Our king is back, ladies, gentlemen and emotionally deprived One Direction fans. Fresh off the success of his newly released single “Aperture,” marathon aficionado and part-time singer-songwriter Harry Styles delivered his fourth studio album on March 6, titled “Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally.”
It seems Styles’ time apart from the music industry has led him to the club for this album, as the traditional pop and rock leanings of Styles are put on hold. By no means does it reach the levels of “Brat” electropop and hyperpop that are currently dominating the charts. It is certainly a new direction for Styles, and for that I have to commend him.
As a club album relies heavily on the instrumental backing of each track, it is evident that Styles has really put his longtime producer, Kid Harpoon, to work. The album is a masterclass in production, and I truly believe that the tracks could function alone without lyrics and vocals and still be just as successful. This does say something about the depth of the lyrics in many of the songs, and I can concede that this is not Styles’ most lyrically complex album. One might think that his four-year hiatus would have given him more things to say, but nevertheless the album is certainly still excellent.
“American Girls” was the track I had been most excited to listen to because, as a girl from Wisconsin, I certainly can fit the demographic of the title. This track did not disappoint in the least. Inspired by artists like Blood Orange and Tame Impala, the song is soft and subdued in its verses, while coming to a sharp climax in the refrain. Styles sings of his experiences with the idea of American girls, noting that most of his friends have ended up marrying them. As Styles is currently involved with American actress Zoe Kravitz, he may just fall right into this pattern as well.
Another incredible song off the album is “Taste Back.” A track most similar to the bubbly pop bravado of 2022’s “Harry’s House,” “Taste Back,” explores the emotions surrounding a person unexpectedly coming back into Styles’ life after many years apart. Throughout the song, Styles ponders if the person has come back for a full-fledged reunion, or simply “a little love.” The song is both extremely honest and touching, yet it still has the potential to find itself as a number one summer pop hit, similar to the success of “As It Was” back in 2022.
“Dance No More” does not contain such emotional depth, but it is the track most conducive to the album’s title. Styles takes disco to a whole new level with this song, abandoning the smooth jazz-like disco of the ’70s with the Bee Gees and Donna Summer, rather categorizing disco as meaning anything a person might dance to. And dance to it we will. The beat is truly addictive, with its phenomenal mixing of synths with drums providing the most perfect stimulus for a night out on the town.
Styles brings his album back to the metaphorical and metaphysical genius of “Fine Line” in the final track of the album, titled “Carla’s Song.” Struck by witnessing a friend’s first experience listening to the music of Paul Simon, Styles takes this song to remark on the world around him. Repeating the line of “It’s all waiting there for you,” Styles seems to be in awe of the infinite possibilities present in our daily lives. The song is deep and contemplative, furthered by an upbeat and almost urgent collection of backing instrumentals, the perfect track for a night drive.
Therefore, I can confidently say that Harry Styles’ fourth album, “Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally,” is unequivocally a success. Though I do wish that Styles hadn’t taken four years to come out with this album, as an overwhelmed college student, I can certainly understand the need for a little time off. And if that is truly my biggest complaint about his latest work, one can be assured that Styles has very much still got it.
