Harry Styles
Harry Styles is an English singer, musician and songwriter who rose to fame following his appearance on ITV2 reality show The X Factor in 2011. He signed a record deal with Syco Music in 2012 and released three singles – “Sign of Love”, “Out Of My Mind” and “Kiwi”. His debut studio album, eponymous debut album, was released in November 2013. It peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart and sold over 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom alone. In October 2014, he became the youngest solo artist ever to perform at London’s O2 Arena. In January 2016, Styles announced that he had been diagnosed with vocal cord nodules.
Styles’ second studio album, Fine Line, was released in August 2017. It debuted atop the UK Albums Chart, making him the first male British act since One Direction to achieve this feat. The album received positive reviews from critics and debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming his first entry into the US Top 10.
In June 2018, Styles released his third studio album, Flicker, which debuted at number one on the UK charts. Its lead single, “Lights Up”, topped the UK Singles Chart and reached number one in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland. The album features collaborations with Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa, Liam Payne and Niall Horan.
Style’s fourth studio album, Fine Line II, was released in September 2019. It debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, making him the first solo male artist in history to achieve the feat. The album includes collaborations with Halsey, Khalid, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes and Mariah Carey.
Early life
Harry Edward Styles was born on January 1st, 1994 in Redditch, England. He grew up in Bromsgrove, where he attended King Henry VIII School. His father worked as a chef and his mother owned a pub, while his sister, Alice, went on to become a model.
Styles said he had a “good childhood,” and was always supported by both of his parents. He described himself as having been a shy kid who liked playing football and riding horses. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Styles stated that he was bullied throughout school because of his height. He said he became interested in music at age 13 and began listening to bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden and Metallica.
At age 14, Styles’ family moved to London. He enrolled at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, where he studied acting and dance. While there, he met fellow student Tom Brooks, whom he later married. After graduating, Styles returned to Bromsgrove to work as a waiter at his parents’ pub.
In 2010, Styles auditioned for the role of James Bond in the film version of Casino Royale, but lost out to Daniel Craig. At the same time, he was cast in the BBC One drama Skins. During filming, however, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He underwent chemotherapy treatment and surgery, and subsequently took six months off from acting.
In 2011, Styles performed the song “I Don’t Wanna Dance”, written by him and Jimmy Napes, at the Teen Choice Awards. The following year, he played the lead role in the short film A Day in the Life of… He also starred alongside Ed Sheeran in the video for the latter’s single “Lego House”.
Styles announced his decision to pursue a solo career in 2012, and signed a recording contract with RCA Records. On 27 April 2013, it was confirmed that Styles would release his debut album, titled Adore You, on 25 June 2013. The record debuted atop the UK Albums Chart, becoming his first number one album. Its lead single, “What Makes You Beautiful”, reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, making it his highest-charting single. The second single, “Miss You”, peaked at number five in the US.
On 4 November 2013, Styles performed at the 54th Grammy Awards. He received four nominations, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for “Adore You”. He won the award for Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male.
Career
One Direction are an English boyband formed in Salford, Greater Manchester, England in 2009. They consist of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles. Forming under the name ‘NXNE’, they released their eponymous début album on 13 November 2010, which debuted at number one in over 20 countries around the world. The group became the youngest artists ever to achieve five consecutive UK number ones with their second studio album Take Me Home (2011), and later achieved seven UK number ones with their third album Midnight Memories (2013).
The band’s fourth album Four (2014) reached number one in over 50 countries, making it the best selling album of the 21st century, and the fifth album Up All Night (2016) topped the charts again in many territories. On 18 June 2017, the group announced that they had split up, with Styles announcing he wanted to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter.
In 2018, the group reunited for a concert tour, One Direction: Where We Are, which visited North America, Asia, Australia, South Africa, Europe and Oceania. The tour grossed $125 million.