Harry Styles gives up his flashy aesthetic to adopt 'uncool' in a new phase

This is how Harry Styles' new era began, marked by the release, in March, of the album “Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally.”, the star's first in four years. After a 12-show residency in London, the artist is now in Brazil for four performances of the “Together, Together” tour, at the Morumbis stadium, in São Paulo, between next Friday (17th) and July 24th.

As a pop artist, Styles' career has always been marked by different eras, defined by some striking aesthetic adopted by the singer. Still in One Direction, the boy band that revealed Styles even before he reached adulthood, the artist went through phases such as “Frat Boy Harry”, in which he often appeared shirtless, with low-waisted jeans and backwards caps, and “Long Hair Harry”, when he let his hair grow to his shoulders.

In his solo career, there was emphasis on “Dunkirk Harry”, from the time he took a risk as a movie star in Christopher Nolan's film, and his most daring era so far, during the period of the album “Fine Line”, from 2019, with elaborate costumes and vibrant colors.

Now, at 32 years old, Styles seems to go against the aesthetics he has enjoyed in recent years. More reserved since his “Frat Boy” phase, the singer ditches the flashy clothes and adopts looks in tune with his private and, at times, hermit personality.

Out came the lamé pants, transparent blouses, pearl necklaces and maximalist costumes that marked his partnership with Alessandro Michele during the designer's time at Gucci. Dress shirts, ties, classic-cut blazers, wide tailored trousers and an almost infinite collection of t-shirts, jeans and sports sneakers were introduced, in a celebration of the “uncool” aesthetic.

This does not mean, however, that Styles has completely abandoned his taste for experimentation. At the “Together, Together” shows, the sobriety of the corporate wardrobe is often broken by very short tailored shorts, ballet flats, printed pieces, floral ties and bold color combinations.

The looks are constructed from “color blocking”, a style technique that combines two or more solid and contrasting colors in a single look. Maximalism now appears in proportions, textures and colors, and no longer in feathers and glitter.

Stylist Harry Lambert himself defined the new direction as a kind of “corp-core”, a mix of traditional tailoring with aesthetic references from the corporate world of the 1980s. It is a look that speaks to the current moment in men's fashion, dominated by more discreet versions of luxury, without giving up small subversions.

This transformation is also reflected in the music of “Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally.” Conceived after the longest break of the singer's career, lasting four years, the 12 tracks represent an attempt to explore a still recent electronic side for Styles, who previously navigated mainly pop-rock.

The change came from the artist's contact with Berlin's club culture. The new album draws on dancefloor influences, albeit in a very timid way, and brings references from names like LCD Soundsystem in the search for a different sound than that presented in previous works.

Still, the singer does not completely break with the past. The ballads are still present, and many choruses preserve the grandiose character that marked his previous albums.

The aesthetics, both sound and visual, helped redefine the codes of male pop of the last decade and opened space for a generation of artists that today occupy the charts.

While Styles spent years away from the studios, names like Benson Boone, Sombr and Role Model, for example, gained prominence by exploring part of this language. Boone adopted the jumpsuits and theatricality of the stage; Sombr built an image based on baggy suits, sensuality and vintage references; and Role Model drank from tight jeans and t-shirts.

Each one developed their own personality, but they all emerged in a scenario in which Styles had already expanded the limits of what was expected of a male pop star, even in the face of accusations of “queerbaiting”, that is, of having promoted himself based on gay symbols.

Although none of them reached the throne built by Styles, they all, in a certain way, attracted fans of the former One Direction who were orphaned during his brief hiatus, which began after the Grammys with the album “Harry’s House”, in 2022, and the world tour “Love on Tour”.

Close to the age of 30, he began to travel without professional commitments, returned repeatedly to the German capital, made new friends outside the music industry and discovered a routine away from the spotlight. It was while attending clubs in the city that he realized the power of being just another person on the dance floor, and not a celebrity.

The other discovery from this period happened outside the nightclubs. Styles turned running into a daily habit and started seeing it as a counterpoint to the intensity of nightlife. Last year, he completed the Tokyo and Berlin marathons.

It was during training that he listened to demos of the new album, organized ideas and found a space of solitude after years surrounded by crowds. In parallel, the practice brought joy to some lucky people, both in London, who found the star running in the streets before the shows, and in São Paulo.

In the city since the beginning of the week, he has already interrupted training and trips to take selfies with fans in Ibirapuera Park, in the Liberdade neighborhood and in the Avenida Paulista region.

In an interview with Runner’s World magazine, the singer said that these experiences changed his relationship with music. Instead of imagining a shared stage