A Closer Look at the Hit Album Harry's House
By now, we all know Harry Styles not only as the 2010s heartthrob from One Direction but as a Gen-Z pop sensation. Something you may not know, however, is that he tends to use tons of food metaphors in his songs. Take the song "Watermelon Sugar" for example— white it's really about something else, he uses the symbol of food as a representation of the true meaning. He recently did the same thing with another one of his songs, titled "Music for a Sushi Restaurant." This song is featured in his latest album Harry’s House released May 20th, 2022, which we will be unpacking today. Yup, every single song in the album.
Let’s start off with the song we just mentioned, "Music for a Sushi Restaurant." Of course, no one’s going to complain about the song actually playing at a sushi restaurant, but that’s not the real goal here. If you take a close look at the lyrics, you’ll realize that the song is actually describing one of his relationships but through sushi-related metaphors. Take a look at these lyrics for example:
Green eyes, fried rice, I could cook an egg on you
Late night, game time, coffee on the stove (Oh)
As you can see, he’s using terms that can relate to both food (fried rice) and humans (green eyes). With this song’s calm hook but the relatively upbeat chorus, I give it an eight out of ten. Go ahead and give it a listen, what do you think?
Keeping with the theme of food metaphors, let's take a look at "Grapejuice" next. Well… he’s actually talking about wine though the song also explores how a relationship progresses and becomes more “expensive”. This means he’s paying more for the wine as time passes and doesn’t mind— as per the interpretation. This song has a relatively calmer beat compared to "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" and I would rate it around a seven out of ten.
Now, let’s take a look at a few songs with more relaxed vibes. Starting off with "Keep Driving", a song that happens to be perfect for a late-night drive. This song uses a few unconventional lyrics here and there, such as:
A small concern with how the engine sounds
We held darkness in withheld clouds
But most of this song seems to be talking about going on a chill trip on the road. Not a glamorous trip or anything, just a keeping-it-casual sort of thing. This song has a calm beat and deserves a rough seven out of ten rating.
Another song with a relatively calm tune is "Satellite". “Around and around,” just like a satellite does. This alludes to how relationships can be repetitive or unstable sometimes. With this song becoming a quick fan favorite, I would rate it a seven out of ten.
A song that has a similar meaning to the lyrics in "Keep Driving"’ is "Late Night Talking." The main difference between these two songs is that one is talking about spending time together in a more relaxed manner while the other song expresses it more excitingly, as judged by the beat. "Late Night Talking" is definitely one of the best songs on the album considering the joyful yet chill vibes that make you just want to get up and dance. The lyrics talk about how exciting it feels to be involved with someone romantically. I’m giving this song a nine out of ten, but, the more I listen to it, the more I like it.
Now imagine taking a walk in the morning but you’re struggling to find the perfect song to listen to. No worries, I got you! ‘Daylight’ is another serene song in Harry’s new album that is a perfect track to listen to while taking a stroll along the sidewalk in the daylight. This song has a soothing melody at the beginning and starts to get more upbeat towards the end. With it being the perfect song to set the mood for morning exercises and provide us with the smooth transitioning of beats, I would give it an eight out of ten.
Moving into the evening time now, the best time to go to the movie theater and catch a film. And guess what? Styles has made a song for that too! Well… okay maybe just the title. The song "Cinema" is definitely one of the calmer songs in his album, because of the instrumentals. With this song’s catchy tune and repetitive chorus, I would give it a seven out of ten.
Continuing with the not-so-upbeat songs, "Little Freak" is a song known for its poetic lyrics. It is quite a sad song where Harry describes a feeling of nostalgia regarding his relationship. Taking a close look at the lyrics, it seems as if he’s regretting some of the things he has done in the past and is blaming himself for destroying the past relationship in a way. Let’s give this a read real quick:
I disrespected you
Jumped in feet first and I landed too hard
A broken ankle, karma rules
This description is both poetic and straightforward at the same time, and the fact it is being incorporated into a song makes it even better. This piece of lyrical legend deserves a seven out of ten. Go ahead and listen to the rest of the song, see for yourself!
Another song that might give off a bit of a sad vibe is "Boyfriends". This track describes how men often don’t make the right choices with their partners and how they basically need to step it up. Harry seems to be talking about himself as well, mentioning mistakes he may have made in the past. The first thing that popped into my head when I heard this song was that it would be a perfect melody to play while sitting in front of a bonfire. Next time you plan a camping trip, make sure to grab your guitar and give this song a go when you get the chance! I rate this song a seven out of ten as well.
The song "Matilda" is definitely different compared to other songs in terms of lyrics at least. Matilda is a book written by Roald Dahl which describes the life of a clever girl who is neglected by her family. The lyrics in Harry’s song seem to be talking about a person going through a similar situation in real life. He might also be expressing sympathy for those going through this circumstance at the moment. With this song’s deep and meaningful lyrical expression, it deserves at least an eight out of ten.
Moving on from tracks meant to make us cry— the wedding songs! Well… they may not be exactly meant for weddings, but we can leave that up for discussion since these songs certainly give off wedding vibes. The first song is "Daydreaming". I think we can all agree that this is one of the most romantic songs in the entire album, which is saying something considering how many love songs there are. It may not seem like a straightforward wedding song, but if you look closely at the lyrics, it will start to sound like a song you would want to listen to while getting married. With this song being sweet and melodic, I would give it a seven out of ten.
On the other hand, unlike this not-so-straightforward wedding song, the title of the next song, "Love of My Life", explains it all. lyrics are actually describing losing someone you love, it can be seen as a nostalgic portrayal of how people don’t realize how important someone or something is until they’re gone. Lyrically, this may not be the perfect wedding song, but it feels like it is because the instrumentals are almost heart-melting. With the carefully chosen words, style, and effort put into creating this song, it deserves a rightful eight out of ten.
Finally, last but not least, we have arrived at the best song in the album hands-down, no questions asked, no arguments made. Drumroll, please… "As It Was"! I can’t even begin to describe how much this song amazed me when I first listened to it. Since the style of the track is a bit different from the type of music that Styles usually puts out— certainly not complaining though— I was surprised to hear that the song was sung by Harry after my first few listens played by the local radio station. It has a nostalgic feel to it, especially considering how it resembles 80s music. Many have compared it to the song “Take On Me” by A-ha, and I do agree that both of the songs sound very familiar in terms of the instrumentals. This song has sort of a gloomy vibe, yet somehow, it still makes you want to get up and dance. The wonders it does, am I right? This song is perfect in every way, including the music video for it, and it definitely deserves a ten out of ten.
Overall, this album includes songs that promote the same theme of love and romance, which lowers the lyrical diversity. But, the vibes and type of genres used in each song definitely make them unique. Taking that into account, I highly recommend the album! Absolutely do give it a listen.