Harry Styles dropped his latest album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally (KATTDO) on March 6. This album meets expectations in some ways and defies them in others, with a notable lack of conventional disco elements and more out-of-the-box ideas than many would expect from a Harry Styles album.
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As with any recent album drop, the online discourse has been running wild. The commentary has ranged from overwhelming support from listeners who thought Styles opened himself up on this record to disappointment from fans who wanted a little more disco in an album with that descriptor in the title. Whatever camp you land in, no one can deny there are some intriguing listens on KATTDO.
As Styles gears up to release his one-off Netflix performance and eventually to tour this record, I’m looking forward to seeing the three moments below in a live setting.
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A Dance Break in Literally Any Song
In the lead-up to the release of this album, Styles made a point to tell fans to ready their dancing shoes. He made this album after being freed up by club life during his hiatus from the limelight, ultimately borrowing elements from songs he heard during his European romp. While some naysayers say this album isn’t one made for dancing, I’d say y’all aren’t trying hard enough. Styles infused this album with techno-esque rhythms that are, at the very least, worth a toe-tap. It might not be true disco all the way through, but no one can deny that these tracks make you want to move.
Styles has been hyping up the fact that this album makes him want to dance just as much as it does his fans. While listening to this album, it’s easy to see where a dance break or two might be included. After seeing his performance at The BRIT Awards, it’s clear Styles has been brushing up on his choreography in preparation.
The Strings in “Coming Up Roses”
Styles leaves the club life behind in “Coming Up Roses.” This string-forward ballad is one of the only explicitly lovelorn songs on KATTDO. For an artist who used to make exclusively love songs, this is surprising. In some ways, this track is a return to form, and in others, it’s one of his more inventive offerings. At any rate, “Coming Up Roses” is a song I’m especially excited to hear live.
There’s no word on whether or not Styles will employ a full orchestra for this one song on tour, but the added benefit of doing residencies is the opportunity for a larger-scale band. If Styles were to tote some string players along, this would certainly be one of the best songs in the set.
The Chant in “Dance No More”
“Dance No More” is the most disco-ey song on the record, making use of the genre’s conventions. This song is sure to have the crowd up on their feet with zero objections. It’s a song tailor-made for the dance floor, fulfilling Styles’ promise of a party-forward record.
Towards the end of this song, there is a chant that I know the crowd will be eager to sing along to. This is almost a guarantee at this point. There’s no way Styles would leave this track out of the setlist, and no fan can stay quiet while Styles belts out “Respect your mother!”
(Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
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