After an almost four-year hiatus, Harry Styles completely reimagined his sound and released a synth-filled pop track, “Aperture,” that sent listeners straight to a packed dance floor.
Produced by Kid Harpoon, who also produced Styles’ previous album “Harry’s House,” this track completely strays from his past discography. Although unprecedented, the atmospheric production and ambience captivated me seconds in.
Styles announced his new album “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,” Jan. 15, set to release March 6. Before “Aperture” was released, fans were expecting a full-blown ABBA-inspired disco album. Now, after having the first taste of this upcoming album release, some fans are disappointed and heavily critiquing the single. The stark contrast from the 2023 Grammy-winning pop album “Harry’s House” to an electronic-inspired single is an understandable shock. However, dismissing the love and detail he poured into this track, which serves as a thesis for the album’s message, is incomprehensible.
Styles stated in an interview with the BBC that LCD Soundsystem was a huge influence for this fiercely electronic track. The stacked vocals, heavy distortion and ambient reverb create an almost hazy atmosphere. LCD Soundsystem is known for their processed vocals and digital sound, which rings true as a huge influence for this track. The bridge is almost reminiscent of Lorde’s discography, like the bridge in her song “Green Light,” which also includes added keys and dance-pop energy.
Harpoon and Styles put their everything into creating this song by completely veering off-track, but also maintaining his classic sound. The electric guitar that rings through during the second pre-chorus and shapes into a liquidy synth completely blew me away. The sound is very familiar to different house and electronic music, like “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn, but “Aperture” has its own added flair to it.
The title comes from a common photography term that describes a hole in a camera lens that adjusts the amount of light that reaches the sensors. Aperture almost works as a pupil of an eye, expanding and contracting when there is more or less light. Styles uses aperture as a metaphor for love and safety, and he wants to embrace the love into his life. Aperture can also be attributed to his vulnerability and lack of trust in welcoming love and new experiences into his life.
“I won’t stray from it / I don’t know these spaces / Time won’t wait on me / I wanna know what safe is,” sings Styles.
This track is a complete parallel to “Lights Up,” one of the lead singles from his second studio album, “Fine Line.” The aforementioned track describes wanting to bask in the light and never go back to who he was before. Flash forward two albums later, and it seems he has gone away from the light and is uncertain about what love could have in store for him.
He reaches a moment of clarity in the chorus: the act of love feels simple, and he is ready to accept that it really is just love. There is a tendency to pull away when things become unfamiliar, but in the bridge, he wishes to accept love and stay, rather than run from it.
Time acts as an immense pressure for him to figure himself out and what he wants. Even though he is apprehensive about welcoming real love into his life, there is a demand to make sense of it fast. Whether it is from his loved ones, society, fans or himself, he still constantly hears the ticking of a clock waiting for him to navigate his love life.
In his interview with the BBC, Styles described the feeling of being in the crowd at a music festival during his hiatus. He explained how exhilarating it felt to be in the audience and enjoying live music without performing. Being in the same room with thousands of people who love the same artist that you do, and finding community within that shared love is what makes music so special.
“Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,” is out on March 6 and time won’t be waiting on us, but I can accept the light in the meantime.
