After two long years, Harry Styles has finally returned with his new single, ‘Lights Up.’
In very Harry-esque cryptic fashion, news broke on Thursday morning that there were posters plastered around cities displaying only the phrase “Do you know who you are?”
Along the bottom of the posters were four letters: TPWK. This is an abbreviation of Styles’ mantra “Treat People With Kindness,” hinting that an announcement was quickly approaching.
Shortly after, a website of the same name was released, which generated compliments for fans. (I was told that I was “fantastic.” Thank you, Harry.)
I began to wonder if “Do you know who you are?” was the name of a single, or even the album. The rest of the internet also exploded with excitement and speculation.
Spotify then provided some answers when they released a New Music Friday playlist with Styles as the cover star. It became evident that there was new music coming at midnight.
Then came the moment that every fan had been waiting for: the first Instagram post since 2018. It showed Styles in a blue blouse, which would end up being a screenshot from the video for “Lights Up.” This was followed by two more pictures, including the single’s cover art.
His Instagram profile picture changed, his Twitter page changed too, and then the song was available to the world.
The HS2 era has begun.
‘Lights Up’ has a different sound than his debut album. Styles is moving from rock to a more ethereal space, with a vibe reminiscent of Tame Impala. It is absolutely addictive.
The track’s chorus sings, “Step into the light/ So bright sometimes/ I’m not ever going back.” Styles is proudly singing from a place of clarity and bliss. He’s never looked or sounded this good.
The single, which was notably released on National Coming Out Day, is paired with a music video that officially confirmed Styles’ bisexuality. Styles stands in a group of men and women, dancing shirtless and shouting out the song’s lyrics.
Styles shines with happiness, but there are also shots of him looking contemplative and upset.
“Do you know who are?” re-appears as a lyric in the track, as Styles navigates through the struggle of discovering his true self. He seems to be telling his fans that it may not always easy, but if you persist, you will get to a great place.
In his September cover story for Rolling Stone, Styles shared, “I want to make people feel comfortable being whatever they want to be.”
Styles’ kindness and inclusivity has always made him a celebrity to admire, and this song further confirms his significance in making people feel represented and accepted.
The video received about 10 million views within 24 hours of its release, and the single’s debut broke Styles’ previous Spotify records.
‘Lights Up’ has given us a few clues about HS2: the sophomore album is moving into a new sound, and based on his outfit choices, the era’s color will likely be blue.
There are still so many questions to be answered. Will we get another single soon? When will the album be released? How soon can I spend all my money on concert tickets?
This one fact does prevail: it’s impossible for Styles to ever disappoint.
IMAGE TAKEN from weheartit.com
