Album Review: Harry Styles - 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.'
In a world that feels quite heavy right now, we all need a little more Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
It takes a lot of bravery, as one of the world’s biggest popstars, to step so entirely out of your comfort zone when creating a new record. A new record that has been so highly anticipated by fans all over the world, fans who have had a very large Harry Styles-shaped hole in their heart since 2022. Yet that’s the step that British popstar Harry Styles took with his fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally. Stepping away from the safety of pop and into the world of electronic dance.
Post the majorly successful release of Harry’s House in 2022 and many world tours alongside it, Styles took a well-deserved break, much to the dismay of his fans. The popstar spent his short hiatus travelling the world and running, specifically running marathons, one in Tokyo and one in Berlin. In a recent interview with Runners World, the popstar admitted he “loved Berlin and found himself going back again and again…hitting the club scene at night.” And so his love for electronic music was born. And what happens when running and electronic music combine? Well, for Harry, it was Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally.
The album opens with the lead single, Aperture, and the influence of LCD Soundsystem is evident from the very beginning. There’s a loose, carefree energy to the track as it builds from a slow, pulsing beat into a full-blown dance track. It’s hard not to imagine yourself in a dark, smoky room while “drinks go straight to (your) knees”, as Styles himself imagines throughout the track. The song feels light, hopeful even, and encourages bravery and risk-taking as Styles sings “go forth, ask questions later.” A nod of encouragement towards himself as he takes this latest album in a new direction.
And that direction is quite clear as Aperture fades out and the keys of American Girls begin, a soft beat that builds underneath Harry’s vocals, reaching the peak as he breaks into the chorus. Underneath the thumping bass and quirky keys, there’s a layer of nostalgia. It’s not pop, but it’s lingering on the fence, it’s a subtle nod to the genre, and based on the accompanying music video, it could well be a subtle nod to his past in One Direction. If nostalgia had a song attached to it, it would be American Girls.
The tracks on the album flow seamlessly together, something that Styles seems to be quite good at. It’s a good mix of appropriate dance floor tunes, which are broken up by the occasional ballad, allowing for a breather. Ready, Steady, Go! Has more than the occasional disco, as his album suggests. It’s slightly punchier, a faster pace than the opening two tracks, and it transitions perfectly into the grittier Are You Listening Yet? This song has an air of protest about it: “this world is screaming, so / you start to scream right back.” The drums, the repetition of the “are you listening yet” are infectious, a track that truly gets under your skin, has you ready to form a rebellion.
The glittery, synth-heavy Taste Back is another song that sees Harry dabble with elements of pop and showcases Styles' vocal abilities more than the previous songs. It’s also one of three songs where Wolf Alice’s Ellie Roswell provides backing vocals, the others being lead single Aperture and Season 2 Weight Loss. The latter focuses on the pressures of being in the public eye and constantly needing to improve oneself.
Those nostalgic for Harry’s House will enjoy the slower songs, particularly Coming Up Roses, which is stripped of the disco; it’s Harry going back to his roots. His vocal talents are allowed to shine through on this song, and it’s elevated by the addition of the orchestral strings that accompany him. It almost feels as if this song was accidentally left off the track list for Harry’s House, but it still manages to slot nicely into this new era of Styles.
Pop and Dance No More pick the pace back up; both are infectious. Pop is fundamentally a dance track, but there are layers of vulnerability to it as Styles asks himself, “Am I in over my head? / this could go anywhere / it’s meant to be pop”. Perhaps referring to his veering away from the perfect pop path he has always been going down, and taking a chance with something new.
Styles closes his album out with Carla’s Song, which feels like an appropriate closer. That final song before the main lights in the club are turned on. It’s got a pulsing, jittery beat and crashing drums, but the star of the show is the electronic keyboard. The addition of the keys elevates the song, bringing it to an entirely new level. A song that wraps up the album nicely.
Having dominated the pop genre since his time in One Direction, it very much feels like Styles decided to throw caution to the wind with Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally. It’s a bold move that works for some and fails for many…but for Styles, the risk paid off. Perhaps because in between the light techno and disco, there are still hidden layers of pop, parts that sound familiar but at the same time brand new.
I think we should all be taking at least one page out of Harry Style’s new book. In a world that feels increasingly darker, Harry is right: Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally. Is exactly what we should all be doing.
Words by Angela English
