“Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” is the perfect name for Harry Styles’ fourth studio album. The album consists mainly of sentimental and reflective songs, like “Taste Back,” making up the “Kiss” part of the album. The “Disco, Occasionally” represents the smaller number of songs in the album that just make you want to dance like no one’s watching. Fans have been waiting nearly four years for this album.
During his time off, Styles was “drinking coffee in Rome, running marathons and becoming an uncle [which] helped him enjoy the little things in life,” according to Daily Mail.
Despite an extended break from being in the public eye, Styles remained a significant figure. I think part of this is due to the star status he’s had since 2010, when he joined One Direction. A lot of fans, even casual ones, have grown up with his music in their playlists.
Starting with “Aperture,” a song inspired by the band LCD Soundsystem, Styles introduces a new style for himself with the lead single. This song guides the listener into a reflective headspace with lyrics like “It’s best you know what you don’t/Aperture lets the light in.”
“American Girls” continues the new sonic style for Styles. After the inward reflection of “Aperture,” Styles turns his thoughts outward. He sings about how everyone around him is finding something meaningful — love — while he is still trying to figure out his own life. Throughout the song, he realizes that everyone’s life unfolds at a different pace, capturing the bittersweet sensation of that experience.
I don’t really have much to say about “Ready, Steady, Go” and “Are You Listening Yet?” However, I wish I had a video of my live reaction to “Taste Back.” This is easily my favorite song off the entire album. My jaw dropped the moment it began.
It reads like a direct callout to whoever he was romantically involved with — “Did you get your taste back?/Or do you just need a little love?” He asks his ex if their “taste,” or longing for him came back, or if they would take love from anyone willing to give it.
There’s also something very human about “The Waiting Game.” It’s the natural behavior pattern of passively waiting and hoping things will change on their own without having the motivation to break those emotional cycles.
Continuing the theme of emotional journeys, “Season 2 Weight Loss” is more about the metaphorical weight loss of shedding the world’s expectations.
“Coming Up Roses” is another one of my favorites on this album. Just the violins alone make this piece so beautiful and emotional to listen to, and the added lyrics about vulnerability in relationships really seals the deal for me.
Following the emotional high of the album are “Pop” and “Dance No More” which bring back the disco and dancing vibes of the album.
I find “Dance No More” to be really lively, funky and engaging, and the references to ball culture really add a new dimension to the song — “Get your feet wet/Teach them all to respect their mothers.” Ball culture is a LGBTQ+ subculture where participants perform in various categories that are judged on dance (vogueing), fashion and the persona they create.
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“Paint by Numbers” is the next track; it serves as a comedown from the upbeat songs to tie the album together. Styles uses the image of a paint-by-number kit to show how the life that you feel you had planned can get messy — “It’s a lifetime of learning to paint by numbers/And watching the colors run.”
Bringing the album to an end is my second favorite track, “Carla’s Song.” After an entire album filled with ups and downs, Styles closes with a quieter, calmer song focusing on the small details in life. Something about the instrumentals and his voice pair beautifully together on this track, and it feels like a perfect ending to the album.
As a product of his return to the spotlight, Styles will be the host and musical guest for “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) on Saturday, March 14. To tease his upcoming spotlight, Styles crashed Ryan Gosling's SNL performance on Saturday, March 7. He will begin his tour for this album on May, 16 in Amsterdam.
Rating: 8/10
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