“Are you listening yet?” Yes, for many fans and netizens, they have listened to Harry Styles’ new pop album with disco elements, “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” The 12-track album was released on March 6 and follows the themes of the “Aperture” singer’s midlife crisis and burnout. When it comes to the reviews of the album, “It’s a little bit complicated.”
Fans could say the music keeps hitting them “like a ten out of ten” for these new songs. In their reviews, listeners praised the album for its great blend of pop music style and the disco vibe of the album. Some also fondly noted that the album reminded them of Style’s old music. Alannah Peters, a journalist from The Independent Florida Alligator, analyzes the album’s impact on listeners. “This album is not a casual listening experience,” Peters said. “This album demands your full attention.”
Even with these positive reviews, the album also received criticism from netizens, critics, and even fans of the singer.
“The songs blur together,” Peters said. “The sound is repetitive. And sometimes I genuinely have no idea what Harry is saying.” Peters gave a great input on what many online have been criticizing in this album. In these reviews, netizens have shared how they believe the album is disappointing and is Styles’ worst work. Some even said that they believe fans only like the album because of the singer, not the quality of the music. In both negative and positive reviews, online opinionators have pointed out how “Pop” sounds like “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” by Ylvis and how “Coming Up Roses” sounds like “Chloe or Sam or Sopia or Marcus” by Taylor Swift, which sparked more controversy on how the album was rushed.
The most popular piece of criticism given was how the album is more pop-oriented, even though Styles’s main genre is pop. Many expected the album to be disco because it is right in the album’s name. In recent interviews for Billboard and BBC Radio 1, Styles said the album was inspired by the nightclubs in Berlin and Rome. He also said the meaning of the album name comes from balancing life struggles, fame, and passion (Kiss All The Time) to enjoy life, take a break from “kissing,” and have fun (Disco Occasionally).
Claremont High School sophomore Melissa Viramontes shared her feelings about the album and how she enjoyed it. “After hearing what he said about the meaning, it makes sense that it’s more about enjoying life and not taking everything so seriously,” Viramontes said. “The album feels fun and easy to listen to, but still intentionally.”
Viramontes also shared her insight on the varying mixed reviews of the album. “A lot of people don’t like it because they feel like the lyrics don’t really make sense or aren’t as deep as older songs,” Viramontes said. “Not every song has to be super deep to be good; sometimes it’s more about the feeling and the vibe.”
That is why, when it comes to reviews of “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,” it is complicated. It is either that the person genuinely enjoys the new album or thinks it is disappointing and not a success. Whether or not the review is positive or negative, it is obvious that the new music is making people “Pop.”
