Harry Styles review round-up: ’No one can match his level of pizzazz’

Harry Styles’ new album Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally, has been described as having “all the emotional heft of a perfume advert” in a review.

The album, which will be released on Friday, is the 32-year-old’s fourth studio album, his first in four years, and features his latest single Aperture, which he performed at last week’s Brit Awards ceremony in Manchester.

The record has received mixed reviews, with the Telegraph making the perfume advert comparison, while giving the record three out of five stars.

Its review read: “The former One Direction superstar’s album is strange, shallow and soon to be inescapable.”

The BBC was more positive in its review, describing the album as “the funkiest existential crisis in pop”, and quoting LCD Soundsystem, Tom Tom Club and Gang Of Four as reference points.

The review said: “It’s an interesting space for a stadium-conquering pop star to occupy, and all credit to him for being brave enough to dwell in limbo for the duration of an entire record.

“As a portrait of an artist at a crossroads, it’s compellingly knotty.”

Metro gave the album five out of five, and proclaimed “Brat summer’s reign is finally over, it’s time for Kissco spring”.

The review added: “Each of the 12 tracks feels intentional in its inclusion, and while some songs are slower or softer against the disco mood, the album is consistent in quality.

“The joy he evidently found in his time away from the studio, visiting every European country he could and simply living his life, radiates from the album.”

In a three out of five review, The Guardian played on the album’s title, claiming the listening experience is “nice all the time, good, occasionally”.

The review read: “The music on Styles’ new album is muted, subtle and pleasant – but from the title downwards, he has a real problem with words.”

The Independent awarded Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally, four out of five stars, calling it “personal, bold and finally sounding like himself” in its review.

It read: “It’s almost a relief to have Styles back, given how women in pop have been doing so much of the work in recent years, and really, he has no true male peer (artists such as Bad Bunny, Sam Fender and The Weeknd excel in their own lanes), as much as newcomers such as Benson Boone might try.

“No one can match his level of pizzazz. By stepping away for a minute, allowing any fears of getting left behind to cease, Styles has been able to return with newfound clarity and, more importantly, music that actually sounds like him. He let the light in, and it shows.”

In support of the album, Styles will head out on the Together, Together tour that will include 12 nights at Wembley Stadium, which could break the record for most performances by any artist in a single year at the national stadium in London.

The global tour, beginning in May this year, will also include dates in Amsterdam, New York, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Melbourne, and Sydney, while he will also play a one-off show in Manchester at Co-Op Live on Friday, which will be available to stream on Netflix on Sunday.