Nine years ago today, Harry Styles officially stepped into his solo era with the release of his self-titled debut album, Harry Styles. Released on 12 May 2017 through Columbia Records and Erskine Records, the 10-track record marked the first full solo project from the former One Direction star and quickly became one of the most talked-about pop debuts of the decade.
“Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and then see what we find?”
Led by the soaring and theatrical “Sign of the Times”, which reached number one in more than 80 countries, the album introduced a very different side to Styles than many fans expected. Instead of chasing straightforward radio pop, Harry Styles leaned into soft rock, Britpop and classic singer-songwriter influences, pulling inspiration from artists including David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac and Elton John.
Tracks like “Kiwi”, “Sweet Creature”, “Woman”, “Meet Me In The Hallway” and “Two Ghosts” helped define the album’s identity, moving between big rock influences, softer emotional moments and the kind of theatrical drama that quickly became part of Harry’s solo style. Even now, nearly a decade later, many of the songs remain staples of Styles’ live shows and fan favourites across his catalogue, still streamed, still cried to and still screamed back by fans who have cherished the album from the very beginning.
“Just let me know I’ll be at the door, at the door.”
At the time, the album arrived with huge pressure attached. Styles was stepping out from one of the biggest pop groups in the world, and curiosity around what his own sound would become was intense. Rather than recreating the polished pop of One Direction, Harry Styles felt intentionally different from the beginning, both musically and visually.
“We’re just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty. Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat.”
The era introduced many of the creative elements that would later become closely associated with Styles as a solo artist: vintage-inspired fashion, arena-sized rock influences, emotional lyricism and a playful unpredictability that set him apart from many of his pop contemporaries. It also hinted at the live-show culture that would later become part of the Harry experience, where feather boas, heart sunglasses and suspicious amounts of sequins are basically part of the ticket price.
“And now she’s all over me, it’s like I paid for it. It’s like I paid for it, I’m gonna pay for this.”
For CultureCues, Harry Styles still stands as one of the defining solo debuts to emerge from the boyband era, not because it rejected Harry’s past, but because it felt completely confident in stepping into something new. Nine years later, fans are still screaming every word to “Kiwi”, getting emotional over “Sign of the Times” (we will never recover from Wembley night four, SOTT in the rain) and returning to the album with the same affection they had for it in 2017.
“Remember everything will be alright.”
It was the beginning of an era that reshaped Harry Styles as an artist in his own right, and with Fine Line, Harry’s House and now Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. following in its footsteps, that debut feels even more special. Happy birthday to the album, the era and the first chapter of Harry’s solo story.
Harry Styles was released on 12 May 2017 and is available on streaming platforms now.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.