Editor's note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
After years of belting pop ballads of breakups and unrequited love alongside his bandmates, former One Direction member, Harry Styles, presents his audience with a sound never heard before in his newly released single, "Lights Up."
Following the band’s indefinite hiatus, Styles continued to make and perform music on his own, including an entire self-titled album, released in 2017.
However, even considering his own album and the five albums he released while still a member of One Direction, "Lights Up" is a new, soulful piece in which Styles uses his extensive vocal range to create a different sound for each verse, the chorus and the bridge.
Many have their own opinion on the song’s meaning and speculate that it represents the redefinition of Styles’ sexuality.
Focusing especially on the chorus’ lyrics “All the lights couldn't put out the dark / Runnin' through my heart / Lights up and they know who you are / Know who you are / Do you know who you are?” one can assume this is referring to all of the times Styles has stepped out on stage, pushing away feelings of self-doubt and questions surrounding his sexual orientation.
These same theorists believe the lyrics “Shine, step into the light / So bright sometimes / I’m not ever going back” is Styles finally embracing his attraction to men and unapologetically shining a light on his newfound self-acceptance.
The music video also confirms a bit of these fan theories about the overall meaning, depicting Styles in a sea of scantily-clad women and men. It goes without saying that the "Lights Up" music video works to not only showcase Styles’ artistic vision, but also encapsulate his entire being of both femininity and masculinity. This is shown through details of everything from the flamboyant design of his clothes to the video’s change in lighting.
It should be noted that the singer-songwriter hasn’t come forward to explain the depths of the lyrics and usually keeps them open to interpretation.
One thing that can be said about Styles music and stylistic creativity, altogether, is that his voice and style resonates with souls from every generation.
Often compared to David Bowie and McJagger, Styles reinvites an unexplainable energy to the music world that was once so admired from the 1960s to the 80s.
Despite the fact that Styles’ new sound is quite different from that of the pop tunes he used to sing in One Direction, there are still many people who undervalue his music, simply because he used to be a part of a boyband.
The same can be said for celebrities like Justin Timberlake, who was a part of the famous 90s boyband *NYSNC, but like Styles, began his own solo shortly after they announced a hiatus.
This assumption that an artist is somehow less talented because of the way they started their career is a rather close-minded way of thinking.
Because Styles’ fanbase is made up of mostly young women, in some critics’ eyes this means his music is generic or subordinate.
Not only does this belief undermine an artist’s hard work, but it also perpetuates the idea that because something is mostly enjoyed by women that it is inherently of lesser value.
However, what these critics fail to see due to their abrupt judgments, is the divergent, versatile nature and vocal ability that Styles possesses.
Styles, having come a long way from his days of just being a part of a whole, has now made a name for himself, selling out stadiums during his first-ever solo tour and breaking Billboard records.
The critics have given him a bit of a difficult time in the past due to the beginning of his music career, but he continues to create music that pushes boundaries and means something to others.
"Lights Up," and therefore his upcoming album, is worthy of--if nothing else--praise and recognition.
Courtesy of MTV.com.
