British pop’s poster boy Harry Styles puts his desires first on his subtle, sophisticated and ever-so-slightly daring fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Few have shaken off reality TV origins better than Harry Styles. From a fresh-faced wannabe pop star on The X Factor to moulding into one fifth of pretty boy world beaters, One Direction, his face plastered on the bedroom walls of myriad of teenage girls around the globe. Since the band broke up, in the past decade Styles has managed to carve out a name for himself as one of the biggest – and best – pop stars of his generation.

From the coming-of-age colour of his self-titled debut solo album to the soaring anthemia of 2019’s follow-up Fine Line and the maturity and Fleetwood Macian Harry’s House, the 32-year-old has always been edgier and more interesting than his safer contemporaries – the Ed Sheeran’s, Lewis Capaldi’s of this world. 

And now with his seemingly plateaued stint as an actor (that bizarre post-credit scene from Chloe Zhao’s terrible Eternals was the nail in the coffin in that, but at least he had Dunkirk) behind him, Styles has spent the few years since his prior record and world tour walking away from the spotlight and into artistic progression. He’s spent time in Italy, taken up marathon running, become an uncle, and settled into his 30s. And made the most adventurous music of his career. The Harry we’re reintroduced to now is a maturer Harry, focused on what he views as autonomy and authenticity for himself. But he’s certainly not done with world-beating. 

Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally., the fourth full-length work from Styles, is without doubt his boldest yet. Inspired by everything from Berlin nightlife to LCD Soundsystem, he joins the mainstream’s fascination with electronic and dance music, dipping his toes into its deep, daring waters, but never going as far as to take a full plunge. Recorded mainly in RAK Studios (which has birthed David Bowie and Adele albums) and Abbey Road Studios (which namesake album you can hear as reference in some of the orchestra work) with long-time collaborator Kid Harpoon, the album is gorgeously produced, never overdone in its technicality, a gentle dichotomy of airy electronic touches while still upholding the rich naturalistic core that has worked so well on his previous bodies of work.

Lyrically, there are some zippy one-liners about chasing hangovers and romanticising shortcomings, often questioning the song’s subject rather than diving too deep into his own psyche. There are points where it’s too vague in its purposefulness in being elusive and evocative. The record isn’t without a few weaker spots. “Pop”, for instance, feels out of place in its placement right after the tender highlight of “Coming Up Roses”. It’s maybe the most obvious single-chaser, clouded by muddy synth bass, grating vocals and run-of-the-mill wordplay. The following track, “Dance No More”, is also a bit too on the nose, like something you’d hear on a Bruno Mars greatest hits compilation. 

The quieter, more meditative moments, as well as the deeper dives into graceful electronica, come across a lot better. “Taste Back” glistens with euphoria, “American Girls” shines with its deliciously musky piano cadence and undeniable chorus. Tearjerker “Paint By Numbers” swirls with sparse serenity. The only teaser single, “Aperture”, with its swooshing opening synths and enamouring chanted hook, stands out as the album’s strongest, and probably the most emblematic of what Styles seems to have wanted to achieve on the album. “Carla’s Song” is a sweet conclusion. 

Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. feels like Styles’ oratory of living, of love, of longing. There is something vital about it, something revitalising, and feverishly fleeting. Even if at points it lacks edge, bite, and isn’t as experimental as it thinks it is. But its maker, as ever, compels. He offers his new opus with conviction and confidence, and it’s just as well – these are the songs set to fill a 67-night multi-city residency, including 30 nights in New York, 12 nights in London and dates in São Paulo, Mexico City, Amsterdam, Sydney and Melbourne. 

How he’ll process and progress this subtle, sophisticated album into one of the grandest entertainment spectacles in recent pop history is yet to be seen. For most, it seems like a daunting, near-impossible task. But this is Harry Styles we’re talking about. We aren’t too worried.

Listen to Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.…

Words – Ben Tibbits