The third studio album of boy band member turned global superstar, Harry Styles, has arrived — and it doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Styles’ last release in 2022, “Harry’s House,” churned out major hits like “As It Was” and took home the coveted Grammy for Album of the Year. Since then, fans have heavily anticipated the artist’s return. On March 6, Styles made his eagerly awaited comeback with the uniquely titled “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” A well-crafted and smoothly produced record, “Disco” doesn’t wholly manage to stand out as Styles at his best. However, it features a number of great tracks and it’s a solid listen.
Previously advertised by Styles and his team as a dance-pop record, “Disco” tends to pace slower and less extravagantly than fans anticipated. Produced by Styles’ frequent collaborators, acclaimed musicians Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, the record sometimes feels fun. At its catchiest points, one might be inclined to get up and dance; or disco, as the title suggests. On the other hand, it doesn’t quite provide a gripping emotional journey, the infectious hooks or soul-crushing passion that audiences have grown to expect from the artist behind hard-hitting tracks like “Fine Line” and “Sign of the Times.”
Even in the weeks leading up to “Disco,” pre-existing material hinted at a more divisive reaction to Styles’ new releases. Lead single “Aperture” released on Jan. 23 to mixed reviews, and Styles performed it live at the BRIT Awards on Feb. 28. Audiences and critics observed that Styles had seemingly attempted inspiration from music legend David Byrne, mirroring Byrne’s unique style of synchronistic performance over a chant-like song. His efforts to imitate Byrne’s iconography were not universally praised. Many X memes disparaged Styles, comparing him to Byrne in a less than favorable light.
“Disco” dropped on March 6 along with a music video for brand-new single “American Girls,” a significantly better track than “Aperture.” “American Girls” feels fresh, defined by synths that blare in the background, leading into a catchy hook. The lyrical material singing about being “in love with American girls” is sure to enchant Styles’ massive base of fans — many of whom are indeed American girls. It marks a newly explored sound for Styles while remaining true to his strengths in pop music and memorable choruses. Even as a single, it’s a much stronger track, surely destined for chart success.
Beyond “Aperture” and “American Girls” (tracks one and two respectively), “Disco” takes audiences on a journey of sound that is neither spectacular nor bad. Overall, its production is rather subdued, falling flat of the expectation for a dance-pop album. Styles largely marketed the record as a synth-heavy exploration into a new genre, leaving interpretations of additional themes to listeners alone. Its lyrics are often repetitive, touching on basic concepts of romance, relationships and personal growth. As implied by Styles, it seems that the intention was for the music itself to stand out, honing in on the sound of, well, “disco.”
The album’s sonic potential is dampened by a lack of vocal range exploration. Styles, who has been praised since his early days in One Direction for impressive singing capabilities, seems to limit himself vocally on the record. He doesn’t challenge his voice in interesting or engaging ways, despite his obvious potential. Most tracks remain at a similar tempo, with Styles essentially “speak-singing” on fourth track “Are You Listening Yet?” His minimalist vocal efforts do nothing to contribute to the dance-pop sound that was apparently sought after.
Tracks “The Waiting Game” and “Coming Up Roses” interweave unique, admirable orchestral sounds and other strings into backing instrumentals. Styles incorporates some punchy lyrical prose, with a stand-out line in “Waiting” that simply rolls off the tongue: “you tantalize or titillate.” “Coming Up Roses” is arguably the record’s greatest highlight, written solo by Styles and produced by Kid Harpoon. A melancholic ballad, it feels almost overly dramatic as an orchestra builds up behind Styles lamenting on doubt in a relationship. The track blends cinematic sounds of classical music with contemporary pop. Furthermore, Styles’ voice actually emerges in engaging ways this time around, like as tender or pleading for a lover.
By the last few tracks, including “Pop” and “Dance No More,” Styles and his producers deserve credit for truly embodying the dance-pop sound that he’s chasing. Perhaps this was the crux of the album after all: one is meant to kiss all the time, and only disco occasionally. (Sure, it’s in the title, but if that was truly the case, it shouldn’t have been marketed otherwise.) In fact, the record itself is wholly solid, but it doesn’t feel like it meets the standards of what it was intended to be.
Harry Styles has had a singular career trajectory, ascending from beloved boy band member to solo chart-topper to Album of the Year winner. Over the past decade and a half, he has accumulated a massive devoted fanbase. Factoring in his popularity and the length between this record and his previous release (four years), anticipation for a comeback was high and mighty. It’s arguably not Styles’ fault that expectations for a new record after so long were so grand, and therefore left unmatched.
“Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally” is a decent album. It’s just nothing special, especially in an age of increasingly experimental and catchy new music, with huge new names spouting up in pop music every year. However, as some great music sounds better with age, this piece has the potential to grow more beloved over time. Some things resonate “occasionally”… or even “all the time.”
Rating: 3/5
