Harry Edward Styles is an English singer and songwriter best known for being a member of the ‘One Direction’ pop rock band. Styles, who was born with a passion for music, immersed himself in the industry from a young age. When he auditioned for a slot on ‘The X Factor,’ he made his debut. The judges favored Styles because of his innate flair and grasp of music. Despite the fact that he was unable to participate in the ‘judge’s houses’ round, he was recruited as a member of the pop rock band ‘One Direction.’ Despite being the boy band’s youngest member, Styles quickly became a fan favorite due to his abilities, attractiveness, and personality. ‘One Direction’ smashed multiple records during the course of its five albums, becoming the first boy band to have four albums launch at number one in the United States. It also made history by being the first boy band in US chart history to have two number-one albums in the same year. Styles resumed his solo career after his self-imposed hiatus, obtaining a record deal with ‘Columbia Records.’ Styles has also appeared in television and film, including the Nickelodeon show ‘iCarly,’ the concert documentary ‘One Direction: This Is Us,’ and the feature film ‘Dunkirk.’
Childhood and Adolescence
Harry Edward Styles was born in Redditch, Worcestershire, on February 1, 1994, to Anne Cox and Desmond ‘Des’ Styles. Gemma, his older sister, is his only sibling. When he was seven years old, his parents divorced.
With his mother and sister, Styles spent the majority of his childhood in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire. ‘Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School’ was where he acquired his education.
Styles has been enthralled by music since he was a child. He adored singing and was even the lead singer for his high school band, ‘White Eskimo,’ which won several awards. Styles’ early influences included Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, and ‘The Beatles.’ To help support himself, he worked part-time at the ‘W. Mandeville Bakery’ in Holmes Chapel.
Career of Harry Styles
In 2010, Harry Styles auditioned as a solo contestant for the seventh series of the British TV singing competition ‘The X Factor.’ Despite not making it to the finals, he was chosen to form a new group act with four other participants for the duration of the competition.
The band was given the moniker ‘One Direction’ by Styles. The group’s first song, an acoustic rendition of ‘Torn,’ was also their qualifying song for the ‘judge’s houses’ round. Their performance was so impressive that they quickly garnered a following in the United Kingdom.
In the seventh season of ‘The X Factor,’ ‘One Direction,’ one of the top contenders for the coveted title and a fan favorite, finished third. Soon after, Cowell’s ‘Syco Music Records’ signed ‘One Direction’ to a £2 million contract.
In February 2011, the band released ‘One Direction: Forever Young,’ a book that provided a first-hand account of the band’s ‘X-Factor’ journey. The ‘Sunday Times Best Seller’ list ranked it first. They then embarked on the ‘X-Factor Live Tour,’ touring across the United Kingdom.
‘One Direction’ released its debut album, ‘Up All Night,’ in 2011 after months of recording in cities such as Stockholm, London, and Los Angeles. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and went on to become the fastest-selling debut album in the United Kingdom in 2011. ‘What Makes You Beautiful,’ their debut single, arrived at number one on the ‘UK Singles Chart.’
In its first week, ‘Up All Night’ opened at number one on the ‘US Billboard 200,’ selling 176,000 copies. According to ‘IFPI,’ ‘Up All Night’ was the third best-selling album in the world in 2012, with 4.5 million copies sold.
‘One Direction’ released its follow-up album, ‘Take Me Home,’ in 2012, following the phenomenal success of its first studio album and first single. It was number one in more than 35 countries. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, ‘Take Me Home’ debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, making ‘One Direction’ the first band to do so with their first two albums. It also made history by being the first boy band in US chart history to have two number-one albums in the same year.
The band’s debut album, ‘Up All Night,’ and its follow-up, ‘Take Me Home,’ were the third and fifth best-selling albums in the United States in 2012, respectively, making them the first act in the ‘Nielsen SoundScan’ period to place two albums in the year-end top five.
The lead single from Take Me Home, ‘Live While We’re Young,’ charted in the top ten in practically every region where it was released. It was the song with the highest one-week opening sales figure for a non-US artist.
In 2013, director Morgan Spurlock released ‘One Direction: This Is Us,’ a documentary on the band that presented a behind-the-scenes look at the band’s routine. The picture was an international success, grossing more than $68 million.
In November, ‘One Direction’ released its third studio album, ‘Midnight Memories,’ bringing the year to a close. Despite receiving poor reviews from critics upon its release, the album went on to become the best-selling album of 2013, selling over four million copies.
‘One Direction’ released its fourth studio album, ‘Four,’ in November 2014, a year after its third. In 18 countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, the album debuted at number one. ‘Steal my Girl’ and ‘Night Changes,’ the album’s main singles, went platinum in the United States and delivered the band their tenth and eleventh UK top-ten hits, respectively.
‘Four’ became the band’s fourth consecutive album to sell more than one million copies in the United States, following the success of their previous three studio albums. It also became ‘One Direction’ the first band in the United States to have their first four albums debut at number one.
Zayn Malik, a member of ‘One Direction,’ departed the band in March 2015. Despite this, the band continued to work on their fifth album, which was also their final record before going on hiatus. ‘Made in the A.M.’ was released in November 2015 and received positive reviews from reviewers. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Its singles ‘Drag me Down,’ ‘History,’ and ‘Perfect’ all charted in the top ten in the United States.
Styles went on to pursue a solo career in music after the band’s hiatus. As a solo artist, he secured a record deal with ‘Columbia Records’ in June 2016. He also collaborated with a number of other songwriters. He wrote the lyrics for the songs “Johnny McDaid” by Snow Patrol and “Ryan Tedder” by OneRepublic. Ariana Grande and Michael Buble were among the musicians with whom he cooperated.
Other ventures for Harry Styles include his acting debut in Christopher Nolan’s action film “Dunkirk,” which was released in 2017. He starred opposite Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, and Kenneth Branagh in the film.
In May 2017, he released his self-titled debut solo album. It debuted at number one on the ‘US Billboard 200.’ It also performed well in other nations such as the United Kingdom and Australia. It was the ninth best-selling album of 2017, and it was certified platinum in the United States and four other countries. From September 2017 to July 2018, he went on a tour named “Harry Styles: Live on Tour,” which took him across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Major Projects of Harry Styles
When Harry Styles joined the boy band ‘One Direction,’ he had his big break. The band went on to accomplish a number of incredible achievements and create masterpieces, all of which reached the top of the charts. ‘One Direction’ made history by becoming the first boy band to have four albums debut at number one in the United States. It also made history by being the first boy band in US chart history to have two number-one albums in the same year. Each of the band’s first four albums charted extremely well.
Achievements & Awards
Seven ‘Brit Awards’ and four ‘MTV Video Music Awards’ have been given to ‘One Direction.’
Personal History and Legacy
Harry Styles is known for his multiple romantic relationships and has a Casanova persona. Caroline Flack, a television presenter, was his girlfriend in 2011. Their romance made international headlines due to the age gap between them, with Styles being 17 and Flack being 32 at the time. In 2012, their relationship terminated.
Styles was romantically associated with a number of women after his breakup with Flack, including Sarah-Louise Colivet, Emma Ostilly, Cara Delevingne, Lily Halpern, and Rita Ora.
Styles began dating Taylor Swift, an international pop artist, in December 2012. In January 2013, the couple called it quits. Kendall Jenner and Nadine Leopold were two of his subsequent girlfriends.
He frequently waves the rainbow flag (LGBT pride flag) on stage as a long-time champion of equality and fervent supporter of the LGBT community. He’s also backed groups like the ‘Little Princess Trust’ and the ‘Young Survival Coalition.’