Every single Harry Styles song, ranked
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Former One Direction member Harry Styles released his new album on Friday.
Titled "Fine Line," the album features previously-released singles "Watermelon Sugar," "Adore You," and "Lights Up," as well as plenty of new songs.
In celebration of Styles' new album, we've ranked all of the singer's songs.
Harry Styles released his second studio album, "Fine Line," on Friday.
In honor of his new music, five members of Insider's entertainment team ranked every released song from his solo discography on a scale of 1-10, with an average of those scores determining the final rankings.
Here are all of Styles' tracks ranked in descending order.
22. "Treat People With Kindness" was too strange to do his motto justice.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
It's just not great. Maybe we don't get it, but maybe... it's just a bad song. Sorry, Harry. — Courteney Larocca
Song highlight: It's a reference to his personal motto of "treat people with kindness."
Average score: 2.2/10
21. "Meet Me in the Hallway" is pretty bland compared to the rest of Styles' oeuvre.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
It's not that "Meet Me in the Hallway" is necessarily a bad song, but it's just that there's so many other great highlights from Styles' debut album, this one feels a little empty.
Ostensibly focusing on the aftermath of a breakup ("Just let me know, I'll be at the door, at the door / Hoping you'll come around") the lyrics quickly get repetitive, and Styles does contemplative heartbreak better on other songs — namely "Two Ghosts" and "Woman." — Libby Torres
Song highlight: The guitar hook isn't half bad.
Average score: 4.4/10
20. Styles' first single, "Sign of the Times," is the perfect radio tune.
SME/Columbia
Personally, I'm flabbergasted none of my colleagues enjoy this break-out anthem as much as I do and I think it's ranked far too low on this list. From the moment the piano starts up in Styles' debut single, it's hard to keep yourself from unconsciously bobbing your head to the rhythm of the song.
When I asked my coworkers why they all ranked what I believe is Styles' best song so low, they told me it was his perfect debut single, but it's too long and the lyrics are limited.
This song is soulful and emotionally heavy, and speaks about learning from our mistakes and persevering even in the bleakest of times. According to Styles, the song was inspired by a young mother who died after childbirth who had five minutes to tell her newborn to "go forth and conquer."
Personally, I think "Sign of the Times" is still a banger. But maybe that's why I write about movies. — Kirsten Acuna
Song highlight: The song delivers its strongest moment at the 1:18 mark when the chorus kicks off and Styles unexpectedly lifts up into the sky in the song's accompanying music video. Watch the music video here.
Average score: 5.4/10
19. "Fine Line" is a showy, six-minute track.
Erskine Records Limited/Columbia Records
Imagine my shock when my score of the gorgeous "Fine Line" title track (9.2/10) was combined with those of my esteemed Insider colleagues, and it landed at No. 19 on this list. The disrespect!
The six-minute showpiece may begin a bit slow, but only because Styles packs those six minutes with a kaleidoscopic emotional experience. It needs time to build — and the song eventually blossoms into a choir of horns and drums and spectral harmonies. It's a worthy send-off for such an intimate album, one that tenderly catalogs all the highs and lows of every experience.
Some listeners remain unmoved, however. In the words of Paige DiFiore: "I just hate that it sounds like he is singing to me from 10 miles away through a cup." — Callie Ahlgrim
Song highlight: Exactly four minutes and 38 seconds in, when the music briefly pauses only to return triumphantly, seamlessly blending each instrumental.
Average score: 5.6/10
18. "She" is a sprawling, slow-burning, jam that is one of the more memorable songs on "Fine Line."
Star Max/IPx via AP
Sprawling and sensual, "She" tells the story of a man who's infatuated with a woman from his imagination — whether she's based on a real person or is merely a figment of his desire is unclear, but that doesn't really matter. The song is an ode to unrequited love and lust, which makes sense considering that Styles previously said "Fine Line" is "all about having sex and feeling sad."
The searing guitar solo in the middle of the song calls to mind artists like Prince or Led Zeppelin, and Styles' lyrics ("She, she lives in daydreams with me / She's the first one that I see, and I don't know why") perfectly capture the frequently disconcerting power total infatuation can have on a person — even if you're not quite sure who it is that you're infatuated with. — Libby Torres
Song highlight: The shimmering, psychedelic guitar solo that comes towards the middle of the song perfectly captures Styles' classic rock influences — and it's pretty sexy, too.
Average score: 5.7/10
17. "Canyon Moon" sounds like '70s soft rock.
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Respectfully, my colleagues viciously undersold "Canyon Moon" and totally trashed its average score. Perhaps it seems a bit strange on first listen, but with its lighthearted whistles and folk-country twinge, it's one of Styles' finest feel-good bops — perfect for a road trip with friends or a sunny summer afternoon at the beach. The song is insanely cute! It's Stevie Nicks' favorite on the album! Case closed. — Callie Ahlgrim
Song highlight: The lush, layered harmonies in the final chorus.
Average score: 6.1/10
16. "Carolina" is an enjoyable listening experience that gave fans a surprising look into Styles' love life.
Scott Barbour/Getty Images for ARIA
The song in which Styles name drops the woman who inspired the track: Townes Adair Jones, a fan who reportedly went on a blind date with the singer in 2016.
Aside from containing what might be the most interesting tidbit of Styles song trivia (Harry Styles goes on blind dates?) the track is uplifting and, as Styles sings, "feels so good." It's so light-hearted and catchy that Rolling Stone even named it the "song of the summer" an entire year after its release. An evergreen jam. Oh yeah! — Courteney Larocca
Song highlight: "How would I tell her that she's all I think about? / Well, I guess she just found out."
Average score: 6.1/10
15. "Sunflower, Vol. 6" is a surprisingly mellow bop.
Helene Marie Pambrun via Getty Images
"Sunflower, Vol. 6" kicks off with a psychedelic tropical back-beat that keeps the song tethered to its simple roots while the puzzling, simile-loaded lyrics add delightfully confusing layers to the entire track.
Is he working up the nerve to talk to someone new while reflecting on what could be? Is he reminiscing on the early stages of a past relationship? Is he just messing with us?
It doesn't even matter what the message is, and that's the beauty of the song — it's easy and it's silly (emphasized by the "doo doo doo" sounds Styles makes at the very end).
"Sunflower" is not trying to be a stand-out single — it's a breath of fresh air on the album though that's perhaps exactly what makes it the kind of song you wouldn't really play on loop for any particular occasion. — Paige DiFiore
Song highlight: It never goes anywhere or hits any high notes, which is oddly comforting.
Average score: 6.3/10
14. "Two Ghosts" sees Styles reexamine a past relationship.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret
In one of his most country-influenced tracks to date, Styles details his weariness with a relationship that seems to have lost its magical spark while incorporating a slight twang.
It's slow, but familiar, and it's hard not to sway along as Styles repetitively reminisces on "what used to be" and how that's not how things are anymore and how that's all sort of sad.
Spencer Kornhaber for The Atlantic perhaps said it best — this track "is classic country made for a prom's last dance." — Paige DiFiore
Song highlight: That this song could be about his ex Taylor Swift, though Styles never explicitly confirmed nor denied it. The pair dated for a few months back in 2012 — and those familiar with the fleeting couple can't help but melt (or cringe) over the lyrics "same lips red, same eyes blue."
Average score: 6.8/10
13. "Ever Since New York" blends elements of folk and rock.
Will Heath/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images
"Ever Since New York" is a minimalistic folk-rock love song that's not actually a love song. Fans speculated that he wrote it about his ex Taylor Swift (who has a song called "Welcome To New York"), but he has since revealed that he wrote its enigmatic lyrics after he received bad news about a family member while staying at a hotel in Brooklyn.
Although the song is a bit slower and more repetitive for some tastes, it's primed for an impassioned sing-along: "Oh, tell me something I don't already know," is a fan-favorite lyric to scream back at Styles when he performs the song live. — Callie Ahlgrim
Song highlight: "Brooklyn saw me, empty at the news / There's no water inside this swimming pool" is a brilliant double entendre.
Average score: 6.9/10
12. "Only Angel" is most interesting for its soft introductory instrumentals.
Getty/Steven Ferdman
"Only Angel," as Spencer Kornhaber wrote for The Atlantic, "allows Styles's talents and arrangements to be showcased. It's hard not to be impressed as he spins fragile webs of emotion and then yowls like a jungle cat, or when the guitar makes you think of, say, Bob Weir."
The juxtaposition of the soft instrumentals at the front of the song, with the following rock-infused tale of a woman who Styles is so hung up on that it makes him want to "die" almost makes it feel like you're listening to two different songs… but somehow it works. — Courteney Larocca
Song highlight: The angelic opener that Styles breaks through with a piercing scream.
Average score: 7/10
11. "To Be So Lonely" is a direct response to "Cherry."
John Salangsang/Invision/AP
The song's peaceful, tinkling guitar riffs (it was composed by a guitalele, a ukulele with six strings, while Styles was on tour) perfectly capture his remorse and change of heart.
Instead of the raw jealousy of "Cherry," "To Be So Lonely" sees Styles wear his heart on his sleeve.
"Don't call me 'baby' again, you got your reasons / I know that you're tryna be friends, I know you mean it," he sings, adding later, "it's hard for me to go home / be so lonely." It is extremely hard to imagine someone willingly leaving Styles at home and lonely, but according to this song, it happens more than you'd think!
"To Be So Lonely" is a reminder that Styles, like all the rest of us, has dealt with his fair share of heartbreak. — Libby Torres
Song highlight: "I'm just an arrogant son of a b---- / Who can't admit when he's sorry."
Average score: 7.1/10
10. On "Woman," Styles gets possessive.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Pitchfork, in their 2017 review of Styles' debut album, called "Woman" "laughable," a critique that's just so wrong, I don't know where to begin. Yes, the stomping piano riff and the Elton John-esque "lalalalalalalas" that comprise half of the chorus are slightly ridiculous — but it's purely intentional.
Styles, much like John, whom Styles admires so much that he even dressed up as him for a Halloween party last year, is aware of the campiness that comes with manufactured pop territory — he even hosted the Met Gala when the theme was "Camp: Notes on Fashion." So it's fair to assume that with a highly-stylized track like "Woman," he's aware of how his musical tendencies can come off.
Much of the song sees Styles imploring his former lover to stop torturing him — "I hope you can see, the shape that I'm in / While he's touching your skin," he sings in the prechorus, perfectly encapsulating the possessive energy that can come out of a breakup.
"Woman" definitely lacks the lyrical depth of some of Styles' other songs, but is still, undoubtedly, a bop. — Libby Torres
Song highlight: "Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and then see what we find?" is probably the best opening line I've ever heard.
Average score: 7.3/10
9. "Sweet Creature" also has folksy elements.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
In the second single from his debut album, Styles sings of going through a difficult time with a lover while still finding endless comfort in them and their presence.
"Sweet Creature" is one of the more folksy tracks on the album with its overly simple, repetitive lyrics and calmingly familiar guitar riffs.
As Jeremy Gordon wrote for SPIN, "It foregoes fancy language for naked yearning, hoping to charm you with earnestness."
And charm it does. The song won't blow listeners away with deeply personal musings or detailed reflections — it will hit them deep in the heart with how it details the familiar taste of feeling both in love and feeling lost in the simplest words possible.
I want it known that I ranked this in my personal top three songs out of Styles' entire discography. — Paige DiFiore
Song highlight: The way Styles' voice sounds incredibly vulnerable, raw, and gentle throughout the entire track, almost like he's personally singing you a lullaby and a heartbreaking ballad all at once.
Average score: 7.7/10
8. "Falling" features a lot of piano.
Christopher Polk/Getty
"Falling" is a piano-heavy ballad of regret and self-realization that is simple but painful in the best way.
On this track, Styles' vocals are crisp and not weighed down by overproduction — it feels like it's just him and the piano. By crooning his sorrows, he simultaneously elevates the track and breaks every listener's heart each time the chorus hits.
Sure, its chorus is repetitive and almost pandering with its constant questions and "I'm falling again, I'm falling again, I'm fallin'" — but it is saved by detailed, poignant lines that transport the listener, like "And the coffee's out at the Beachwood Café and it kills me 'cause I know we've run out of things we can say." — Paige DiFiore
Song highlight: The fact that Styles was "completely naked" when he wrote this song.
Average score: 7.8/10
7. "Kiwi" is a banger that brings to mind the best of the Arctic Monkeys.
Columbia Records/Sony Music
"She worked her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes/ hard liquor mixed with a bit of intellect," Styles sings in "Kiwi," sounding like a more polished version of an "AM"-era Alex Turner. While the song clocks in at just under three minutes, it packs an instant punch, and will have you shout-screaming the lyrics at the top of your lungs in no time.
Ostensibly a song about a mythic cosmopolitan woman a là the Arctic Monkeys' "Arabella" or the subject of Cake's "Short Skirt Long Jacket," "Kiwi" is a classic, hard-hitting rock song that really sees Styles flex his guitar-playing muscles — and is undeniably fun to listen to. — Libby Torres
Song highlight: Styles' describes the mystery woman as having a "Holland Tunnel for a nose, it's always backed up" which is 1. A great reference to New York traffic jams and 2. Even better considering he included a sound of sniffling.
Average score: 7.8/10
6. "Golden" makes for a perfect transition between Styles' first album and his second.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Styles told Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield that "Golden" was the first song written for the album, and was always intended to be No. 1 on the tracklist.
Sheffield aptly described the track as "a blast of vintage Seventies SoCal soft rock, the kind of Laurel Canyon mellowness that suffused his first album, layered in guitars and harmonies."
But despite the bright sound, "Golden" still manages to sneakily introduce Styles' more tortured thoughts that run throughout the rest of the album with the line, "I don't want to be alone when it ends." — Courteney Larocca
Song highlight: "I know that you're scared because I'm so open."
Average score: 8.1/10
5. "Adore You" is one of the happier songs on "Fine Line."
Harry Styles / YouTube
I would truly walk through fire to get Harry Styles' attention, so I'm glad to have a song that appears to reciprocate the sentiment. "Adore You" is also one of the more upbeat tracks on "Fine Line," providing a much-needed dose of pep and a glance into Styles' more playful side. A fun bop all around. — Courteney Larocca
Song highlight: Imagining Harry Styles walking through fire just so he could adore me.
Average score: 8.1/10
4. "Watermelon Sugar" was one of the first singles Styles released from his new album.
Harry Styles/YouTube
In Styles' own words, "Kiwi walked so Watermelon Sugar could run."
This man's commitment to fruit-themed song titles is extremely commendable, even if "Watermelon Sugar" is a slightly nonsensical phrase. What is it? Why doesn't he think he could ever go without it? I'm not sure, but Styles serenades his commitment to it so convincingly, it doesn't even matter.
(Yes, some people think it's about "the joys of mutually appreciated oral pleasure." No, I will not be commenting! One of the joys of Styles evoking ambiguous fruits in his music is how those symbols are open to a myriad of interpretations. Let your minds roam where they please!) — Callie Ahlgrim
Song highlight: The way Styles seductively yelps just before the chorus hits when he performs the song live. Also, the tender concept of praising your partner's belly.
Average score: 8.2/10
3. "Lights Up" was another early single from "Fine Line."
Harry Styles/YouTube
"Lights Up" was the world's official introduction to Styles' second era, which paints a far more confident and satisfying portrait.
After using his debut solo album to prove his chops as a legitimate rock star — drawing inspiration from a veritable feast of beloved artists, from Radiohead and the Rolling Stones to Prince and David Bowie — his second album's lead single didn't sound like anything else. "Lights Up" is singular; it's enchantingly, decidedly a Harry Styles Song.
With lyrics that celebrate freedom, self-discovery, and being comfortable in one's own skin — including some that seem to wink at Styles' possible queerness, a theory bolstered by its super gay music video and the song's release on National Coming Out Day — "Lights Up" is the anthem that a fluid, new-age icon like Styles deserves. — Callie Ahlgrim
Song highlight: "Do you know who you are?" — a refrain so striking and poetically simple that it was used on billboards before the song's release to tease Styles' forthcoming music.
Average score: 8.4/10
2. "From the Dining Table" is heartbreakingly earnest.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
This song has everything — a moody, minimal guitar riff, heartbreaking lyrics, and even a reference to… masturbation?
According to Styles, "From the Dining Table" was one of his more "honest" songs for a while. "I thought I was being so honest, just because there's one line about having a wank," he recently told Rolling Stone.
Masturbation references aside, "From the Dining Table" is a really poignant song about loss ("We haven't spoke since you went away / comfortable silence is so overrated") and the struggles of moving on after the end of a relationship ("Woke up the girl who looked just like you / I almost said your name"), all expressed through achingly vulnerable vocals and the barest of guitar arrangements.
While "Fine Line" is probably a clearer distillation of Styles' thoughts about breakups, "From the Dining Table" wouldn't feel out of place on that album. Much like the other things on his new album, it's a gorgeously stripped-down ode to a past lover that's unabashed in its yearnings. — Libby Torres
Song highlight: "Why won't you ever say what you want to say? / Even my phone misses your call, by the way."
Average score: 8.6/10
1. "Cherry" packs an emotional punch on first listen and only becomes more emotive with repeated plays.
Zak Kaczmarek/Getty Images
There's a tenderness in Styles' vocals on "Cherry" that, along with the Camille Rowe voice note at the end, helps drive home the beautifully melancholic tone.
With lyrics like, "I, I confess I can tell that you are at your best / I'm selfish so I'm hating it," and "Does he take you walking 'round his parents' gallery?" Styles leans into his jealous side, crafting the most powerful moment on "Fine Line" — which only gets more heartbreaking when you realize the voice memo of his ex was taken during an intimate moment from when the couple was still together.
"That's just a voice note of my ex-girlfriend talking. I was playing guitar and she took a phone call — and she was actually speaking in the key of the song," Styles told Rolling Stone.
This track is near-unanimously beloved by the Insider entertainment team; I gave it an immediate 10/10 after one listen, while Callie Ahlgrim and Paige DiFiore both ignored the 1-10 rule to come up with an 11/10 and a 100/10, respectively. So really, this should have scored a 27.3/10.
"Cherry" is an instant classic that elevated Styles' artistry to new heights. — Courteney Larocca
Song highlight: "I just miss your accent and your friends / Did you know I still talk to them?"
Average score: 9.2/10
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