“Kissco” Brings the Evolution of Brand Harry Styles #MusicMonday
Source: Harry Styles
Harry Styles just released his fourth solo studio album titled "Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally." He is both the singer and songwriter on all of his tracks.
Quite impressive.
I’m featuring the new album today for #MusicMonday because track by track it’s an obvious evolution of brand Harry Styles. At least to me as a music lover and brand observer.
Back in the day, an album title that long would have been the kiss of death. Today, it simply gives fans a chance to shorten it to their liking. IYKYK. And they have done just that, for their social feeds. Harry's fans, the Harries, have lovingly renamed the album "Kissco." I love it, not only for the shortening of the name but for what it signals: they are kissing the evolution of Harry.
Seal of approval. I’m betting he named the album this way on purpose.
With the title and the image of the disco ball, one might auto-assume we have a dance album on our hands. Sort of. To my listen, we have a ranging pop album that defies categorization, which is no easy feat. Harry isn't staying in one lane. He's taking creative risks to showcase his evolution.
The lead single is part pop, part dance, part electronica, part just plain good vocal. Give a listen to "Aperture," which references the camera lens … being open to new experiences in life, despite all that you may have already gone through. It's the sound of an artist who's earned the permission to experiment.
My personal favorite is "Coming Up Roses," which is all about the beauty of a relationship that comes to an end, and the lessons you take away from it. It's a ballad and shows the variety of styles (Ha!) from the album. Once again proof that Harry is building his brand beyond any single genre.
Another standout is "American Girls," where Harry talks about the loneliness that comes from watching all of your friends find their loves while you remain single. It is set to a pop beat, which shows the juxtaposition of the emotions between being happy for your friends and lonely by yourself. It's vulnerability in motion, not something boy-band exports typically do.
I love the range on this album, which is not apparent at first glance. It reflects a maturity that we don't often see in pop music and reflects growth in Harry Styles as he enters the next phase of his career. Of his brand.
I just love seeing Harry prove that you can age out of one identity and into another without losing your audience. He's being the writer, the artist, the risk-taker. He's letting fans rename the album as he mixes genres. He's writing about real, messy emotions to a beat you can dance to, if you feel like it.
With a kiss.
What's your take? What's your favorite song? What's your experience? JIM
P.S. - A lot of people think “American Girls” is a salute to the song of the same title from Sister Sledge in 1981. Nope, no connection. But I do like that song, so I figured I’d post it here since folks are referencing it!