Harry Styles Live on Tour

Five years in the world’s biggest boy band of the time, and two years as a solo artist -Harry Styles has become a common household name. Styles, 16 at the time of his X Factor audition, has grown as a musical artist in every aspect possible. Being placed as one of the members of pop band One Direction in 2010 earned him international fame. Clad in bow ties and blazers in his early 1D days, Styles branched out from those boyish days. Now 24, he performs his own soft British rock songs on his tour, “Harry Styles Live on Tour,” dressed in Gucci suits that vary from glittery, to floral, to classy.

I had the pleasure of seeing him perform live last night, and was not the least bit disappointed. I bought my ticket about four hours prior to the show, not caring where I would be seated as long as I was there. After an incredible opening act (Kacey Musgrave) and a little more waiting, the arena was filled with the screams of the crowd, and Styles and his band opened the night with great enthusiasm and excitement. “I’m Harry!” he introduces, a humorous opening to his own show. He opens the night with fun songs that excite the crowd, and then transitions to sing ‘Just A Little Bit of Your Heart’ which he (along with Johan Carlsson) wrote for Ariana Grande. At this point, the arena lit up with colored lights from the audience, making a rainbow. I later found out that colored paper was handed by Styles’ team, and was not a fan project as I thought it was. “Harry is a believer in being who you are. Our rainbow represents that it’s okay to be different.” Styles is a believer of love and kindness, making me an even greater fan of his because I myself live my life based on those fundamentals. Even his merchandise includes sweaters, tees, and notebooks branded with “TREAT PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS.” His vocal presence of the topic is one I wholeheartedly admire.

Taking a break from upbeat songs, Styles walks through the crowd to another stage set up in the middle of the arena, initiating an acoustic set where it’s just him and a guitar. The songs -much more serene and harmonic- overpowered the typically rowdy ambient and caused for the entire arena to sing beautifully in sync in a mellow manner. He has the wondrous ability to create an intimate environment, uniting 20,000+ people -I was awed.

Despite being separated from fans by barricades, he interacts and engages with them all through the night, even going as far as to sing happy birthday to one of them. He was having conversations with as many people as he could, and making comments on others. But he didn’t forget about those that weren’t seated close enough to be seen by him. He has an excellent dominance of the stage, dancing and running around it so that all angles of the arena could see him, as well as waving and blowing kisses to those further away and behind the stage(which includes me). Styles truly dedicates the performance for his fans, thanking them a million times over throughout the show, being fully aware that his career wouldn’t be what it is without them.

Styles’ performance is entrancing, to say the least. His voice draws you in, and his presence is phenomenal. The things that stand out the most about the experience is how he incorporates his beliefs into his performance and image, and how humble is. In addition to the rainbow flag lit arena, he traded his usually flamboyant suits for a classic black and adorned it with an orange ribbon over his heart; a symbol of the Parkland shooting that happened in February. Parkland is just a few minutes away from the city the concert was held in, and all of the neighboring areas felt grief and sorrow when the tragedy happened -to see him stand with us was truly heartwarming. In addition, the white telecaster guitar he plays has two stickers that read “END GUN VIOLENCE,” further representing his morals of peace and love. On the other hand, his humble disposition is nothing but genuine. Without having met him, everyone in that arena knew that he’s authentic and grateful. Fame has not at all gone to his head, and he continues to stay true to his values. He cracked jokes all night long, shined the spotlight on his band to credit them for their outstanding work, and made an enormous effort to fulfill everyone’s expectations.

I had seen Styles perform before, alongside his past band members (in fact, 1D was the first concert I ever attended), but his solo stance outshines his group performance. He is unapologetically himself on stage, and does the most to make everyone present happy. His music is true to himself, and the way he delivers it is jaw dropping. The amount of success he’s had is due to all of the things he is: kind, talented, dedicated, vocal, humble, and authentic. With just one solo album under his belt, he’s taken the music world by storm, and greater accomplishments still await.