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Harry Styles is back with his much-anticipated fourth album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally (Columbia) – and now we await the opening week result.
Ahead of the release, Styles gave his first TV performance of No.1 single Aperture at the opening of the BRIT Awards. He will perform the album at Co-op Live on release day (March 6) for a Netflix special on March 8 – his first live concert to appear on any streaming platform.
Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally is one of several big releases in the Q1 period.
The initial hurdle is for Styles to become the first artist this year to register more than 100,000 units in the opening week. He is almost certain to achieve a six-figure result following the 113,812 sales for 2022’s Harry’s House on debut.
Aperture debuted at No.1 with a big opening week amid high expectations for the new album – and the reviews are now in including Music Week’s verdict.
“A new Harry Styles album absolutely helps bring new customers into our stores,” said Rough Trade MD Lawrence Montgomery, who confirmed that it is the retailer’s best-selling online pre-order this year.
He noted that Styles’ previous releases have “performed consistently well for us” and sit within a growing modern pop catalogue category on vinyl.
A new Harry Styles album absolutely helps bring new customers into our stores
Lawrence Montgomery
Rough Trade hosted early morning listening parties for Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally across its branches on release day (March 6).
Rough Trade previously launched in-store activations for Styles’ single Aperture in New York and Berlin, while ERA member Phonica in London’s Soho partnered with the label on an exclusive fan listening party ahead of the release.
“The fact that he held it at a store renowned for its vinyl selection gives a clue to where this is going,” said Kim Bayley, CEO of ERA (the digital and entertainment retail association). “I don’t think it’s too rash to say Harry’s new album will be one of the biggest vinyl sellers of the year.”
Within its first week sales total of 113,812, Harry’s House opened with 45,388 sales-equivalent streams (Official Charts Company) – one of the biggest results of the 2020s and higher than Adele’s 30. Now expectations are high at DSPs for the follow-up.
“It’s always such a moment when an icon like Harry Styles drops new music, especially after a couple of years away,” said Chris Helsen, head of programming at Amazon Music UK. “[Aperture] was an instant hit on release, shooting straight to the top of our Trending Today chart.”
Amid the excitement around Styles’ return, the track was also on top of Amazon Music’s Hits UK playlist, as well as the cover of the global Pop Culture playlist.
Helsen said streams of Harry’s House have “increased significantly” as the platform promotes the catalogue.
“Harry’s one of those artists that stands apart in terms of his appeal – as well as releasing some of the biggest pop songs on the service in the last decade, his solo career has really showcased his artistry as well, which has given him a really broad audience,” he added.
“That’s reflected in the numbers: streams of Harry’s House have significantly increased since the new album was announced, as well as overall Harry Styles streams including Aperture. We’ve been showcasing our [Re]Discover Harry Styles playlist to help fans old and new prepare for the new music by re-discovering his best tracks.”
Deezer has also given strong support including the cover of its Nouveautés Du Vendredi new music playlist in France, the platform’s key market. Styles was also featured across Deezer’s Future Hits and Brand New UK.
“The reaction has been positive, particularly given that this return takes a freer and more daring artistic direction than some listeners may have expected after As It Was,” said Azzedine Fall, Deezer’s director of music & culture.
I don’t think it’s too rash to say Harry’s new album will be one of the biggest vinyl sellers of the year
Kim Bayley
Fall suggested that this campaign will lead to a global conversation about the artistic evolution of Styles’ pop career.
“Harry’s House marked a clear turning point in his career,” he told Music Week. “It is the album that fully established him as a solo artist and definitively opened a new chapter in his trajectory worldwide. What’s interesting is that this new return is already sparking debate and anticipation within his fandom.”
He added: “How do we position this new track – somewhere between pop and electronic? How do we assess the artistic ambition of a global pop star after delivering such a massive hit? These are important questions, not only for Harry Styles but also for artists like Rosalía in recent months. The approaches are different, but the underlying reflection is the same: how do artists navigate the post-hit, post-virality moment?
“In that sense, Harry Styles’ return fits into a broader conversation about the evolution of global pop careers and how audiences respond to artistic risk. As the manager of Deezer’s editorial team, I tend to believe we need to draw inspiration from this kind of artistic risk in the way we recommend music – moving towards bolder choices and away from overly clustered, predictable curation.”
Looking at the potential new audience for Styles on this campaign, Fall said: “Will fans of LCD Soundsystem or of Tame Impala’s latest album connect with Harry Styles’ single? That answer ultimately belongs to the users. But it is very much our role to create and encourage those connections, to provoke collisions and crossovers that may not feel obvious at first glance.”
“Based on Aperture, expectations are sky high for the album, and I can’t wait to hear what else he’s got in store on the record,” said Amazon Music UK’s Chris Helsen. “You can always expect to be surprised with what Harry releases, in a great way! He’s also the type of artist that gets more people listening to more music, motivating them to open their app.”
Click here to read our review of Harry Styles’ Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
PHOTO: Stella Blackmon
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'Sky high expectations' for new Harry Styles album at retail and streaming platforms – Music Week
