Harry Styles – Kiss All The Time, Disco Occassionally

Anyone who still does not know Harry Styles has probably spent the past decade living under a rock. His recognisable yet original pop music has been dominating the charts for years, including songs such as ‘Watermelon Sugar’ and ‘As It Was’. If you expect similar songs from the fourth studio album as a listener, you would be very mistaken. That Styles would return with a bang after four years was only to be expected, but the way in which he would do so was known only to him and his team in advance.

The album “Kiss All The Time, Disco Occassionally”, with its remarkable cover showing Styles looking into the distance with a somewhat random disco ball hanging above him on the right, begins with the first and only single “Aperture”. The more than five-minute-long ‘fan anthem’, as the singer himself called it in interviews, grabs the listener from the very first moment with its deep bass and catchy beat. It is different from what people are used to from the Brit, which means the first few listens may take some getting used to.

Those who do not like “Aperture” will probably not enjoy “KATTDO” (ed. “Kiss All The Time, Disco Occassionally”) either. The groove-like atmosphere that is strongly present in the single can be found in almost every song, with two exceptions. The album continues with “American Girls”, a song that begins calmly but from the start clearly shows itself to be a so-called ‘banger’. Soon, the drums follow, along with psychedelic vocals.

A Brit singing about American girls promises a lot of good things. ‘My friends are in love with American girls’ refers to the slow shift the singer has made from England to the heart of Los Angeles, where he has made friends who share their lives with these American women. The difference between the chorus and the verses is very noticeable. While the verses are somewhat slow-paced, the chorus certainly is not.

It does take some getting used to that the pure, raw voice of Styles, as heard in songs such as “Matilda”, “Sign of the Times” or “Fine Line”, has not yet appeared on the new album. It is truly a new sound, with many synthesisers that make the album sound as if it came from the 1990s disco scene.

With “Ready, Steady, Go!” the listener is almost forced to get up from the chair and start dancing. Here, too it almost sounds as if autotune has been applied to the singer’s voice, which of course he would never need. The instrumental side of the track resembles his previous styles somewhat more. But enough comparisons with earlier work: “KATTDO” is an album that stands entirely on its own.

Styles knows better than anyone how to play with words. “Ready, Steady, Go!” has a three-step structure, which appears frequently in the lyrics. Not only when the title is sung, but also when ‘one, two, three times’ and ‘with dirty feet’ are sung repeatedly in the same rhythm, making the track feel like a complete unity.

Harry does not have to worry that people will not listen to his new album, yet he included a track on the list titled “Are You Listening Yet?” The song begins with a great deal of 1990s-inspired electronic flair, after which Styles follows with something halfway between singing and rapping. As the album progresses, the use of his voice evolves as well, and that works very well. This new sound suits him wonderfully, and he knows exactly how to create unity within the album while also adding surprising elements.

The vibe the singer had while writing “Are You Listening Yet?” differs from that of the other songs. One might describe the track as ‘sexy’, especially when listening to the lyrics. The repetition towards the end of the song forms a fantastic build-up towards the next track, “Taste Back”.

The dreamy vibe surrounding this track is one that is typical for Styles. When imagining this album live on stage, a complete visual picture appears in your mind. Especially with the stage that has now become known for the Together Together tour, which begins on 16 May with ten shows at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. “Taste Back” comes closer to the pop one would expect from him, which explains why it is already being labelled one of the favourites among loyal fans on various social media channels.

From the first notes of “The Waiting Game”, it becomes clear that this will be a somewhat calmer track. It bears similarities to the band Twenty One Pilots and psychedelic singer Joshua Bassett, a combination that, on paper, only Harry Styles could bring into the world in this way. Like the rest of the songs on the album, the lyrics are not always easy to understand. This may be a stylistic choice, or it may be due to the heavily present music; in any case, it is good training for your brain to keep paying attention.

“Season 2 Weight Loss” begins with a melody that fans know very well. When the various vinyl editions were released, the intro was played, and Fred again.. also teased part of this track during one of his shows last week. The song starts rather monotonously. First, the melody, which then continues throughout the entire track in the background, and as a chorus, the voice rises several octaves only to repeat the same line. This was a slight disappointment considering the originality of the previous songs. It felt like a small break within the album and it also felt as though the song might have had more potential if less electronics had been used.

With “Coming Up Roses”, the powerful vocals of the singer, who has been in the industry for more than fifteen years, finally appear. This man naturally has such a beautiful voice that it almost feels like a shame it has barely been used until now. The lyrics take the listener through a story; it is truly a different type of song from the others. It tells the story of someone insecure, someone who does not want to express their worries, while the narrator wants to help with those insecurities. The story becomes complete thanks to the string instruments in the background, which are highlighted even further in a remarkable musical interlude.

The tracklist continues with “Pop”, a promising title. The bass that was so present in earlier songs returns here. The song is extremely danceable, almost as if it were written specifically to be performed live. The vision is clear: crazy dance moves, a clearly present drum kit, and the occasional hand in the air when ‘Pop!’ is sung; it is a complete spectacle. A playful reference to the upcoming tour is a hidden ‘together, together’ in the lyrics, which is the name of the upcoming tour. An enormous banger that clearly received a great deal of thought.

“Dance No More” connects perfectly to the previous track. The disco vibe of the album returns once again, and even if the DJs no longer dance according to Styles’ lyrics, the listener can hardly help but dance along. The bridge, which almost resembles a protest, is the perfect addition to the track. A playful nod to current pop culture is the chant ‘respect your mother!’, showing that Harry is extremely aware of what is happening among his audience and knows exactly how to respond to it.

“Paint By Numbers” is by far the most vulnerable track on the album. He presumably wrote the song with the loss of his dear friend and former bandmate Liam Payne in mind, who passed away on 16 October 2024. ‘Was it a tragedy when you told her? Not even 33’ is part of the lyrics. When listening carefully, several elements reveal that the singer did not spend his four-year break only dancing, but also trying to process his feelings through music. That remains admirable.

The album concludes with the twelfth track “Carla’s Song”. The lyrics immediately begin with a nod to Simon & Garfunkel and their “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, one of many references hidden within his lyrics. The build-up takes some time to unfold, but as the song progresses, it becomes increasingly enjoyable. As a final track, it may not be the explosive ending one might expect, especially considering the previous songs. The track can be described as a typical Sunday morning: not much happens, but no one complains about it.

Harry Styles has renovated his sound, and it shows. Every album he has released so far has had its own identity, and the same applies to “KATTDO”. The craftsmanship this man possesses has already earned him several Grammys, and it would not be surprising if this album brings him a few more of those beautiful gramophone trophies. It is no wonder Harry is called the Prince of Pop, and with this album, he once again proves he deserves that title. (9/10) (SONY Music)