'Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.' - Emphasis on Occasionally

By Laurel Sanders

Let’s be honest: the last few years in pop have been all about the pop girlies. While Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Olivia Rodrigo have been taking over the world, the male side of pop has felt noticeably emptier—no offense to Benson Boone or Role Model, but they haven’t quite hit the same level. Finally, after a massive four-year break following his 2023 Grammys sweep, Harry Styles is back with his new album: Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Courtesy of @HSHQ

On January 15, Styles announced his return to music and an upcoming album, and the cover alone made it instantly clear he was moving in a different direction. On the 22nd, he released the first single and opening track “Aperture,” which offered the first glimpse into Styles’ new sound and the album as a whole. Spending so much time recently at clubs in Berlin has clearly paid off, as the track is filled to the brim with synth and techno sounds. Naming LCD Soundsystem as one of his biggest influences, it’s apparent Styles felt the need to push himself creatively. And after listening to the full album, I’d argue “Aperture” is the strongest example of that ambition.

It’s a five-minute song, which inherently makes it a difficult radio hit. I mean, I don’t think I’ve heard it on the radio once, and this is Harry Styles we’re talking about. But what’s so great about “Aperture” is that it still plays to his strengths. The crux of the song revolves around the upbeat mantra “we belong together”, which feels like an evolved, but still earnestly cheesy, version of “Treat People With Kindness”. The song is sonically interesting while still feeling true to his discography.

The music video, released alongside the single, was also a great indicator of Styles’ commitment to change. Like his previous videos, it’s playful and bizarre, but this time it adds a whole new component: choreography. On Styles’ historic two-year Love on Tour, which was brilliant, the performance style mostly consisted of him skipping around the stage in sparkly outfits. Clearly, he’s taken a hint from the women in the industry, who consistently deliver massive tours filled with choreography, outfit changes, backup dancers, and relentless promotion. Based on the “Aperture” video and his live performance at the Brit Awards, Styles is catching on to those trends.

Courtesy of @HSHQ

Starting from the top of the album after “Aperture”, “American Girls” is one of the only truly classic, catchy pop songs on the record. It’s totally surface-level and repetitive, but it provides a strong atmospheric start as it eases listeners into the album. It also makes perfect sense that “American Girls” received a music video, as it’s the strongest contender for a radio single.

“Ready, Steady, Go!” is pure fun. It pulls you in with a deep bass line and just throws you around from there. The layering and repetitive sounds colliding together feel electric, making it the first track on the album that genuinely makes me want to hear it at the club. That energy is immediately one-upped by “Are You Listening Yet?”, which to me is one of the album’s highlights. This is where Styles really locks in and demands the listener’s attention. The track builds and builds, refusing to let go.

We also get something new from Styles here: moments of talk-singing that emphasize every lyric. It feels unique not just within this album, but across his entire discography. At this point in the tracklist, there are no skips, and every song feels purposeful, deliberate, and new.

Unfortunately, this takes a quick turn with “Taste Back”. Admittedly, it is a sweet and catchy track, but it ultimately feels like the beginning of a run of more meh songs. The same disco energy isn’t pulling me in, and it feels like a sharp contrast, especially coming right after “Are You Listening Yet?” I think “Taste Back” would have served the album better if it were placed later in the tracklist.

“Waiting Game”, which follows, feels similar and honestly could have fit on any of Styles’ earlier albums. “Season 2 Weight Loss” is a funny concept. As Styles explained in his interview with Zane Lowe, the title refers to the trend where once a TV show becomes successful, the cast returns for season two looking completely different—they’ve lost weight, have professional stylists, and the show suddenly has a huge budget. There’s an obvious parallel to Styles’ own life. He blew up at a young age and has had to wrestle with public perception at every stage of his career.

The lyrics are emotional and honest as he repeats: “Holding, holding out / Hoping you will love me now / Do you love me now? Do you? Do you? / Do I let you down?” But despite that vulnerability, the song still feels like it’s missing something in terms of emotional punch.

A similar thing happens with “Coming Up Roses”, as the album suddenly shifts into an orchestral love ballad. The lyrics touch on interesting concepts and are surprisingly honest. However, by this point, it feels like it’s been forever since we’ve heard anything resembling disco. These songs are fine individually, but grouped together, they create a long lull in the album. And on top of that, we’ve seen Styles produce far more effective heartbreaking, introspective songs before.

“Pop” finally brings us back to where we should’ve been all along. The background instrumentals are essentially a Daft Punk track, which is exactly what this album should be striving for. But “Dance No More” is the true star of the show. If you came here for disco, “Dance No More” delivers with funky beats, a little scatting, and a fun chorus built for singing along. This is the song playing at the club we all wish we were at!

It actually reminds me of Jessie Ware’s work. Hint, Harry: If you ever decide to collaborate with another artist, she would be a perfect choice.

Yet once again, we hit a halt with “Paint by Numbers”, which feels oddly out of place on this album. Zane Lowe even asked Styles why it was included, since it almost feels like a side project. Styles explained that he wanted to be brave creatively, which includes not self-censoring emotionally honest songs. And this one certainly fits that description, touching on his relationship with Olivia Wilde and referencing age gaps and raising kids.

But it highlights a broader issue: Styles seems unable to fully commit to the techno-disco direction while also delivering emotional vulnerability. Many of the artists he cites as influences—like Radiohead and LCD Soundsystem—have managed to balance those elements. Here, it sometimes feels like he can only do one or the other. The result is an album that feels a bit like a sonic and emotional rollercoaster.

Thankfully, the album closes on a lovely note with “Carla’s Song.” In his interview with Zane Lowe, Styles tells the story of showing his friend Carla Simon & Garfunkel’s classic song “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. He talks about the joy of watching someone experience a piece of art that’s been around for decades but can still feel brand new when you discover it.

“Carla’s Song” feels like a beautiful mirror to “Aperture”. It’s a classic, uplifting Styles moment about feeling seen and seeing someone else, as he sings to Carla (and to the fans) that “It’s all waiting there for you."

Courtesy of @HSHQ

Historically, I’ve always considered Harry Styles’ albums to be essentially no-skip listens. Sadly, that doesn’t quite apply to Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. I love that Styles is pushing himself creatively—through the music, the promotion, and his performances—but the album itself feels like it only half-commits to the energy that “Aperture” establishes.

There’s still a lot to love here, and when any artist moves in a new direction, there are bound to be some bumps along the way. Ultimately, the title reflects the content, with an emphasis on disco occasionally. In a better timeline, the album might have been called Disco All the Time, Kiss Occasionally.

Luckily, there’s more Harry Styles content on the way. Styles has collaborated with Netflix to premiere his concert special One Night in Manchester this Sunday, March 8. He’s also set to kick off a world tour in May, including a 30-night residency at Madison Square Garden. If you can get tickets—affordable ones, fingers crossed—you’ll likely get to witness another historic tour filled with a lot of great songs.