Fingerprints Music in Long Beach, CA was one of many indie record stores that hosted a listening party in celebration of the release Harry Styles' fourth album, Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally. I happened to be on-line when the annoucement was made and snagged myself a spot at the RSVP only event on the night of the album drop date, March 6th.
In January, the early release of "Aperture" gave us a preview of the direction Harry's new tunes are heading. If the name of the album wasn't indication enough, Harry Styles is dancing down a new path, disco dancing to be exact. The brit disclosed that he was heavily inspired by dancing to LCD Sound System when he saw them live in Madrid and London, along with being part of the crowd for a Radiohead show in Berlin. The, Together, Together tour annoucement in support of KATTDO came before January was over. Mirroring his 2022 Love On Tour tour, the Together, Together tour consists of residencies at venues with the longest stint being a 30 show night run at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City starting in August.
Layering on more and more excitement of the release, the album itself and the tour, publicity swirled around the new album as it drew nearer, giving us a little more insight into it and it's maker. Mr. Styles took a breather from the fast lane of fame in order to slow down and love living life. It's a lesson to be learned in the fast paced, information drenched, capitalistic world we live in. Are you living or merely surviving day in and day out? Being in his early thirties, this is a query Harry has tapped into about ten years before I did and I can affirm it's a lesson that's never too late to tap into. Runner's World reported that Mr. Styles picked up running during this down time. Running is a great way to get out of your head, release stress, stay in shape for when it's time to get back to it and is another thing me & Harry have in common (wink wink).
I cheated before the listening party last Friday night since the album had already dropped. It's no wonder "Aperture" is the first single and track number one. The catchy, dancey song is a great introduction to the rest of the album.
The title of the second track, "American Girls" made me think of the lyric from the Rolling Stones' song "Some Girls": "American girls, they're pretty funny". Harry's song is nothing the Stones' song but it is sweet with softly sung lyrics that harmonize swimmingly with the melody that rhythmically builds up to a dance floor worthy slow jam.
The name of the third track, "Ready, Steady, Go!" took me back to my party days when the Paul Oakenfold song, "Ready Steady Go" was part of the regular soundtrack. Oh what a difference a couple of commas and an exclamation mark make. This song had me dancing immediately and knew it was my favorite song off of the album before it ended. The up tempo beat matches his up tempo vocals that mix with a sparkly hook that blasts off into a mesmerizing beat drop, crashing into distorted vocals and incesant chorus. Harry further seduces with titilating lyrics that tease at a playful naughtiness and it's all so, so good.
Chasing the high after "Ready, Steady, Go!" had me wondering where the dance club album was. Sure, KATTDO carries more of an electro feel, some might say a disco feel, than we're used to from Harry but it didn't intice a dance party anymore than his last album did. Something that did stand out is this the introspectiveness that seeps into interconectedness. This is Harry's self discovery of the most sought after answer to the age old question, what is the meaning of life?
The question really is, what is the meaning of your own life and the answer is simple really. The meaning of your life is to live your life. To love the life you're living while becoming the the best version of yourself and to spread love. We're all here trying to figure life out. It may sound silly but we're all trying to figure out who we are and what we bring to this party we're all at. This looks different for everyone and just because it looks different doesn't mean it's wrong. Live and let live.
When you're on the path to loving the life you're living while continuiously becoming the best verison of yourself it's difficult being on the sidelines of those who are not. This is a theme heard through out the album which epscially stood out to me in the poignant lyrics of "Are you Listening Yet?" and "The Waiting Game". While we should all take finding our purpose and joys in this life seriously, that doesn't mean not having unadulternated fun while doing it. That's life, baby. And while you're at it, listen to music that moves you and dance your way through life, it is theraputic after all.
Track ten "Dance No More" revved up the the engine to get back to the dance floor. With it's deep baratone bass plucking and brief acapela beat boxing, Prince came to mind as soon as this song started. Harry's vocals hit a high octave over that deep bass line and menagerie of instruments and synths leading to a funkadelic good time that goes one way then veers another way before charasmatically bringing it back. Harry isn't wrong when the song says "we want to dance with all of our friends" because this song makes you want to grab your friends and get down where ever you are.
Now it was time to see what a listening party is all about and perhaps get other takes on KATTDO.
The Bixby Knolls neighborhood in LBC holds a block party style event every first Friday of every month were small businesses and various artists and crafters do a sort of pop up or special sale, giveaway, etc. to bring the community out and together, so I went a little early to check that out. After strolling a bit, I ended up at Fingerprints about 45 minutes before the event started and was shocked at the line that stretched outside of the record store and down the sidewalk. After confirming with the last person in line, a gal in a Love on Tour sweatshirt, that it was the line for the Harry Styles listening party, I hopped in line behind her. She was very friendly and we started chit chatting about music while the line kept growing behind us. Soon enough another gal in line us joined the convo and there we were, three Harry Styles fans at a Kiss All The Time. Disco, Ocassionally listening party solo but now together (together) swapping fangirl stories. Did these girls had stories! Easily at least 18 years older than them, I got a kick out of listening to them gab about shows they've been to, shows they couldn't get tickets to, shows they want to go to and the artists they love. When they mentioned Niall I had to ask who he was and if he was from...what's the name of the boy band Harry was in? Ah, yes, One Direction, they both reminded me. Both of them recounted exactly where they were when they heard of the untimely passing of Liam Payne, another member of One Direction. They were as crushed by the news as one of my co-workers was, to whom I replied I didn't know who that was when she mournfully shared the news with me when it happened. What can I say? This adult fangirl heart belongs to Harry Styles and only Harry. Can you blame me? I was in my late twenties to early thirties during the height of One Direction fandom, listening to the likes of Crystal Castles, Die Antwoord, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Dead Weather, not teeny bopper boy bands.
We talked about the Together, Together tour dates, all three of us agreeing we wished some of his 30 shows at Madison Square Garden, which are his only shows in the states, were here in California. The girls said they couldn't afford the travel and lodging cost on top of the price of tickets while I hestitantly shared I was wishing on a star to hopefully work those shows, somehow, some way. Come on universe, work your magic!
They also talked about their record collections which was refreshing to hear rather than reading about how the younger generations are reviving analog things like buying physical music instead of streaming it. One of the girls had four Harry Styles tribute tattoos and a place holder for a fifth. Oh youth! Their enthusastic passion for the music they love reminded me why I love doing what I do for work. It also made the time go by. No different than most concerts, Fingerprints was a little behind schedule with the line moving inside around 7:20. There was a table of swag at the entrance where everyone got to choose either a poster, a pin or sticker and everyone got a kiss mark temporary tattoo. Once everyone was inside, the music started around 7:30ish. I was delighted to find myself with the girls I stood with in line because I wanted to see what they thought of the album.
The fans up front closest to the PA system got the party going as soon as "Aperture" hit the speakers, dancing and visably enjoying themselves. I thought the energy would fade after the first three songs since they're more up tempo than the ones that follow but that same ectactic energy kept subtly trickeling around the room which was filled mostly with girls. I was one of the eldest in the bunch but as far as I could tell I might have been one of the only ladies, if not the only lady in my age bracket who wasn't accompaning their daughter or son or what have you. One of my friends from line hadn't listened to the ablum yet, checking her phone to get the name of each song as it played. Her interest peaked when track seven, "Season 2 Weight Loss" started, quietly stating that it reminded her of "Cinema" from Harry's House and that she liked it. To my surprise people screamed and clapped at the end of it. Come to think of it, people clapped at the end of every song which made me and my friends from line giggle.
The next song, "Coming Up Roses", slows down considerably and I was surprised yet again when people took out their phones, flashlight on, waving them in the air the same way people do at concerts now instead of holding up flaming lighters. Hearing track nine, "Pop" at the listening party struck a Harry's House cord with me that hadn't happened while I listened on my own. Was it "Cinema" that it reminded me of, the same song "Season 2 Weight Loss" reminded the girl from line of? Then came track ten, the "Prince song." The girls from line started moving and shaking more than they had to the rest of the album and we all nodded in agreement that we liked the song. When the next song started one girl visably deflated, stating "Well the party's over" which made me laugh. It is an aburpt transition flying high to "Dance No More" then diving straight down into "Paint By Numbers". The last and final song "Carla's Song" brings things back up a bit with a welcomed shimmery synth and keys bumb that lifts you higher and higher. By the smiles on people's faces around the room everyone was happy to be there and we were all having a good time. Some might say we were living our best lives at a silly little album listening party. It is the little things in life that make it grand.
After the party I read that fans were stipulating if "Painting By Numbers" is a song about Harry's break up with ex Olivia Wilde. I had to re-listen to the song because when I heard it I thought that the song might be about Harry's ex bandmate, Liam who as mentioned above tragically passed away. Wilde and Styles broke up before Love on Tour went to Mexico in 2022 when Harry was 28. Fans sited that "Painting By Numbers" has the lyric "Holding the American children whose hearts you break. Was it a tragedy when you told her I'm not even thirty three?" tying it back to their break up, however, Liam was only 32 years old when he died. Painitng by numbers suggests following instructions for a desired outcome. As the song states "It's a lifetime of learning to paint by numbers and watching the colors run" which I interpret as following all of the quote un quote rules and doing what your told to have the life you think you want but...that's not how life works. That's why you need to live on your own terms and enjoy it, really enjoy it, all of it, while you can. The good, the bad, the ugly and to be loving regardless. That's what Harry explores throughout this album and I think it was inspired by the heart breaking passing of his peer because there's nothing like somone else's death to make you think about your own life. Now, "Coming Up Roses", that song I can see being about his break up with Olivia Wilde.
Going to the listening party of Harry's latest release made it clear that it doesn't matter what kind of album he puts out, his fans are going to love whatever he does. And that probably goes for alot of artists. Harry's House holds a special spot in my music loving heart but I can, will and do get down to some Kiss All The Time. Disco, Ocasionally. songs and I'm willing to bet you will too if you haven't already.
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