Harry Styles “As It Was” Review

“Styles manages to steadily raise his own bar for the standards of his music in the funkiest way possible”

By: Gracie Kibort

As a decade-long-Styles-lover, I feel the utmost qualification to review his latest work, “As It Was.” Disclaimer: I hesitate to criticize him in any form—bias warning. Hitting the ground running into his newest era, Harry Styles has dropped his first single leading up to his tertiary album “Harry’s House.” HH is eagerly anticipated by international, self-proclaimed “Harries” everywhere and is being released on May 20th.

Opening with an 80s rhythm reminiscent of Aha’s “Take on Me,” the featured synth on the record is unmissable and immediately nuzzles in as an earworm. Styles is known to be daring as a musician, the vulnerability in his lyrics meeting intricate instrumentals or a dizzying tune, in addition to notable imagery of fruit. Though known to toy with vulnerability, this song takes on a new level of exposure in an irresistibly catchy way. He has cultivated an absolute bop with raw emotion, yet incongruously than anything else he’s produced. In fact, I am already certain this song will be reaching the peaks of my Spotify Wrapped come December; check back with me. We don’t need to unpack the laundry list of inspiration from which the song originates, whether it's about Styles’ childhood or his notorious relationship with Olivia Wilde, TikTok is already on the case theorizing.

 “As It Was” has the duality of scream-sobbing lyrics against the sound barrier of your car contrasted with curling-hair pre-pregame potential. If this song is any indication of what’s to come, I am eagerly waiting.