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With the new song “Aperture,” we see what Harry Styles was hinting at when he named his forthcoming album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. The song is a throbbing piece of dance music with Styles’ signature romantic overtones; his unassuming vocal deliveries in the verses are dripping with intimacy, but the chorus widens the room as Styles sings “We belong together” backed by a powerful choir of harmonies. The balance is set: the time around, Styles is looking at transcendence through lenses both interpersonal (kiss all the time) and universal (disco, occasionally).
Speaking of, has Harry Styles listened to the new Tame Impala album? At a first listen, the weightless beat that opens “Aperture,” combined with Styles’ slightly-modified vocals, suggests a similar pattern to Kevin Parker’s recent comeback single “End of Summer,” itself a retreat to house music as a means to earn salvation. It seems that Styles is particularly interested in mining the grooves and activity of dance and electronic for his new era, evidenced by the fact that Jamie xx is opening all 30 nights of his upcoming New York residency.
But luckily, unlike Tame’s very tame “End of Summer” “Aperture” definitively goes somewhere. The mix blooms from inward to outward, gaining life as synths and hi-hats start populating the spaces in between Styles’ croons. By the time he arrives at the choir-laden refrain, Styles is towering and commanding, lifting us up and sending us off with a simple message of unity.
After a trio of releases that cemented Styles as the reigning prince of tasteful pop-rock fare, “Aperture” is also a bolder, more restless move from the superstar. His music has grown in maturity over the years, but aside from a similar euphoric choir, “Aperture” feels lightyears away from “Watermelon Sugar” or “Golden.” His last album Harry’s House was arguably his strongest work, so he’s not necessarily coming off a dud; still, “Aperture” suggests a more considered effort to expand his sound and try something new. It seems the risk paid off: all Styles had to do was take one step onto the dance floor and disappear.
English (US) · 