Blog Post #26 - HARRY STYLES IS GOD

Courtesy of cnn.com

By Guest Bloggers: Samantha Longo '21 and Hana Stone '21
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Hey guys! Our names are Sami Longo and Hana Stone, and we are so excited to be guest bloggers. We are both juniors and we are in Mixed Chorus here at DHS, and Hana is also in Ingrid Sound. In this article, we will be ranking our top five songs from Harry Styles’ two albums, Fine Line and Harry Styles.

On May 12, 2017, Harry Styles released 10 brand new tracks on his debut self titled album. This album was highly anticipated by many fans that Harry had gained through his years with One Direction (they are still on their hiatus). Sami and I selected 5 songs that we felt best represented the album as a whole and showcased some of his best artistry.

Self-titled "Harry Styles" Album Cover. Courtesy of Billboard.com

In fifth place we chose the single, Sign of the Times, for which he created a music video. Critics described it as a pop rock and soft rock piano ballad. This song has a tremendous build and is stacked with emotion that can bring you to tears.

Next up, in fourth place, is From the Dining Table. This song has a slower tempo and has sweet and simple lyrics. It has a variety of instruments but it maintains a very acoustic sound. This song also has beautiful chords and harmonies at the end that give it a bitter sweet sound.

In third place, we chose Ever Since New York. This song keeps a moderate tempo, and it’s not as upbeat as others on the album like "Woman and Carolina." This song made the list because it isn’t like anything else on the album; the style and vibe isn’t comparable to the other songs. The lyrics feel very intentional, and there is a story you can follow when you listen. ​

Next we have Only Angel, in second place. This song is so incredible and takes on one of the more different styles in the album. Similar to Kiwi (which has a music video), it leans to a more rock genre with more creative approaches to words, fun and different sounds, screams, and more electric guitar and drums. Despite the genre of the song being rock, it isn’t too overpowering and loud. The beginning of this song has a little intro that is calm and angelic, but then the rock comes in; it is a fun transition. The lyrics and vocals are very strong and have great imagery. 

And finally, our first place choice is Meet Me in the Hallway. This song has a slow tempo, and gives a solemn vibe. The vocals encapsulate the emotion of pain and distress. The lyrics tell a story and are filled with memories. The overall audio of the song is faded and echoey, but also strong during the chorus.

On December 13th, 2019, Harry released his second solo album, titled Fine Line, with 12 tracks. In this album, he tried some new styles and sounds in some songs, but also stuck to a similar style to the first album with other songs. These songs are what we picked for our top five that show off all the aspects of the album and all of the different styles on it:

"Fine Line" Album Cover

In fifth place, we chose to put Treat People With Kindness. We decided to put this song in the top five of the album because it definitely has a unique style and sound from his other songs from Harry Styles and Fine Line. This song has a catchy chorus with backup singers and it is overall a really happy and upbeat song to listen to; it is sure to put you in a happy mood whenever you listen to it.

In fourth place, we put She. We thought that this was overall just a really good song on the album and has a similar sound to "Woman" from Harry’s first album. She has a slower tempo and has a lot of good instrumentals that go along well with the lyrics. The last two minutes of the song is just a long guitar solo and it adds to the overall vibe of the song. 

In third place for Fine Line we put Golden. We thought that this song had a similar style to Adore You (a single, with a music video), which was almost on this list, but didn’t make it. We thought that since Golden and Adore You were similar, we would put one, and we chose Golden. We thought that Golden overall just had a really good vibe and is a really nice song to listen to. The lyrics are simple but work with the melody and the background music to make it a really good song. The chorus is layered and has a really chill and nice sound that makes it one of the best songs to listen to on the album.

In second place, we have Fine Line, one of the slow songs on the album. Fine Line is the title track of the album and definitely lives up to the name. It has one of the slowest tempos of the whole album and is also one of the longest songs on the album. The lyrics of Fine Line are deep and meaningful and the guitar in the background is quiet and soft to make the lyrics more impactful. It is a really unique song on the album because it has a much softer sound than the rest of the album. As you listen, there is a story within the lyrics and the music, which makes it an emotional song. Over the course of the song, it builds up to get louder with more instrumentals, which leads to a big ending that closes out the whole album in a really nice way.

Finally, for the best song on the album, we chose Sunflower vol. 6. We think that this song is the best song on the album and encapsulates the theme of the album really well. It is a really upbeat song and has a lot of different elements that make it unique. The song has cool instrumentals and a really fun tune throughout it and together they make the song more interesting and fun to listen to. We thought that this song was not really comparable to any of the other songs on Fine Line because it is so different, which is why it is first on our list. Also, there is a funny and cool ending to the song and if you haven’t heard it already, you should definitely give it a listen. 

Samantha Longo and Hana Stone are juniors at Danvers High School.  They are members of E-Block Mixed Chorus and Tri-M Music Honor Society.  Hana also sings in Ingrid Sound.  Both Hana and Samantha have been part of the Chorus program at DHS for three years.