By Gionna Bean, Opinion Editor
“Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” album cover – Photo by @harrystyles on Instagram
Harry Styles is preparing to release his first album in nearly four years. The announcement came through an instagram post on Jan. 15, with the caption revealing the album’s name: “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.”
Within the same week, the first song was made available on listening platforms, accompanied by the music video on YouTube.
The music video depicted a man chasing Styles through a hotel while they both performed acrobatics, eclectic dance moves and even a lift. The name of the song, “Aperture,” refers to the opening in a lens that allows light to enter a camera as the lyrics, “Aperture lets the light in,” show. Fans of Styles are excited to see what the rest of the album brings.
“I feel like the people have been starved and he’s feeding them,” senior Sydney Fernandez said. “I love his music but my roommate and bestie are fanatics so I’m excited for them. I’m excited to see what is on it.”
Harry Styles is one of many famous artists releasing music this year. Bruno Mars’ album “Romantic” is set to release Feb. 27, while Arctic Monkeys is set to release “Opening Night” on March 6. All of these artists hit their peak during the 2000s, leading some students to wonder if the sound of the 2000s is making a comeback.
“I have high hopes for music this year, and I think this is a good start,” freshman Anika Bourassa said. “I’m all for a 2016 nostalgia comeback if that’s what’s in store for this year.”
This has been a question circulating social media: is 2026 the new 2016?
Harry Styles on Instagram after releasing his latest song – Photo by Stella Blackmon
However, many fans were sidelined by the first song released from the album. “Aperture” has a techno-disco sound with heavily autotuned vocals layered in, whereas his previous music would be classified as pop music. The song certainly does not represent the sound of 2016.
“I feel like Aperture has a different vibe from his older stuff,” Fernandez said. “It might not be what we expected, but it signifies the growth and change that happens with aging.”
Styles released his last album in 2022, leaving around a four year gap between that and the newest album. This left a lot of time for growth and change, which may lead to a new sound that people may not have expected from him. However it is received, the album is sure to be talked about all around campus when it drops March 6.
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