aesthetic was, especially compared to now, or if it's (also?) just a natural development and change. Harry says of course he's now finally free to express himself with fashion and accessories, although for someone on the outside like me, he didn't seem particularly oppressed, uncomfortable or self-conscious during 1D. But what do I know...

re quotes: Of course he wouldn't outright say the label told him to write more pop songs (although.. Kid Harpoon kind of said that), I just wonder why they didn't frame this whole era more as him being exposed to new music in the past 2.5 years and experimenting with these new influences. That's perfectly plausible in my eyes. Instead they're saying it's now the real, authentic Harry, who found freedom to make the music he wants, instead of the not-quite-as-real Harry of HS1, who tried too hard to make music that was expected of him.

Those are interesting questions, and I wonder how much it's meant to appeal to his (overly) devoted fans, who seem to love the idea he was somehow held down by management, the other boys, etc. It's quite ironic for me, given I far preferred his look during the latter days of 1D.

Likewise, they've just recycled that general idea to explain HS1. And because that's what those fans want to hear - both in terms of a media narrative and in terms of the music itself - they won't question it too deeply.

Speaking of which, Louis seems to be playing the same game, acting like he's being treated cruelly by his label and the industry, and of course his few remaining fans are lapping it up.

R102 Yes, this is all entirely opinion and speculation on my part and it doesn't really matter because as you say the album is doing serious numbers (in the US at least) and has by and large received better reviews than HS1. For me I'm just finding the whole 'honesty', 'authentity', 'freedom' schtick a bit much when I'm pretty much convinced that Sony have stepped in to assume alot more control over this album.

As to your 1st question, Sony have always spoken about Harry as a long term project to reposition him/expand his audience but I think to come up with a debut album which had no obvious radio singles on it having invested so much money in him must've come as a bit of a shock ( and Harry has said himself alot during promo this time around that HS1 wasn't radio friendly). So yes I think when they heard it they decided to market him as a serious rock star. There was ridiculous amounts of over hype from Sony direct comparing him to Bowie/Queen etc before SOTT had even been released ( which I think backfired). It was originally intended he would be doing a very limited number of interviews/press ( according to radio 1) presumably to reinforce the idea of him being a serious musician etc ( although that seemed to change as time went on ). And I think that's why Stringer gave the green light to SOTT , because if you're going to market him as a serious rock musician go in with a 6 minute soft rock ballad to get peoples attention. And it worked because SOTT is and remains his biggest hit by far.....and tbh what would they have released as the 1st single if not SOTT? But the other singles bombed ( it seems a video was even made for Two Ghosts) but was never released and the album didn't do the numbers they were expecting.

R103 'Maybe that's because Stringer initially bought the kind of hype that Harry and Jeff were selling about him being the new Bowie/Jagger - and it took HS1 for him to see that wasn't the case and so enact a reversal.'

That's exactly it isn't it. They didn't think they could lose. Remember there was a bidding 'war' for Harry and he apparently turned down an offer from Virgin for $70 million for 2 albums. Those are ludicrous offers for someone who had never made a solo album coming off the back of a boyband. They thought he was something very special and they would easily get there money back. They didn't with HS1 but they are certainly trying o with Fine Line.

I do think people who are expecting Harry to settle into a particular sound and genre for years on end are going to continue to be disappointed. I wouldn't be at all surprised if HS3 returned to a rock/indie sound. Sadly, this means that older fans like the contributers here will declare him 'inauthentic'. But as Billie Eilish said, 'genre is outdated' - especially for 26 year olds.

'And it worked because SOTT is and remains his biggest hit by far.....and tbh what would they have released as the 1st single if not SOTT? But the other singles bombed'

I think Adore You has actually sold much more within a much shorter space of time (around 900k) and has stayed on Billboard and the UK charts for longer (currently at #20 US and #10 UK). Sott peaked at #4 US and #1 UK but it didn't stick around for long.

Obviously, musically Sott is the superior song, but Adore You is also a radio hit (currently #10 on the US Pop Radio chart, which is the highest any of Harry's songs have gone on that chart).

R108 I think most of the Bowie/Jagger hype came from Sony, when they had to promote their significant investment, because afaik it came up in earnest in early 2017, but Jeff & Harry have been working together already way before (also with the press). Of course they tried to market him as the next big thing (that's the point of marketing), but I also think that the over the top comparisons, wherever they came from - and I think a large part was perpetuated by the music press in search of attention-grabbing headlines - backfired a bit. Personally I was lucky enough to discover Harry's music much later and without really knowing anything about him or his solo career, so I was never really an issue for me.

Btw if Harry has a "360 deal" (which seems likely) the label also gets a cut of the tour revenue, so it wouldn't be a loss even if HS1 underperformed. It would also explain why the bidding war went so high (Harry was already known as great performer during 1D) and why he speaks so positively of his tour, because he might not have been sure it would sell out or just how much tour could contribute financially to his contract - but luckily it went really well.

R109 I don't think an artist experimenting with different genres is that much of a problem. It's rather that he has been seen by the media and fans as this generation's young rock star since forever. I've seen headlines calling him a rock star as early as January 2013, so this was him for solid 5 years, both in the boyband and his solo career. In fact through all the years and hairstyles or whatever, I'd say him being seen as an emerging rock star, no matter if true or not, was the biggest constant.

The second "problem" is that he didn't really explain the sudden change in his sound as working with very new influences and experimenting with his music. The notion of "inauthentic" came (very mildly, but still) in part from him, because he explains the HS1 sound as trying too hard and living up to certain expectations ("not getting it wrong"). Instead his new album is promoted as the more authentic, finally free Harry Styles, who has let go of his anxiety to not be seen as serious musician, but just does what he truly loves - according to Kid Harpoon pop and Bon Iver.

Oh, and of course it's not only his actual sound, this whole era has been revamped in terms of artwork, fashion, image etc. If we say the tabloids were stupidly calling Harry a rock star since forever due to shallow things like his looks, it would be harder now. It's the era of more bold, fruity colours everywhere (even on his nails), fluffy sweaters with cute animals, fun album artwork & stage designs, of dancing (even in 1D he was "not a dancer", now he explicitly mentioned it as a goal for his new music) and being fun & free etc. In the past he was seen at an Eagles concert or mentioned Chris Stapleton as one of the contemporaries he admired - now it's Lizzo and Steve Lacy and he's at Ariana Grande concerts. It makes it seem less like someone, who was always soaking up new things, but rather trying to change up his old, maybe now outdated identity. It's also interesting to see him perform his old songs now, like Kiwi, because to me they sometimes feel quite 2017, not that organic in this era.

I'd say the way this era is colourful, young and fun, cute and pretty is not even bound to a certain sound or genre. For example I've said in the past Adore You sounds a bit like The Weeknd, who is mainly pop/R&B, but also incorporates different genres and is of similar age as Harry. But his whole aesthetic is very different, I guess less geared towards a younger demographic. (And because I suspect I sometimes come across like a genre-bound, prissy music snob: I really like Blinding Lights, great song.)

Billie Eilish is a new artist and has different sounds/genres in her music from the very beginning, so there's less the impression that she changed or had to free herself from her past restraints of rock like for Harry. Personally I also think her sound is still more consistent than e.g. Kiwi and Lights Up.

We'll see how it will all develop for Harry. He's smashing it this era - in the US, but also outside Fine Line is way longer in the charts than HS1. As you said Adore You is doing great as well, I guess the singles will outstream and outperform SOTT in time. Obviously he doesn't need to appeal to an older demographic or people that expected something different after HS1 (or even 1D), he can afford to lose this handful of fans and won't cry into his pillow, if I'm disillusioned.

Because it's all going so well, I'd be surprised if HS3 is more (indie) rock - or did you mean indie like Swim Deep's Emerald Classics for example? Because, yes, I guess I could see him going into that direction. Just not returning to the sound or aesthetic of Kiwi, Only Angel or Medicine or 2015/16 influences like The White Stripes or Kings of Leon. It looks like that's in the past.

R109 My issue isn't with genre . He can switch genre as much as likes but what makes me question his authenticity is why everything is so very very different with this 2nd album as R113 has said. And what makes me personally doubt Harry's authenticity I'm afraid is that I really do think the changes that have been made this time around are changes for commercial reasons.

R104 The article is now behind a paywall and it was only one line in a tour review I think, written by Neil McCormick a music journo/author but I have the quote which is: 'I have heard whispers and grumbles that his record company were not best pleased with the change of (One) direction. While his debut reached number around the world, sales were modest and faded quickly, and it has only produced one hit single.' It could be nonsense but he is a pretty well respected music journalist. Also Music Week themselves touched on numbers in their interview with Ferdy Unger-Hamilton at R98 above and he swerved it by saying their objective was simply a repostioning with the 1st album. Well I'm sorry but you don't spend that sort of money to help an artist reposition themself.

'It's rather that he has been seen by the media and fans as this generation's young rock star since forever'

The songs on Fine Line still fit loosely into soft rock territory. He even has the same HS1 slide guitar going on She. I think rock star is as much about attitude as being about the songs these days. As long as he's not churning out cheesy pop like Bieber's Yummy and you can still hear guitars in most of his songs, and his live band are a big part of his stage performance, the rock star thing will stick (though interestingly, he's never referred to himself as one).

This kind of wild rocking out looks weird when he's doing it in a Trump voter suit. Only the red heeled boots are cool. I wish he'd go back to black skinnies and a weird top. I'm not enjoying this Talking Heads suits era at all.

High note in Falling sung tonight at ihearts session. Spoilt by girls screaming Harr-eeeeeeeeeee.

R114 Thank you!! This is very interesting in fits with all that's been said about this era and commercial success.

R115 I guess you could call some songs soft rock and it's not even a bad album (if I ignore TPWK), I do like some songs - She is one of them. I don't think it has slide guitar in it (Watermelon Sugar and Cherry do, though), but the guitar solo at the end is great.

Not sure about the attitude thing. We've just talked about how this era redefines his image or identity or whatever you want to call it. Of course he's not Bieber (the mere thought is already horrifying), but I think despite the live band factor it's still more like Kid Harpoon defines it now - "pop, Bon Iver and 70s Bread" (which is the folk/soft rock factor) - than the classic rock or even alternative rock image of the past. He's also listed under pop now, if you look up his concerts on ticketmaster. And as R116 pointed out: The rock attitude is somewhat lacking in a Trump voter suit.