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Just before Harry Styles took the stage, Elvis Presley’s thunderous cover of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ blared through the speakers to the 23,500 people gathered at Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena. It would be presumptuous to compare the 32-year-old to the King himself, but the deafening screams, who greeted his performance shortly after 9 p.m., certainly rival those who were once considered the greatest pop stars of all time.
The reason is obvious: this £20-a-ticket “One Night Only” concert was the actual release party for his fourth album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally”, which had been released the same day – and the world’s most in-demand pop star had come to play it in its entirety. Over the next 90 minutes, Styles ushered in this fascinating new era in a way that makes perfect sense.
It opened with the powerful house piece “Aperture”, the track that ushered in Harry’s new era and had initially raised eyebrows – because, well, he had made a dance track. Live, however, it suddenly became clear: This is one of the best things he has ever done.
Music that speaks for itself
Styles let the music do most of the rest of the show, but he always made it clear how much the night meant to him. “I have rediscovered what a privilege it is to be part of people’s lives through music,” he emphasized at one point. That feeling was deepened as his fans seemingly sang along to every line of an album that was less than 24 hours old. The wistful “Coming Up Roses” is a particularly touching moment, while new banger “Dance No More” had fans chanting the seemingly pointless lyric “RESPECT YOUR MOTHER!” to shout back. And yes, even if the quality of the lyrics on Harry’s latest album was criticized – on this evening it didn’t matter because every song was welcomed like a new friend.
After Styles finished the album and returned for a flawless round of older bangers – “From The Dining Table”, “Golden”, “Watermelon Sugar” and “As It Was” – one got the feeling that he might simply be modern pop’s ultimate showman.
“In a world like today that feels so chaotic, it’s easy to lose hope,” he said in a moving speech before the closing version of “Sign Of The Times.” “I encourage you to continue to be the change you want to see in the world.”
An evening for eternity
It’s hard to argue with that statement about the state of the world – but it’s the credit of Styles’ music and his magnetic performance that for 90 minutes you feel like you’ve been transported to one of the wildest dance parties on the planet. When Wembley Stadium calls in the summer it will be like a different world.
This article originally appeared on ROLLING STONE UK.
