Review: Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally by Harry Styles

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‘Do you love me now?’, Harry Styles ponders on his fourth studio album, Kiss All The

Time, Disco Occasionally. This might seem like an unusual question from one of the

world’s top male pop stars in recent memory. Since his 2017 debut self-titled album,

the former One Direction star has amassed a global, devoted following demonstrated

on the singer’s Love On Tour, which stretched across 2021 to 2023. Following a

three-year hiatus, the cryptic Instagram teasers and speculation of HS4 reached a

fever pitch and fans were waiting eagerly for new music. Underneath the promises of

dance and disco, Harry’s record is searching, sprawling and unexpectedly

Melancholic.

Produced by Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, the album’s production is a highlight

as it shifts Harry’s sonic palette into a more experimental, electronic-inspired sound.

The album’s lead single ‘Aperture’ starts with a pulsing, minimalist bassline which

crescendos into a pumping, soft-techno beat. This demonstrates Harry’s ability to

create a mood, ‘Aperture’ being reminiscent of hazily dancing at a nightclub with your

friends at 3am not knowing what you will remember in the morning. Harry’s

willingness to be bold and creative production-wise is also seen on sensual track

‘Pop’ which incorporates The House Gospel Choir within a 70s-inspired beat.

Lyrically, the album is reliant on repeated, layered hooks which is effective on

some tracks, but sometimes leaves the lyrics lacking and shallow. On ‘Are You Listening

Yet?’, the refrain of the track’s title acts as a provocation to himself and the listener as

Styles navigates the next phase of his musical identity. There are some hidden gems

of lines which would benefit from more exploring. On the slow, downbeat ‘Paint by

Numbers’, the lyric “Holding the weight of the American children whose hearts you

break” is a complex observation of the repercussions of fame.

Yet, the album is scattered with weightless, disparate lyrics. Do I need to be told on ‘Dance No More’, “you gotta get your feet wet/ respect your mother?” This album seems to treat lyrics and Harry’s vocals, his most prized instrument, as secondary material. Styles mostly talk-sings his way across the 42 minutes of the record which have added personality and charisma on previous albums.

To answer Harry’s question, Do I love Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally now?

Not yet, but there is a lot to like in the mood and vibe it creates. It stands out among

2026’s releases so far as a project which wishes to innovate and push the

boundaries of what pop music can achieve in the vein of LCD Soundsystem and

Tame Impala. This feels like a transitional era as Harry figures out what the word

‘popstar’ means to him.

Edited by Gabriella Whiston