Three years. Nine months. 14 days. That is how long us Harries (Harry Styles fans) have waited, until March 6 for his long-awaited comeback album, “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,” which has been dubbed “Kissco.” And the hot topic of discussion is whether the album is up to par with the expectations, and that is still up for debate.
The entire fandom is taking over social media, especially after Styles appeared on Brittany Broski’s “Royal Court” and Saturday Night Live (SNL), where he was seen in the audience on March 7 and hosted it on March 14. Personally, I don’t feel that the album itself is receiving the attention that it deserves, because all anyone can focus on is the press tour.
For example, track 11, “Paint by Numbers,” is clearly about Liam Payne, his fellow One Direction member who tragically passed away in October 2024. The lyrics go “Was it a tragedy when you told her / I’m not even 33?” which is the age that Payne would be now had he still been alive.
If fans really took a deeper look into the lyricism of the album instead of just exploring the surface level of it, they would realize that this is the most emotion he’s ever given us. Track two, “American Girls,” delves into the loneliness that he’s been feeling. However, track eight, “Coming Up Roses,” is by far the saddest out of the 12-track record. It talks about a relationship that they know is bound to end, but would like to pretend everything is fine, even if it’s just for a moment. The chorus goes, “Just for tonight, let’s go hangover chasing / And I’ll talk your ear off about why it’s safe.”
Track six, “The Waiting Game,” goes into watching a past flame wait and wait for something that may never come. In the chorus, Styles sings, “You found someone to put your arms around / Playing the waiting game / But it all adds up to nothing.” This album’s tracks are not as obvious as to whom the songs are about, but for me, that builds the appeal. You are able to imagine and make your own ending for whatever story you would like.
That’s what I think the whole album is about: making your own ending and moving on. Even though some tracks are about grieving, they are about moving on from the grief, the sadness and the tears, and trying your best to live a happy life. This may not win Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, but it certainly takes the cake as Styles’ prized possession, as he has said in interviews that this album contains some of his most transparent lyrics and that it got him through a really hard time in his life.
If it helped him, then it helps me. It was just what I needed, and I look forward to the audience giving it the attention that it deserves.
