Blurred Lines
“While I was in the band, I was constantly scared I might sing a wrong note. I felt so much weight in terms of not getting things wrong. I remember when I signed my record deal and I asked my manager, ‘What happens if I get arrested? Does it mean the contract is null and void?’ Now, I feel like the fans have given me an environment to be myself and grow up and create this safe space to learn and make mistakes.” — Harry Styles, Rolling Stone Magazine
Imagine revealing to sixteen-year-old Harry Styles that within a matter of a decade, the sand he frolicked along for the “What Makes You Beautiful” music video would also be the same place he seductively serenaded fruit for his most recent music video as a solo artist. What would his reaction be? Would he stare at you in disbelief, his bluish-green eyes growing wide as he processed the simple statement as one that insulted his creative vision? Would he dismiss the thought immediately, refusing to entertain such a bizarre transformation in his events and personality? Or would he smile shyly at the ground, a patch of red creeping up his neck while tantalizing images of women and watermelon swirled around his mind? Would his face break out into a brilliant smile, basking in the free feelings flooding his body as he rejoiced in this newfound truth? It’s hard to truly decipher what the meek teen in a plaid t-shirt and khaki pants would make of the man’s crop tops and bright trousers; his management at the time, however, would be no friend to any expression straying away from a style that didn’t represent their own.
The “former” One Direction member [joined by Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson] grasped their claims-to-fame in an unconventional yet predestined way. What began as five individual auditions as potential X-Factor contestants quickly morphed into grueling bootcamps and earth-shattering rejections, only to be greeted by news that solidified their fate as one of the biggest boy bands of our generation. In that moment, whether they realized it or not, their personal identities became removed to reflect a more collective image. To ensure a clean-cut facade was plastered to their young following, Modest! Management controlled the group’s manufactured image. Slowly but surely, One Direction became formulaic in the eyes of corporate holders. They no longer saw Horan, Malik, Payne, Styles, and Tomlinson; instead, they casted the cute one, the funny one, the rebellious one, the mysterious one, and so on. The restrictions, with time and success, only got tighter— could this have been the noose over the boy’s necks, each escalating limitation leading to their indefinite hiatus? Conspiracies can be hypothesized, but facts cannot. It started with the censoring of their lyrical content and overall style, which eventually snowballed into recording verses time and time again to strip any deviations from their upbeat vocals. The management controlled more than their laid-out stage outfits and hairstyles for photoshoots: the standard set by Modest! was by no means negotiable. Each expectation got more personal, cutting into the choices of each member’s speech and social lives. The confinement literally trapped them in between the seats of vans and walls of various hotel rooms across the world in the hours between live performances. After six years of being pushed to their absolute maximum in performing yet limited to the bare minimum in their artistic expression, the boys were desperate to explore life outside of the bubble Modest! Management constructed for them.
Styles struggled with allowing his self-doubts and anxieties to dictate his persona in the public eye. It was only after the genre-flirting star terminated his long-term contract with Modest! in 2016 that he was able to come into his own. He instead signed with Creative Artist Agency’s (CAA) Jeffrey Azoff in hopes of alleviating the creative tension that hindered him in the first place. At the same time, Azoff was preparing to break free from CAA to begin his own branch of entertainment management. Both were determined to embark on their own journeys to pursue their passions in a more singular form: one being a solo career, and the other being Full Stop Management. At the time, the two happened to be a match made in heaven. Azoff and Styles’ careers aligned in their similar experiences and timelines, yet differed in the vast knowledge they held in their distinct corners of the music industry. Together, they vowed to keep the purity and playfulness of Style’s music at the forefront of their mission— the rest would fall into place.
Styles’ new management endeavor proved to be one of the many signifying factors nodding at his transition into a solo career. As the band gradually becomes something more of a distant memory than a concrete reality, it’s hard to believe the legacy of One Direction and its members would be anything but successful. Although a large portion of their loyal fanbase followed their coming-of-age moment in the music industry, some members had trouble finding their footing independently. Style’s trick to entering hearts and top charts became rooted in taking the time to truly explore the inner workings of other artists. Collaborating with songwriters such as Jeff Bhaskar, Thomas Hull, and Tyler Johnson granted Styles the opportunity to delve into vocal variations and rhythmic layering, proving the process to be a stark contrast from One Direction’s premeditated sound. The abundance of knowledge, paired with the adrenaline of working unaccompanied, prompted Styles to viciously put pen to paper. His first album can easily be categorized as extreme experimentation. Styles embraced the insanity and eager nature he now tackles the studio with. This emblematic state of mind pushed him to produce sounds and incorporate lyrical elements that he personally felt moved by, despite if it coincided with mainstream music.
As Styles’ self-titled album manifested itself in the form of solo performances, his openness only expanded with each passing tour date. Styles continually recognizes his privilege and platform as a white male artist. He offers himself to his fans in the most authentic way possible, ensuring that each person present can find comfort in the environment of his two-hour shows. From “Tina, she’s gay!” to supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, Styles’ banter deepens the connection he has with his audience. It can no longer be said that Styles is the sole source of entertainment for conscious spectators. Styles thrives off the crowd’s energy and his own narcissism, insinuating that the room in its entirety is alive with dreams of prosperity and inspiration. Harnessing the vigor in each venue, Styles takes true admiration in the diverse demographics that create the sea of love before him. Whether Styles consciously realizes it or not, his observations infiltrate his actions. For possibly the first time in his career, Styles can now embody a public figure who challenges the roles ingrained as normal in society instead of following beliefs that were thrown onto him through contractual agreements.
After facing years of success and growth in his career, Styles yearned to produce a more vulnerable record this past year. While his sophomore album screams sex and sadness, the discography reveals every intimate detail experienced in his most recent heartbreak. “Lights Up” poses questions of fluidity and freeness through the influence of psychedelic substances; “Cherry” cuts right into the painful stings caused by remnant reminders of past relationships; “Falling” pries on every insecurity, further mirroring the inner complexity Styles was forced to unravel as a result of intense self-reflection. Essentially, Styles did anything but play it safe— honesty accompanied every euphoric high and melodic low as illustrated in this album, and Styles had no choice but to confront the deep-seated apprehensions adopted in his impressionable musical upbringing. The epiphanic truths brought forward during this pivotal time period redefined Styles’ outlook on life. Instead of fueling the fire of self-criticism, Styles decided to abandon his past expectations and achievements. Ultimately, his unadulterated intentions brought on the success he always strived for.
Fine Line represents more than a mere album title; it cannot solely be credited as a six minute and eighteen second track that perfectly encapsulates the varying surges of passion portrayed in all twelve tracks. Fine Line stands for all the trials and tribulations Styles not only encounters in his musical career, but his personal life. Styles invested himself— mind, body and soul— into defying the stereotypical odds most artists run into after acquiring an abundance of fame. Could this be to divert others from enduring the harsh creative repression he once did? Or could it be to continually test how far the envelope can be pushed (for the pleasure of himself and others)? What’s feminine and what’s masculine, what’s exposed and what’s concealed— in the presence of Harry Styles, it's almost as if there are no lines anymore.