From impressing Simon Cowell as a 16-year-old at The X-Factor auditions to establishing himself as one of the most popular musicians around the globe, Harry Styles has come a long way. The talented singer-songwriter has already bagged one Grammy award for his hit single Watermelon Sugar. As Harry turns 29 today, we pick five songs from his 2022 album Harry’s House.

As It Was

As It Was starts with Harry’s goddaughter, Ruby Winston, saying, “Come on Harry, we want to say goodnight to you.” With this warm welcome you cross the threasholds of Harry’s metaphorical house. This peppy 1980s synth-pop is loaded with melancholic lyrics referring to Harry’s mental health and how he sometimes shuts himself off from the rest of the world. As the song progresses , we get into the singer’s head space as his voice calls out to him — Answer the phone /Harry, you’re no good alone/ Why are you sitting at home on the floor?/ What kind of pills are you on?”. The music video, stylistically directed by Tanu Muino, also shows Harry struggling to keep up with the changes around him. “

Music For a Sushi Restaurant

In continuation with Harry’s fascination with sea creatures, Music for a Sushi Restaurant sees the singer transforming into a half-squid himself. Directed by Aube Perrie, the music video shows how the owner of a sushi restaurant and his workers discover Harry’s bearded squid-like avatar on a beach and quickly capture him. With lyrics such as “I’m not going to get lost/ I’m not going to go broke/ Staying cool,” the contemporary R&B track sheds light on the highs and lows of the music industry. It also slyly refers to how some careers go astray due to the toxic environment in the cut-throat music world.

Late Night Talking

The three-minute-long music video of Late Night Talking starts with Harry spending the day in bed with different people in a comfortable pair of pajamas and red socks. The singer then travels to various places — an art gallery, a restaurant and streets around Buckingham Palace — riding on the beds. He finally sees an idyllic meadow and then takes a tumble as the sky looks menacing with dark clouds and amid a roll of thunder. The song shows Harry’s take on intimacy and having multiple partners.

Matilda

One of the most underrated songs from Harry’s House, Matilda is a slow-paced track about a broken home. An ode to the concept of home, the four-minute-five-second track is also about a person’s deteriorating mental health. With lyrics like “You can let it go/ You can throw a party full of everyone you know/ And not invite your family 'cause they never showed you love/ You don't have to be sorry for leaving and growing up”, the song attempts to help people heal from the scar of broken relationships and inspire them to form families beyond blood relationships.

Cinema

This chill and funky song has been widely regarded as Harry’s nod to his ex-girlfriend Olivia Wilde, who he was dating at the time of the release. The lyrics talk about an unnamed woman who Harry simply refers to as ‘Cinema’. Harry’s infatuation with this anonymous woman is quite apparent through the lyrics of the track that go — “I just think you're cool/ I dig your cinema/ Do you think I'm cool too?/ Or am I too into you?” Much like Harry’s Grammy-winning track Watermelon Sugar, there is a palpable sexual undertone throughout the song.