HARRY STYLES - Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally

Critical reception aside, every era of Harry Styles's career to date has come with at least one song of massive media impact, that viral moment able to break out of the fanbase and keep its author at the top of the streaming era. It's certainly too early to place this chapter within a solo career that's now nearly a decade long, but already a month ago, on release, lead single "Aperture" failed to catch on as expected, despite an immediate high placement on the major charts that, at this level of following, tends to feed on itself. A full listen confirms that impression; "Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally" reveals itself to be elegant but less immediate in nature, favouring lyrics that aren't always easy to decode, sinuous melodicism and a rhythm kept on a tight leash even when it steps into the disco of the title.

Online there's no shortage of analysis about pop boys in the contemporary landscape; youtuber Swiftologist recently ventured one that notes how the more relaxed standards applied to men mean less scrutiny than their female peers face, but paradoxically also fuel a lack of friction that makes them less compelling. At thirty-two, Harry isn't here to overturn any expectations: the usual interview with Zane Lowe painted the picture of a calm, reflective guy who spent his free time, including in Italy, kissing and cooking, far from the toxic gossip carousels that led to the tragic death of his former bandmate Liam Payne.

It might therefore be a drastic choice for the Idol to turn "anti" right at the peak of his fame, and perhaps it will prove to be so over time, but "Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally" at least manages not to repeat itself, reworking with a certain curiosity the alternative dance of the 2000s into an electronic pop that's never surprising, but personal enough.

This occasional disco record draws on Lcd Soundsystem and Mgmt, while purging any trace of their punk roots: there's the bouncing urban funk in the vein of Talking Heads on "Ready, Steady, Go!", the driving "Are You Listening Yet?" and a "Pop" fitted with a muffled, tubed-up chorus. But there are also middle-ground moments, like "Taste Back" and new single "American Girls", two confections one could imagine produced by an indietronic Erlend Oye, while the rhythm of "Season 2 Weight Loss" unfortunately buckles under a listless melody. No great loss, since the breezy "Dance No More" flirts with Kylie Minogue's "DISCO" via Lisa Lisa & The Cult Jam and Scissor Sisters — infectious whenever Harry is the first one having fun.

And what about the kisses? "Coming Up Roses" stretches out over a dreamy bed of plucked strings, thoroughly standard but impeccably executed, then the mood settles into the acoustic "Paint By Numbers", before delivering the most melodically striking moment on the tracklist with "Carla's Song", dedicated by Harry to a friend who unwittingly helped him rediscover inspiration in his own craft — it would be fitting if, of all the songs here, this were the one to take off on TikTok and Spotify.

"Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally" won't be the pop release of the year, then; Harry is talented but keeps dodging the decisive move right when it matters, missing the bold turn that would finally point him toward the four Davids of the apocalypse he's always aspired to — Bowie, Gilmour, Byrne and Sylvian. Clean, at times emotional, sophisticated and somewhat resting on its laurels, the British artist's fourth album glides gracefully into the background, revealing itself only at the right moment and without overdoing it — it's hard, for instance, to find a place for the tart, Gorillaz-style ditty "The Waiting Game".

Still, Harry remains a popstar at the height of his career: he has style, he knows how to put his budget into tastefully crafted music videos, and at the recent Brit Awards he delivered an excellent performance of "Aperture" that gives a good sense of what to expect from his hugely anticipated upcoming shows. Just enough to keep him on track through his own merit, because while Bruno Mars and The Weeknd risk turning into ornaments on the shelf of their own gold records, Harry Styles at least shows a willingness to grow and shed his skin — from the colourless cosplay of his debut, through "Fine Line" and "Harry's House", up to today's keyboard-toting dandy, it's impossible not to notice a slow but steady maturation.

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08/03/2026