Two years after the release of his debut self titled album, Harry Styles has returned with the mature single “Lights Up.”
Styles teased the song and music video by posting a variety of cryptic photos on his Instagram in the weeks leading up to its release. This, along with his Rolling Stone cover profile by Rob Sheffield, gave Styles’ fans some needed content after a long silence following the end of his first solo tour.
In that profile for Rolling Stone, he said that part of his creative process was taking mushrooms, laying in the grass, and listening to Paul McCarthy. This feeling, or what we can assume this feeling is, is translated into every second of the song and music video.
The music video itself is full of the glitz that Styles’ fans are to expect but without all the glam. It was filmed on a beach in Mexico and is gritty enough to make you blush. However, you won’t want to look away.
The complexity of the song is amplified when he is seen dancing sweatily, shirtless, and intimately surrounded by men and women. Some of his fans saw this as Styles’ way of coming out as he has never openly defined his sexuality- but at the same time, who cares?
Styles has never been one to discuss anything too personal, whether that be his relationship status or what he does in his free time. This dates back to his One Direction days where Styles, then 16 years-old, was quickly propelled to fame along with his four other bandmates. The adjustment between living life as a small-town teen to a worldwide phenomenon could not have been easy, so it is no surprise that he likes his privacy when he is able to have it.
His artful ability to avoid revealing any major personal details is a trait that has carried over into his music. His lyrics leave you guessing about their hidden message, and listeners can draw different meanings from the same verses. This is a part of his allure. He is able to deeply connect with his fan base while maintaining relative anonymity.
That anonymity is what continues to set Styles apart. His embrace of femininity and masculinity transcends the status quo that few male artists are ever able to break out of. With every performance, he blurs the line between art and reality. Or maybe art is his reality?
I think part of the reason so many people are attracted to Harry Styles as an artist is his ability to transition between different personas so easily. One minute he’s posing for Gucci in thousand-dollar suits, and the next he’s dodging people in Japan as he gathers inspiration for his next album. He doesn’t pretend to be someone he’s not- and his fans see that.
From the dark and gritty lights of the music video to the smooth bridge leading up to the electrifying chorus, Lights Up is sure to make you want to dance. Or at the very least stare at your ceiling fan and play it on repeat as you lay thinking about Harry Styles in a black, glittery blouse singing in the ocean.
The music video ends with Styles riding on the back of a motorcycle towards a police car and cuts to him bashfully grinning at the camera on the beach. These scenes are choppy, and it does not appear that they were scripted- but instead accidentally caught after the director cut.
Whether these moments were scripted or by chance, it describes the kind of performer Harry Styles is. He embraces the imperfections, and despite his fame- does not consider himself anything more than a human being that loves making music.
In that ending, he broke out of the sultry and sexy persona, and through the cracks, you could see who he was as a performer, an artist- a friend.
This is what Light Up makes you want to feel. That feeling of living so carelessly but so fully. If this song is any indication of what fans should be expecting from his much anticipated 2nd album, then they are sure to expect more ballads that are as good for love and loss.