By the time Robbie Williams turned 25 in 1999, his persona had the vibe of the 1930s when entertainers were all-rounders. They danced, joked and sang, though not necessarily in that order. They could hold the audience with their charm and didn’t have to resort to pulling out a rabbit out of a hat. Williams’s life after Take That was far more interesting and entertaining than same-old boy band meanderings. Though he always aimed for radio-friendly sounds with his solo albums but his lyrics have been anything but straight, highlighting the troubled state of mind he has been at that point. Always hummable but always out of the box, just like his personality. Williams is 48, going strong musically and in way of one-liners. But who is his successor?

I think that would be Harry Styles whose music (and life) after One Direction has been as entertaining as that of Williams. Set to release his third album — Harry’s House — on May 20, the musician has managed to polish his vocal swagger, at least that’s the feel we get listening to the first single off the album. Titled As It Was, it’s like a Pinterest board but for music, bringing together a bit of David Bowie, a bit of A-ha, a bit of Robbie Williams… and a lot of sunshine.

The 28-year-old throws his casual charm like lightly dusting a rolling pin with flour before giving shape to the pizza dough. He takes the usual route of personal storytelling packed with metaphors, matching the levels set by Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. He sings: Harry, you’re no good alone / Why are you sitting at home on the floor? / What kind of pills are you on? Suggestions of a breakdown in a relationship are apparent as he sings You know it’s not the same as it was while the video shows him trapped on a treadmill with his partner until the moment of freedom arrives, celebrating it is the very catchy chorus, which is made of the stuff that makes Instagram Reels jump in joy: Go home, get ahead, light-speed Internet/ I don’t wanna talk about the way that it was/ Leave America, two kids follow her/ I don’t wanna talk about who’s doin’ it first.

The song is also a reminder that Styles is entering a new phase in his career. The mix of electro rock and synth pop points to an alt-pop stage where bittersweet reflections will rule his lyrics. Equally interesting is the choice of wardrobe colours in the video, with Styles sporting red and the woman is dressed in blue, perhaps a reference to The Matrix and the concept of “red” and “blue” pills. Is Styles choosing red or a life of unsettling truths over ignorance?

One thing is for sure, Styles is over boy-band style, both in music and fashion. At the recently concluded Coachella music festival he was about sequined jumpsuit and tattooed decolletage while in the video he seems to be saying discussions around sexuality are now dated. In fact, he recently said: “The whole point of where we should be heading, which is toward accepting everybody and being more open, is that it doesn’t matter, and it’s about not having to label everything, not having to clarify what boxes you’re checking.”

This is Harry Styles at his best with his crowd-pleasing genes taking control over the audience.

Over the years

1) When One Direction was freshly formed on The X Factor, Harry Styles arrived at Fountain Studios wearing a raccoon hat and a wide grin

2) With the BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards in 2012 where One Direction swept the board

3) In 2013, posing after winning the British Style Award at the British Fashion Awards

4) Performing at the Arrowhead Stadium in 2015

5) Harry in bespoke Calvin Klein while performing in Stockholm in 2018

6) Spotted leaving BBC Radio 2 in 2020

7) Harry twinned with Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Gucci in his Treat People With Kindness music video in 2021