At long last, Harry Styles' sophomore album Fine Line is finally here! And, contrary to popular belief, it's about more than just "sex and being sad."
It's been four years since his band-that-must-not-be-named broke up, and unlike his 2017 eponymous solo debut, there's no longer a lingering analogy comparing his solo work to that of his ex-band. After years of being what everyone wanted him to be, Fine Line confirms that Styles has taken the wheel and come into his own – asking bigger questions and exploring musical avenues inspired by the greats before him.
With influences ranging from Stevie Nicks (because why wouldn't they be friends?) and Haruki Murakami (whose surrealist novel "Norwegian Wood" – yes, named after the Beatles' song – Styles spent his birthday reading in solitude), it's clear that the singer has taken bits of people and places he admires and has transformed them into his own.
The album drips with 70s rock and folk influences, both in the lyrics and the music, with Neil Young-like references to golden skin and blue moons ("Canyon Moon") combined with languorous, bluesy guitar ballads ("She"). But one of the biggest influences of all, I could argue, is his love for California.
In Rob Sheffield’s "The Eternal Sunshine of Harry Styles" – a feature story I think everyone should read, regardless of whether or not you’re a Harry Styles stan – we learned a bit more about the singer's escapades with magic mushrooms during the album's writing process.
"We’d do mushrooms, lie down on the grass, and listen to Paul McCartney’s Ram in the sunshine," he said, reminiscing on days spent at the legendary Shangri-La in Malibu. "We’d just turn the speakers into the yard."
Harry Styles is very much on the bus.
On Fine Line, he's created a fantasy world – both literally and figuratively. In the music video for "Adore You," Styles takes us on a trip to the imaginary Isle of Eroda, where a boy is the only person capable of smiling in town. He bottles his screams in jars and tries to conform, but one day finds another lost soul – a shiny fish that washes up on shore – and through their friendship, finds the courage to move forward.
In "Adore You" (the song), Styles experiments with a funky guitar rhythm and a hypnotic beat, with a voice that's somehow both just-got-out-of-bed-sexy and totally polished.
The entire album sounds like the soundtrack of a long, psychedelic-fueled drive down the PCH in the summertime. There's a vintage, California coolness in songs "Watermelon Sugar" and "Sunflower, Vol. 6," which both evoke familiar feelings of summer.
"Watermelon Sugar" was released as the album's second single, following "Lights Up." In the song, Styles reminisces on a past lover who he compares to "the end of June" – hmm, Shakespeare who?
I've heard theories that the song's title stems from the Richard Brautigan novel, "In Watermelon Sugar" (notably, one of his ex's favorite books) but Styles himself has admitted he "doesn't know" what the song's really about. When interviewed by Zane Lowe for Beats 1, Lowe suggested the song was about "the joys of mutually appreciated oral pleasure," to which Styles responded, "Is that what it's about?"
"Sunflower, Vol. 6" showcases Styles' raw and honest songwriting abilities. "I don’t wanna make you feel bad," he sings, yearning for a past lover to give him another chance. "But I’m trying not to act the fool."
Fine Line illustrates a fuckboy reborn. Both confident and vulnerable, the album acknowledges the clash of his ways and standards with the ways and standards of other men in the music industry. He defies stereotypical masculinity with a softer, bell-bottomed side – letting his emotions bleed with the acknowledgement of jealousy ("don't call him what you used to call me") and stubbornness ("just an arrogant son of a bitch who can't admit when he's sorry").
Fine Line takes us through various highs, like the dreamy and synth-heavy "Golden" and "Lights Up," as well as various lows, like piano ballads "Cherry" and "Falling," as Styles completes his metamorphosis from cookie-cutter teen heartthrob into a hipster angel navigating his way through relationships, self-exploration and the elusive, starry dynamo that is Los Angeles.
To celebrate the release, Styles is treating fans to an intimate (and very on-brand) show at The Forum in LA tonight, December 13. We'll have a review for you tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Styles is gearing up to take Fine Line on the road this spring, on a trek he's calling Love on Tour. Check out the dates for his first leg below, and head to his website for a full list of tour dates and information.
Harry Styles UK/Euro Love On Tour dates:
04/15 – Birmingham, UK @ Arena Birmingham
04/17 – Sheffield, UK @ FlyDSA Arena
04/19 – Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena
04/22 – London, UK @ The O2
04/23 – London, UK @ The O2
04/25 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Arena
04/26 – Glasgow, UK @ The SSE Hydro
04/29 – Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes-Benz Arena
05/01 – Oslo, Norway @ Spektrum
05/02 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Ericsson Globe
05/04 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
05/06 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
05/08 – Hamburg, Germany @ Barclaycard Arena
05/10 – Krakow, Poland @ TAURON Arena
05/11 – Prague, Czech Republic @ O2 Arena
05/13 – Paris, France @ AccorHotels Arena
05/15 – Turin, Italy @ Pala Alpitour
05/16 – Bologna, Italy @ Unipol Arena
05/18 – Madrid, Spain @ WiZink Center
05/20 – Lisbon, Portugal @ Altice Arena
05/25 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportpaleis
05/27 – Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
05/28 – Munich, Germany @ Olympiahalle
05/30 – Vienna, Austria @ Stadthalle
05/31 – Budapest, Hungary @ Budapest Arena
06/03 – Moscow, Russia @ Megasport Sport Palace
