Written by Davis McClure
Harry Styles has returned to the music scene after a three year hiatus. Ringing in the new era, the singer’s team hung posters worldwide featuring the slogan, “WE BELONG TOGETHER.” Styles also released a fan montage on his YouTube channel titled “Forever, Forever.” Containing clips from his previous world tour and ending it with the same message.
On January 22nd, 2026, Styles released “Aperture” which became the lead single for his fourth studio album, “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.”
Aperture is the perfect song to play in the uber on the way home from the club. When the drinks have gone straight to your knees and you’re swearing you’ll never drink again. It’s Harry’s first techno-adjacent song and the reception seemed to be a 50/50 split. The track explores the singer’s complicated relationship with fame. Running from it, and ultimately returning. If Google’s definition of aperture confused you, I got you. I called my mom who’s a photographer, and she dumbed it down. Aperture is how much light is let into the camera. The more aperture the brighter the picture and vice versa. It can also put a subject into focus and reduce outside noise.
For Harry, I imagine this metaphor is used to describe his experience of being a celebrity and living in a petri dish. As the chorus hits, you hear “It finally appears it’s only love, we belong togethеr.” Symbolizing style’s acceptance and change of viewpoint of fame.
Styles was seemingly possessed by “Long Hair Harry” while making American Girls.
If you’re normal and don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t fret, I also called my day-one-directioner sister for further insight.
Long Hair Harry (LHH) refers to an era of Styles circa 2015-17. In which he rocked super long hair and made pop-rock anthems. This music associated with this era is predominantly from his later work in One Direction and tracks from his debut album like “Kiwi” and “Only Angel” that he was making during this time.
Styles revealed in an interview with Zane Lowe that this song is about him watching his closest friends fall in love and marry American girls. He talked about how their commitment does not come without a risk, but they are still vulnerable enough to share their lives anyway.
“Don’t deny her frustrations, just spend your life with those American girls.”
This highlights how love doesn’t come without uncertainty, yet it’s still worth choosing. If you’ve seen Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, you know.
“Ready, Steady, Go!” might be inspired by the British TV show from 1963-66 sharing the same title. It was well known for its catchphrase, “The weekend starts here!” and played a big role in the music culture of the ‘60s. The show featured live performances from bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, along with appearances from American soul and R&B artists.
The lyrics solely reflect the excitement of a relationship moving quickly, a concept reminiscent of the track “Late Night Talking” off his Album Of The Year, “Harry’s House”. Harry has been hiding away in Italy for the past few years and that can be seen on this track with the bridge containing the italian translation for the title. “Pronti, quasi, vai!”
In “Are You Listening Yet?” Styles brings back the gospel choir from Aperture to create an intense build up. It’s basically a Metacognition/ anxiety inducing anthem. Are you listening yet? Can you hear the voice, the one inside your head? Repetition is used throughout this song as a form of self questioning. When you’ve come to the end of the ‘avoiding my issues’ road, this song will soundtrack this perfectly.
“Taste Back” is a petty banger and I’m here for all three minutes and 41 seconds of it. It also starts with my favorite intro on the album. The song explores an experience where a past lover booty called him while in the city of romance. “Must be lonely out in Paris if you talk like that.”
Harry questions the caller’s intentions by singing “Did you get your taste back? Or do you just need a little love?” Styles calls this person out for only reconciling with him due to loneliness rather than reflection and growth.
Where’d you find the confidence to call me baby? Is this you settling in? You drinking again.”
Harry insinuates that instead of moving on, this person is reaching out to what’s familiar and not making progress.
“The Waiting Game” is a confession of Harry’s bad habits. “You can romanticise your shortcomings, ignore your agency to stop, write a ballad with the details” Styles talks about being praised for his vulnerable songwriting. A cycle of doing, writing about it, and praise for honesty.
“A personality, considering you’ve been a little overhonest lately, And you apologise, a dirty clown;” I interpret this as a way of Harry relating to a class clown persona. People who are overly self deprecating tend to harbor that as their main personality trait. He calls himself out on it here.
Throughout the song Styles sings of playing the waiting game, yet it all adds up to nothing. This can be talking about relationships that you know aren’t going to last yet you stay anyway. Situationships you know will never advance, but continue talking anyway. Overall, just being in someone else’s arms for the sake of being in arms, rather than whose they are.
According to the Zane Lowe show, “Season 2 Weight Loss” is the mission statement of this record. Harry explained the title by comparing it to when a show blows up in popularity after the first season and then the actors return for the second with a nutritionist and a trainer. Harry compared himself to such actors by saying he felt stronger after taking a break. (In said break, he literally ran a marathon, so it’s hard to argue there). Styles repeats “holding out, hoping you will love me now” throughout the track. This shows Harry hoping this new version of himself will attract his interest.
I had three different friends text me and predict that “Coming Up Roses” would be one of my favorites. They’ve never been more correct. Coming at the perfect time, Styles sings of Spring and daylight savings. (hence the title). “And everything seems to be comin’ up roses, but I’m scared if we’re both right, does that mean we’re not aligned?.” Harry sings of the canon anxiety that comes with anything that feels too good to be true. While everything seems to be alright in this relationship, he worries that’s a sign of the end. “Just for now, let’s go hangover chasing.” Harry sings of living in the moment. As I fumble my words and fall flat on my face through the truth. Just say the word and we’ll take up the test.” The theme of loving despite knowing it can end, returns from earlier in the album in American Girls. “Am I backseating your life, judgin’ while you drive?”
As a D1 backseat driver (maybe that’s why my friends thought of me…) I can tell you Harry is expressing the guilt and uncertainty of whether or not his over analysis of their relationship is causing more harm than good. “But we see out the night with your head on my chest, me and you.” Harry wraps up this ballad bringing it back to just him and the subject. The song incorporates a beautiful orchestra segment conducted by Jules Buckley.
“Pop” is a callback to his song “Cinema”, from “Harry’s House”. I bring the pop to the cinema, you pop when we get intimate.” As he would say, this track is a bit cheeky… This song proves styles has not grown far from his track record of innuendos.
In this track, Styles opens up about his intimate life and expresses his desire for the subject of the song. He sings this song in perfect pop hit style, making the intimate lyrics an afterthought for passive listeners.
“Dance No More” takes listeners straight to the dance floor. This song highlights the experience Harry took being an audience member in his time off compared to being a performer. He questions why the curator of the fun can’t partake themselves? “DJs don’t dance no more.”
Personally though, as a DJ for KXUA, catch me dancing to it at Georges Majestic this weekend at the release party…
“It’s feeling like the music has been Heaven sent, and that there’s no difference in between the tears and the sweat.” Harry revealed this was inspired by his time going out in his break, standing in the middle of the dance floor and crying because he felt alive and free.
Harry references Simon & Garfunkel’s , “Keep the Customer Satisfied.” with the line “Keep your customer satisfied and live your life”.
Towards the end of the song, Harry says “Fox” with seemingly no context. But there’s a fun story behind it. Fox is actually the name of his bassist’s son. Fox was desperate to get his name in a song after years of jealousy when hearing his mom’s name in “Canyon Moon”; a track off of his second album, “Fine Line”. Harry said he was challenged by Fox over facetime. If he hit a cross bar in three tries, he would get a shoutout. Sure enough he did, and Harry kept his promise.
The phrase “Respect your mother” is repeatedly shouted throughout the song, saying to respect the artists making the songs and dance!
“Paint by Numbers” is the second to last track on the album, slowing things down with an acoustic ballad.
“Oh, what a gift it is to be noticed, but it’s nothin’ to do with me.” Styles opens the song stating his gratefulness for fame but acknowledging he’s seen more as a product rather than a human.
“You’re the luckiest, oh, the irony. Holdin’ the weight of the American children whose hearts you break.” Harry has been in the spotlight since he was 15 and in one of the biggest boy bands. The pressure of being a ‘heartthrob’ shines through on this one. “It’s a lifetime of learnin’ to paint by numbers, and watchin’ the colours run.” This line paints a picture of how life never really goes to plan. You can “paint” all the numbers correctly, but the colors can bleed and turn out different than expected.
“Carla’s Song” is the final song on the album. Carla is a close friend to Harry. She revealed to Harry that she recently discovered Paul Simon and became obsessed. He proceeded to play her “Bridge Over Troubled Water” inspiring the opening lines “There is a bridge that leads to troubled waters, if you know, then you know”. Styles said that while watching her react to the song, he realized what he was investing in when making music, which is the magic of experiencing it. “Saw the light in the gold that you discovered”. He also played her “Kathy’s Song” which inspired the title.
The song explores the topic of finding music that changes your life. “You’ve been a baby sleeping upon a candy bar”. Expressing that finding songs or anything that brings you joy is kinda the whole point of living.
“I know what you like, I know what you’ll really like, I know what you like, you can hear it anytime.” Here, Styles touches on the intimacy of knowing someone’s music taste and being able to share love with someone.
It’s all waiting there for you.
Rating: 9.8/10
Current Favorites: Coming Up Roses, Taste Back, & Pop.