The End of an Era: HS3 has Officially Begun
Image Courtesy: The New York Times
The Fine Line era is officially over. The iconic blue and pink color combination, the suspenders, and the anxiety of finding out what outfit Harry was going to wear every concert is gone, for now.
While the era wasn’t exactly short-lived, we didn’t have much time to mourn its loss. We had to buckle up, get over it, and be ready because Harry already released his first single to signify the beginning of HS3. AKA, Harry’s House.
INVESTIGATIVE FANS
Fans knew Harry was up to something but were not exactly sure what it was. He pulled a “Taylor Swift” and created a bunch of little clues to help fans figure out what he’s announcing.
It all started in a random advertisement in newspapers. The ad was individually designed in different newspapers. It had a website link and fans somehow knew that it was related to Harry. Fans checked out the site, which was just a door with an image behind it. The image changed every single day.
Soon the “You Are Home” site expanded into its social media platforms, which Harry eventually followed them. This move easily confirmed that Harry did have something to do with it. The accounts post every day at 12 PM Eastern time with a new image behind the door. The comments are filled with speculations from fans as to what this could mean.
A Discord chat was created that sent coordinates in big cities. Harry fans are natural sleuths, taking these small clues and piecing them together. They figured out the spots and went to visit them, sharing their findings with the rest of the fandom. Some of the directions led them to random places that had the name Harry in them, like “Harry’s Sandwich Shop”. Typical Harry behavior.
Other coordinates led to posters that advertised his new single.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT
On Wednesday, March 23rd, Harry announced his album: Harry’s House.
The album was announced with a 30-second video, ending with Harry on stage with a house that looks like it would be used in a play. The @youarehome account also posted a door with the album cover as the image behind it.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Fans looked back and noticed all the little easter eggs Harry has been leaving them all along. Looking back at old concert videos, Harry would ask his fans to “send him home” during his last song.
When Harry announced Pleasing, his new beauty brand, he took part in the advertising. With his nails freshly painted, he held five fingers up on one hand, and two on the other. Everyone knew he was hinting at something, but no one knew what it was, until now. Five for May, and two for 20: the date his album was going to be released.
Image Courtesy: GQ
THE SINGLE
A week later, the Harry Styles HQ Instagram account dropped a short clip teasing his new single, As It Was. The ten-second clip left fans to speculate what Harry’s new sound would be, it was different than his usual stuff. The single was released on Friday at midnight, UK time, which meant that America got the song at some point on Thursday evening.
Image Courtesy: Youtube
THE REACTION
As an avid Harry fan since 2011, I’d say I’m well-versed in the Harry universe. I’ve seen and experienced every single transformation that Harry has gone through. As It Was is probably my favorite single that Harry has released so far. He’s usually a very private person compared to the other artists. When I listened to this song, I felt him being more open throughout the lyrics and the music video. Themes of loneliness and longing are prominent throughout the song to the tune of an 80’s pop synth sound. He’s channeling his vulnerability and visibly showing it by undressing from his full suit to clad in underwear. I’m thoroughly enjoying HS3 Harry, and I hope to see these themes throughout the rest of the album.
And it seems that fans didn’t feel too different than I did. In just 4 days of the release, it’s already become a viral Tik Tok song. The single broke several Spotify records, including it being the most-streamed song in a single day in 2022 and the most streamed song in the US in a single day.
WHAT’S TO COME
Now is the beginning of a new era, and it’s never too late to join the Styles fandom. I’m loving this new side of Harry that hasn’t been showcased since his 1D days.
Strike Out,
Writer: Maddy Gleason
Editor: Breanna Tang
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