With the release of his newest album, ‘Fine Line’, Harry Styles takes listeners on a journey through the peaks and valleys of his life. The sound of the album is not like anything you will typically hear on the radio. Styles mix in the sounds of the sixties and seventies while still staying true to the pop-rock heard in his first album. Listeners experience the woes of heartbreak, the excitement that comes along with new love, and confusion of questioning yourself and figuring out who you want to be.
Styles describes the opening track “Golden” as one you would listen to while driving down the coast. He could not be more spot on. The upbeat tempo and background singing throughout make it a feel-good song. However, when looking deeper, “Golden” sets the mood for the whole album, feelings of happiness and excitement in a new relationship are expressed through Styles proclaiming “You’re so golden” and “loving you is the antidote” but also presents the fear after being heartbroken when he expresses “I don’t wanna be alone” and “I know that you’re scared because hearts get broken.” This excitement and fear that comes along with new-found love and infatuation continues in the catchy singles “Watermelon Sugar” and “Adore You.” The upbeat tunes express the deep passion and emotion, while still questioning those intense feelings. The fine line between uncertainty and infatuation is clear when listening to the lyrics.
As you move through the album, Styles digs deeper into the sorrow of heartbreak especially in “Cherry.” The pain of missing someone and seeing them move on while you are still hurting can be both heard and felt by the listener. As his ex moves on, he begs her not to, and the loneliness and pain can be heard throughout. He even incorporates a clip of his ex-lover’s voice at the end of the song which really proves how open he was in the creation of the song. “Cherry”, along with a couple of other tracks, truly captures the essence of the aching heart following a break-up.
Since his boyband days, Styles has forged his own way, creating his own identity outside of One Direction, and the song “Lights Up” symbolizes his solo persona. Styles is known for dabbling around in the question of who he is. He often dances around questions regarding his sexuality, asking “Who cares?” and claims to be more of a private person. In “Lights Up” and “Falling” he seems to be struggling to understand what the answers to some of these questions are. Throughout the two, he repeatedly asks himself who he is, who he wants to be, and if he likes who he is becoming.
The final song “Fine Line” sums up the album completely, offering that life is a fine line between happiness, sadness, excitement, and sorrow. Styles’s use of lyrics like “put a price on emotion,” “test of my patience”, and “spreading you open is the only way of knowing you” show the raw vulnerability expressed throughout the entirety of the album. The album in its entirety is essentially Styles forging his way through life. The contrast of the struggles of finding yourself, feeling strong emotions, and understanding what it takes to grow as a human with the elation, infatuation, and excitement that come along with growing up and life are all presented through Styles’ 12 track album.
