Everything you need to know about Harry Styles
Harry Edward Styles was born on February 1, 1994, in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, to Anne Twist (née Selley) and Desmond “Des” Styles, who worked in finance. He made his acting debut in “Dunkirk,” a critically acclaimed film that topped the US box office in its opening weekend and was one of the top-grossing films of the summer.
In May 2017, Styles launched his solo music career with his self-titled debut album. The 10-track album, featuring the lead single “Sign of the Times,” topped the iTunes charts in over 84 countries on release day. It achieved the biggest debut sales week for a UK male artist’s first full-length album since Nielsen Music began tracking sales in 1991, reaching #1 on official charts in more than 55 countries. He supported the album with acclaimed appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” “The Graham Norton Show,” and a week-long residency on “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” His sold-out world tour, Harry Styles Live on Tour, began in Fall 2017, starting with intimate venues and expanding to arenas in 2018. Due to COVID-19, he postponed his shows and resumed with Love on Tour on September 4, 2021, in Las Vegas.
Styles’ second album, Fine Line (2019), debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200 with the largest first-week sales by an English male artist in history and was included in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” in 2020. Its fourth single, “Watermelon Sugar,” reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Throughout his career, Styles has received numerous accolades, including a Brit Award, an American Music Award, two ARIA Music Awards, and a Billboard Music Award. Known for his flamboyant fashion, he became the first man to appear solo on the cover of Vogue magazine.
Styles first gained fame as a member of One Direction, a group assembled by Simon Cowell during the boot camp stage of The X Factor UK 2010. The group finished third in the competition and went on to sell over 70 million records worldwide, achieving 137 number ones and winning five Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, five American Music Awards, and six BRIT Awards. One Direction made history as the first band to have its first four albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200 charts, with their fifth album topping the UK charts and selling 3.5 million copies worldwide. The band performed “Infinity” and “History” on The X Factor UK Finale on December 13, 2015, before going on hiatus in 2016.
Styles’ first solo tour sold out in minutes, and his second solo tour evolved into a mix of arenas and stadiums, including two stints at Wembley Stadium, which sold out within hours. His impersonation of Mick Jagger on “Saturday Night Live” was praised by Jagger himself. Since going solo, Styles has played guitar publicly and can also play piano, bass guitar, and drums. He admires Stevie Nicks, Chris Martin, and Mick Jagger, and cites Queen as one of his major musical inspirations.
An avid reader, his favorite authors include Charles Bukowski, Haruki Murakami, Alain de Botton, Joan Didion, and Lisa Taddeo. Styles wrote all the songs on his debut album “Harry Styles” and his sophomore album “Fine Line.” He spent over a month in seclusion in Jamaica with his producers and band members to fully immerse himself in the creative process for his album.
The youngest member of One Direction, Styles wrote his first solo single, “Sign of the Times,” alone at the piano in an hour, later polishing it with his co-writers. His producer, Jeff Bhasker, noted the song’s improvisational elements, contributing to its length of 5 minutes and 40 seconds.
Styles is godfather to Jackson (son of close friend and photographer Calvin Aurand), Ruby (daughter of Ben Winston), and Arlo (son of his personal assistant and close friend Emma Spring). Before One Direction, he was in a band called “White Eskimo.” He has often expressed that the media portrayal of him as a womanizer is inaccurate. His favorite albums include “Astral Weeks” by Van Morrison, “At Last!” by Etta James, “Blue” by Joni Mitchell, and “Rubber Soul” by The Beatles.
He is close friends with James Corden, Stevie Nicks, Ben Winston, Lizzo, and Adele. Styles has stated that if he hadn’t become a singer, he would have pursued a career as a physiotherapist or lawyer. He owns homes in Los Angeles, New York, Lazio (Italy), and London, but splits his time between London and LA. A self-proclaimed feminist and egalitarian, he has supported Planned Parenthood and the LGBTQ community, frequently using his platform to advocate for equality.
Styles made history in December 2020 as the first solo male to appear on the cover of American Vogue. He has 60 tattoos, which can take over an hour to cover for filming. His first pet was a dog named Max, and he has an older sister named Gemma. His father’s parents are Keith Frederick Styles and Beryl German, and his mother’s parents are Brian William Selley and Mary Smith.
Reportedly, he is the subject of certain songs on Taylor Swift’s album “1989,” including “Style,” “Out of the Woods,” and “I Know Places,” stemming from their reported relationship in 2012.
