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Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

OPINION: Harry Styles will become the next Elvis if he’s not careful

Harry+Styles+performing+during+Love+on+Tour.
Courtesy of Wiki Commons
Harry Styles performing during “Love on Tour.”

If the rumors of a Harry Styles’ Las Vegas residency become a reality, I am worried that he will work himself into the ground. This timeline is all too familiar within the music industry with the rise and fall of Elvis Presley. He was making his way back into the public eye after a decline in fans and then signed on for a Las Vegas residency which later resulted in the end of his career and ultimately his life. 

Harry Styles has been dominating the music scene for years, from his debut in One Direction to his solo career starting in 2017. He is continuing to break records and make history. As of 2023, the singer has won three Grammys, including Album of the Year for his third studio album “Harry’s House” at the most recent awards show.

His tour, titled Love on Tour, was originally scheduled for 2020 to perform his sophomore album “Fine Line,” but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rescheduled tour started in the fall of 2021 where Styles performed in the United States and select European cities.

Due to the release of his album “Harry’s House” in May 2022, the remaining tour set was changed to revolve around the new album even though the tour name is still that of the previous album. Recently, the singer has been scheduling show residencies in major cities, including New York City and Los Angeles, with talks of a possible major Las Vegas residency at some point in the near future. The dates for the leg of his tour in Asia were also rescheduled to March 2023.

Despite the residencies, it seems the singer has started to tire out some fans.

As a fan of Harry Styles, I love him and his music so much, and I have seen him in concert, but this tour, and now the residencies, has me exhausted.

His residency shows are becoming increasingly boring for major fans. I have seen a decrease in the excitement in every performance that he has done. When Love on Tour started, I remember every fan of his would be talking about what outfit he was wearing and reposting videos from that night’s show on every social media platform. Now, it is almost radio silent. The excitement is gone surrounding the performances and it is very evident. 

There is an aspect of repetition that takes the special feeling away from seeing a live show. When every single show is the same, almost as if he is following a script, it’s hard to justify traveling to see a live performance when you could stream the exact same show for free. 

Fans have been excited with his Grammy wins, celebrating this extremely impressive feat. I can assure you that once the talk of the Grammys dies down, fans will go back to being disappointed by the residencies. 

I am not slandering Styles as an artist, as I think his music is a staple in pop culture today. I just don’t want to see another one of the greats fall victim to the impact of long-term residencies. 

Follow Keely on Twitter!

@menyhartkeely

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About the Contributor
Keely Menyhart, Arts & Entertainment Editor | she/her

Keely is a junior from Merritt Island, Florida. She is majoring in journalism with a print/web concentration and a minor in advertising. When she is not writing for the Journal, you can find her walking through museums, listening to music or rewatching her favorite shows. You can also find her exploring record stores and obsessing over new music. Keely plans on continuing her work from the Journal after graduating by covering music and entertainment for news publications.

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  • J

    Jim BurrowsFeb 7, 2023 at 8:22 pm

    One changed the course of history, culture, music,style, apparel. the most iconic cultural icon of the 20h centuty, the other changed nothing. One died at 42, the other wil could live be 100 and still he will not have changed anything.

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OPINION: Harry Styles will become the next Elvis if he’s not careful