Harry Styles' New Single Aperature Defies Pop Norms
After a nearly four-year-long music hiatus, Harry Styles, 3x Grammy winner and former boyband heart-throb, has jumped back into the pop scene with his newest single Aperature, signaling the start of his most deliberate era yet.
Unlike Styles’ previous releases, Aperature leans into the indie/alternative pop genre, prioritizing flow and feeling throughout the song rather than the traditional pop song structure. This allows for the song to maintain that openness and atmospheric sound, which contrasts with his previous releases, leaning more towards pop maximalism and groove-centric vibes.
Beginning with a 44-second-long electronic instrumental, the introduction to the song leaves room for interpretation and emotion, allowing for an emotional landscape to be built even before the first line. This element is the first of many that define the song’s unique sound, while simultaneously rejecting the urgency of modern pop. Clocking in at 5 minutes 11 seconds, it doesn’t rush into vocals and catchy choruses, making the song feel more of an album piece than a radio hit. When asked about the length of the song on his SiriusXM interview with John Mayer, Styles says, “It was actually really just about being true to the song…each part of the song is important to the reason why it is what it is.”
Lyrically, this song is simple and subtle, allowing the lines to be interpreted in many ways. The pre-chorus states, “It’s best you know what you don’t / Aperture lets the light in,” showing how accepting uncertainty and vulnerability can lead to clarity. The chorus, “We belong together / It finally appears it’s only love,” is a simple declaration of belonging that can come from those moments of clarity. A statement that tied in with the song’s hypnotic beats can impact the listener on a broader scale and create that emotional pull the audience craves.
Styles states that the song is meant to make you feel like you’re in a club, flipping the perspective into the audience’s shoes. Harry wanted this album (and song) to focus on that audience experience and the feeling you get when you’re a listener rather than a performer. “I wanted it to be like a trance,” Harry states, and he accomplished just that with repetition in its instrumentals and lyrics, leaving room for interpretation, and focusing on the experience and immersion the song provides.
If Aperature is any sign of what is to come for the upcoming album Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally, then fans can expect an introspective and mood-driven record, different from anything he has done before. With the deliberate production and lyrical choices in this song, this track showcases Styles’ career growth as both a songwriter and storyteller. Aperature is more than a leading single, but a glimpse into what is to be a strong and introspective era, defined by self-reflection, interpretation, and emotional resonance.