https://padlet.com/sydneyy_christensen1/1cthlt8wbccx My Review of Harry Styles' Self-Titled Debut en-us 2017-11-20 05:00:34 UTC 2023-01-21 00:36:43 UTC hello@padlet.com sydneyy_christensen1 https://padlet.com/sydneyy_christensen1/1cthlt8wbccx/wish/208582630 I chose to review Harry Styles' album because it is the album that caught me the most off guard this year. By that I mean that I was not expecting to like it at all, but it has become one of my favorite albums to be released this year by far. I have never enjoyed One Direction's work, so I was expecting that Harry Styles was only getting good reviews because he was the fan favorite of the group. Because I had never listened to One Direction much in depth and most of their work was harmonization, I don' t think there was any way for me to know that Harry actually had all that talent on his own. His solo album didn't just surprise me at first, it kept doing so throughout its entirety because it encompasses so many emotions and genre inspirations. Although it is generally all about failed relationships and lessons learned through love, there is a variety of points of view taken on among the different songs. The record really shows off Harry's versatility and the various sides of his personality. 
(My report/padlet titles were sampled from the lyrics to "Only Angel".)]]> 2017-11-20 05:04:08 UTC https://padlet.com/sydneyy_christensen1/1cthlt8wbccx/wish/208582630 sydneyy_christensen1 https://padlet.com/sydneyy_christensen1/1cthlt8wbccx/wish/208583781 2017-11-20 05:16:49 UTC https://padlet.com/sydneyy_christensen1/1cthlt8wbccx/wish/208583781 sydneyy_christensen1 https://padlet.com/sydneyy_christensen1/1cthlt8wbccx/wish/208583799 Sadness is one of the most noticeable elements in this album overall. While there are a few upbeat songs, most out of the 10 are quite melancholy and nostalgic. These feelings are conveyed in a number of ways, through dreamy synth sound ("Meet Me in the Hallway") to slow-jam ballads ("Sign of the Times," "Woman") to simple and stripped down acoustics ("From the Dining Table," "Two Ghosts"). In some songs he is desperately pleading for attention and affection, in some he mourns the loss of love to bad timing, and in some he wallows in self-pity. However, there is never really a feeling that he is whining, but rather reflecting on past experiences and how they have shaped him. According to a review with Rolling Stone, Styles stated that he did not want to tell a fictionalized story, but rather an "honest" declaration of where he has been and what he has been through. Ratliff says sadness is one of the easiest emotions for people to connect to and understand, and perhaps that is because it seems to leave a more lasting impression than happiness. It can seem easier to sit and put in "extra work" to contemplate a sad song than a happy one, "a phantom quality in listening that most of us nonetheless recognize and agree on."]]> 2017-11-20 05:17:03 UTC https://padlet.com/sydneyy_christensen1/1cthlt8wbccx/wish/208583799 sydneyy_christensen1 https://padlet.com/sydneyy_christensen1/1cthlt8wbccx/wish/208585434 In breakout single "Sign of the Times," an intense conglomeration of cymbals, guitar, piano, and strong vocals is brought to an end with a quietly echoing chorus of vocals and simple piano melody. This same melody and chorus comes back in the intro to "Only Angel," a calm opening interrupted by an explosion of electric guitar, dripping with attitude and sass. The segment of song sounds exactly the same, but is used to enumerate a completely different feeling.When it opens, it builds up to the song with anticipation, and when it was used to close it helped the song wind down and become more balanced. Repetition is used again later on in this song, but on the grounds of lyrics rather than melody/rhythm -- while describing his escapades of trying to get a confident woman to give him the time of day, Styles samples lyrics from his own "Meet Me in the Hallway." ("I'm meeting in the hallways every single time/there's nothing we can do about it.")That first song on the album was palpable with emotional longing, whereas in "Only Angel" it was used in a more playful and superficial way. I really love that he twisted his own words to mean something completely different. You must listen carefully to catch that lyric allusion, and it can "lead you to a new perception of what you're hearing." It shows the complexity of the emotions felt during the experiences the artist used as inspiration for the album.]]> 2017-11-20 05:31:25 UTC https://padlet.com/sydneyy_christensen1/1cthlt8wbccx/wish/208585434