Harry Styles pushes the boundaries of his signature pop sound with “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.” Balancing reflective moments with high-energy dance tracks, Styles taps into a more experimental electronic sound.
After releasing “Harry’s House” in 2022, Harry Styles has been on a four-year hiatus. In December, Styles began ominously teasing a new project through billboards in major global cities like New York, São Paulo and Berlin that read “We Belong Together.” This was followed by a video premiere on his YouTube titled “Forever, Forever,” recounting the Harry Styles concert experience through the eyes of his fans. At the end of the video, the same message is displayed in over footage of the concert crowd.
The new album “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” (lovingly labeled KISSCO by fans) was later announced on Jan. 15. The lead single “Aperture” was released a week later, making sense of the ominous phrase used for PR with “We belong together” as part of the song’s chorus.
The 12-track album was released on March 6, ending the starvation of many of his fans, also known as Harries, across the globe.
KISSCO keeps true to Styles’ signature sound, but dives deeper into an experimental electronic pop vibe. Many of these songs have 20-second long instrumental breaks, giving listeners a chance to disco (more or less) occasionally. The heavy instrumental layers and dance-style production make the album feel more club-inspired than Styles’ earlier work, which leaned more toward trendy pop and soft rock.
The second half of the album hit harder for me. Although the transition from “Coming up Roses” to “Pop” is somewhat jarring, those emotional shifts display the range of emotions Styles encountered during this time in his life. “Coming up Roses” is more reflective and slow, while “Pop” is loud and encourages a dance number. TThe deliberate placement of an introspective track like “Coming up Roses” before the high-energy “Pop” suggests careful thought behind the album’s structure, allowing listeners to experience the emotional shifts that shaped the project.
Standout songs for me included “American Girls” and “Coming Up Roses.”
“American Girls” is super reminiscent of One Direction music with a hint of Styles’ solo work. The upbeat tempo and catchy chorus mimics the bright pop-rock style that defined One Direction’s later albums: this song sounds like it belongs on their 2015 album “Made in the AM.” One of the top KISSCO songs for a reason, track two hits all the marks for new and longtime Harry Styles fans alike.
Set in the latter part of the album, the instrumentals in “Coming up Roses” really drive this track home. The use of violins throughout the song, more specifically the break toward the end separates it from others. Although still slightly experimental for Styles, “Coming up Roses” proved his musical expertise.
“Dance No More” is one of the lowest streamed songs (16,697,478 compared to 33,346,802 streams for “American Girls”) however, it is a hidden gem. The song immediately hooks you with the strong bassline and keeps you dancing and singing until the end. The infectious rhythm and energetic production make it one of the most replayable songs on KISSCO, making its lower streaming numbers somewhat surprising. Styles’ performance of the track on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend may bring the song the attention it deserves.
Overall, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” proves Harry Styles is continuing to establish himself as an evolving artist. For someone with a fanbase as large and dedicated as his, it would be easy to constantly release new music knowing it would succeed. Instead, Styles takes his time crafting an album that feels intentional and polished. If waiting four years means another timeless, no-skip album like KISSCO, the wait is more than worth it.