Harry Styles- Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
Label: Columbia
Producer: Kid Harpoon
When we last heard from international pop powerhouse, Harry Styles, he had further solidified his status as one of the era’s most pivotal superstars. His third studio album, 2022’s Harry’s House, unleashed another run of smashes on both sides of the Atlantic, culminating with top honors for Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammy Awards. What followed was a three-plus year absence from the spotlight, a span of time that can feel like a career-changing lifetime in the pop world, and one that only heightens the pressures placed on this highly-anticipated return album. Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally finds Styles recalibrated and energized both creatively and personally, and completely defiant to these aforementioned commercial pressures. He’s never been a conventional artist stylistically, and he doubles down on these tendencies throughout Kiss, venturing down a methodical, alternative path of synth and electropop, with few discernible concerns given to the current formulas working on the 2026 pop charts.
And in the process, he reminds any that had forgotten that he’s one of the elite pop superstars who can get away with taking such creative and sonic liberties in the mainstream. Lead single and opening track, “Aperture” is proof positive of this well-earned stature. It’s as non-formulaic as any pop single to hit the charts this decade, but it’s become an undeniable smash anyway, thanks to the combination of Styles’ signature magnetic vocals, the track’s pulsating, subtle beats, and a simple but everlasting message of love and unity. It also packs way more contagion that initially suggested, with infectious powers that definitely sneak up on you throughout repeat listens. And that quality right there is the true hallmark of this record. The classic pop hooks are definitely here; they’re just not surface level. They’re awaiting the listener after they explore a seductive, chill-influenced soundscape that feels like Styles and producer Kid Harpoon further vetting out a singular sound that Styles can call his own. The vintage Bowie, McCartney, and especially Prince influences are still here, as are the footprints of preceding contemporary pop princes like Justin Timberlake and The Weeknd, with a dash of Tame Impala for good measure. But more than ever before, this record feels like the moment where Styles captures his own individual vision that will itself influence future pop stars.
Topically, Styles clearly used his time away for much reflection, as he entered his thirties and considered the directions and choices laying ahead of him. This thoughtful potency–and poignancy–unquestionably inform the subject matter of tracks like “Are You Listening Yet”, “Taste Back”, “The Waiting Game”, “Season 2 Weight Loss”, and “Coming Up Roses”, all of which find the artist grappling with relationships, habits, and choices that are perhaps no longer in service of his current life-vision. The pulsating, entrancing production suits these moments very well, though it also creates a hazy monotony (though it shouldn’t be mistaken for “sleepy”), and if there’s one significant complaint to be filed, it would be that Styles vocals are certainly overproduced at times, risking robbery of his voice’s tender power. (This is somewhat compensated for by the stripped and lovely “Paint By Numbers” during the disc’s homestretch.) However, it should be noted that these issues admittedly become far less stifling upon repeat spins of the record. The album definitely possesses an ambiance that becomes far more substantive over time.
And yes, when the certifiable bops do eventually appear, they most certainly do bop. Whether it be the funky bass-lines and punky genre curiosities of “Ready, Steady, Go!”, or the glitzy and racy onslaught on the chorus of “Pop”, and especially the funky euphoria of the ironically-titled “Dance No More”, all of these moments are sheer dance-pop thrillers. Now, do I wish there were a few more of these moments, and do their scattered appearances make for a slightly uneven flow for the overall album? Of course, and it sure does. To be fair though, Styles promised right in the title to only disco occasionally, so we can’t really accuse him of false advertisement here…
Overall, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally is a wondrously captivating pop experience, and only elevates the curious possibilities concerning Harry Styles’ long-term trajectory as fully-realized artist and stylistic influence. It’s rather interesting to consider his return juxtaposed to that of Bruno Mars, another modern superstar who likewise launched a long-gestating comeback with last month’s The Romantic. Both artists are enjoying tremendous success with their efforts, though by following vastly different approaches. While Mars’ new music remains bound to the predictable, but nevertheless enjoyable, formulas and sounds that have worked for him all along, Styles’ endeavor meanwhile clearly prioritizes creative satisfaction and stylistic evolution. A healthy and entertaining pop ecosystem needs both varieties to truly thrive. But, there’s little doubt which effort will ultimately become a truly definitive moment within its release year, and potentially its decade. This album will surely have listeners kissing (and discoing occasionally as well) for the foreseeable future.
Track Listing:
- “Aperture” (Harry Styles, Thomas Hull)
- “American Girls” (Styles, Hull, Tyler Johnson)
- “Ready, Steady, Go!” (Styles, Hull, Johnson)
- “Are You Listening Yet?” (Styles, Hull, Johnson)
- “Taste Back” (Styles, Hull, Johnson)
- “The Waiting Game” (Styles, Hull, Johnson)
- “Season 2 Weight Loss” (Styles, Hull, Johnson)
- “Coming Up Roses” (Styles)
- “Pop” (Styles, Hull, Johnson)
- “Dance No More” (Styles, Hull)
- “Paint By Numbers” (Styles, Hull, Johnson)
- “Carla’s Song” (Styles, Hull)
The 706 
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