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KISS ALL THE TIME. DISCO, OCCASIONALLY, marks a flamboyant and self-assured departure from the domestic intimacy of Harry’s House. As the title suggests, Styles has traded the laurel-canyon folk-pop of his previous era for a shimmering, high-concept plunge into the world of late-70s glam-rock and European disco. The record is conceptualised as a tribute to the hedonistic spirit of Studio 54, but filtered through a distinctly modern, gender-fluid lens. It is an album that prioritises movement and physical favour, yet it remains anchored by Styles’ uncanny ability to weave genuine vulnerability into even the most maximalist pop structures.
The sonic landscape of the album is lush and impeccably realised, leaning heavily on analogue synthesisers, Nile Rodgers-inspired guitar scratches, and a pervasive, driving bass frequency. The lead single, “Velvet Rope,” is a masterclass in this new direction, featuring a syncopated, four-on-the-floor beat that utilises a full brass section to create a sense of widescreen euphoria. In contrast, tracks like “Night Gallery” explore a darker, more industrial side of the dancefloor, with distorted vocals and a repetitive, hypnotic pulse that suggests the influence of early Giorgio Moroder. Despite the shift in tempo, Styles’ vocal performance has matured significantly, characteristically moving between a confident, soulful belt and a delicate, breathy falsetto that perfectly suits the album's decadent atmosphere.
What makes KISS ALL THE TIME. DISCO, OCCASIONALLY a compelling addition to his catalogue is its refusal to be merely a pastiche of the past. It is an ambitious re-evaluation of disco as a site of liberation and resistance. On the standout track “The Last Invitation,” Styles analyses the loneliness of the party’s end, blending melancholic piano with a soaring, orchestral coda that provides a moment of profound emotional catharsis. By embracing the artifice of the disco era to speak on very real themes of connection and solitude, Harry Styles has delivered a record that is as intellectually rigorous as it is compulsively danceable, solidifying his status as a true pop auteur.
Tracklist
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