It’s felt like an eternity since Harry Styles released the 2022 album "Harry’s House," his third installment of an extremely successful solo career. Being in the limelight since the summer of 2010, Harry has been releasing pop music for over 16 years. After his 93-city “Love on Tour,” he seemed to vanish from the spotlight. Apart from a few appearances from fans while running marathons, he was radio silent on social media, taking a much-needed break from over 160 shows performed in under two years.
With zero warning, apart from a few circling rumors, Harry released the title and cover art for his new album last week, “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,” out March 6th. Fans swarmed the web with excitement and, on Tuesday, were euphoric again with the announcement of the first single, “Aperture,” which released at 7pm EST Thursday.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say most were expecting a classic disco track, especially considering the title of the album. But this new five-minute track, although rather groovy, leans more on EDM, even slightly progressive house, a new venture for Harry.
Reactions from fans since the release have been a mix of delight and excitement, but also frustration, following the announcement of the “Together, Together” tour, consisting of only seven cities throughout 2026, and a hefty 30-day residency at Madison Square Garden. That’s right, no Chicago, no Los Angeles, and absolutely nothing between the cities of Amsterdam and Melbourne.
We feel the marathon training Harry has endured for the past few years in "Aperture." It is definitively Harry’s most experimental work yet, a slow and steady track that is unafraid to take its time. It hints at electro, while not drifting too far from a pop sound. It’s clear we aren’t getting rock ballads like “Sign of the Times” or “She,” but instead leaning more into a similar mood to “Harry’s House.” It makes sense, considering “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally” is once again executively produced by Kid Harpoon, who also worked as a primary producer on the preceding album. “Harry’s House” admittedly is not my favorite album from him, but this new twist on pop-EDM brings me hope for something interesting to come. After 16 years of straight pop music, I’m glad to see him trying something new.
The song starts with phasey synths that immediately bring you into a new atmosphere of Harry. The 45-second intro builds with layered tracks that might seem to clash rhythmically at first but are brought back into sync when the buzzy bassline drops in. The Tame Impala "Deadbeat" influences are undeniable, especially when the second verse drops. (Is this not a spitting image of “End of Summer”?)
When Harry’s first lyrics arrive, they are drenched in a chorus effect and resonate softly and lightly. In a similar way to “Keep Driving,” his words are scattered and simple.
“Time codes and Tokyo scenes” / “It's best you know what you don’t” / "Go forth, ask questions later"
These vague lyrics reflect the overall tone we have been seeing from the minimalistic marketing of this album. Harry is embracing the nonchalant, the carefreeness of life, and the on-the-nose imagery. It is still quite unclear with this single what exactly we are getting from this album. It feels, rather, like a gentle invitation into his new sound, which is why I was glad to see it as the opener. It is preparing us for a night to remember, but we must pace ourselves first.
On the other hand, the chorus is madly catchy, with Harry repeating “We belong together” over and over, which, in combination with the pulsating synths, presents a feeling of euphoric kinship, something I’m happy to see Harry continuing to present in his music. The song feels like it needs to be listened to in a crowd, yet concurrently feels a bit flat when heard alone. I could see this as a standout on tour. If nothing else, your head will be psychologically programmed into bumping with the 4/4 beat with how addicting it gets a few minutes in.
I believe to best enjoy this song, you need to first let go of all expectations of Harry, remain optimistic, and “let the light in.”
And in terms of aperture, I’d give it an "f6.3/10."
"Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally” is out March 6th.
"Aperture" is out now.
