Harry Styles is gearing up to have an amazing first Grammy ceremony. The singer-songwriter is set to take the Grammys stage as a performer for the very first time. In addition, Styles is up for three awards – his first nominations since his career began a decade ago.
From 1D, Onward
Harry Styles made a great choice when he was 16-years-old to audition for The X Factor UK. At the time, The X Factor was a star factory. Simon Cowell’s hit television show brought the world many notable artists. Cher Lloyd, Fifth Harmony, Little mix, and Bea Miller are just a few of the artists who came from the singing competition. No act has had more success from a talent competition than One Direction, though.
In 2010, Simon Cowell placed Harry Styles and four other teenage boys in a group to continue on the competition. While that group did come in third place, they didn’t win, but for the five years that followed, One Direction was still the biggest band on the planet.
Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne were unstoppable. Every album was a hit, every tour sold out, and just about every person on the planet was a fan – or knew a fan.
When the band went on a hiatus in 2015, fans didn’t expect solo music to be the next step in any of the guys’ career. That hiatus was supposed to last 18 months, but has since turned into six years and five solo artists.
Harry Styles’ Solo Start
Since that time, Harry Styles has released two No. 1 albums. He has done two world tours and sold out another set for later this year. The star stopped by Saturday Night Live not once, but twice. The second time, in November 2019, had him as both host and musical guest.
He grace the cover of the Rolling Stone twice, and constantly sells out every magazine cover he’s on. This includes his stit in December 2020 on the cover of Vogue. Harry Styles was the first man to be on the cover of the iconic fashion publication on his own.
Harry Styles was busy while in One Direction. He was writing songs, released five albums in four years, and was chased by fans every time he stepped out of his house. All the while, he was just a teenager and a man in his early 20s. While not much has changed lifestyle-wise since starting his solo career, he has honed his craft and who he is.
Harry Styles, his self-titled, debut album, was a 10-track masterpiece. Unfortunately, a boy band member turned rockstar was not what the world wanted out of style. Therefore, regardless of his chart topping record and stellar musicality, it wasn’t a mainstream success outside of his fanbase.
It’s reception was grand and loved by many, as well as critically acclaimed, but there was a little radio play or recognition for the work.
The Success of Fine Line
Two years later, Styles released Fine Line, his sophomore record. The 12-track album took him to heights that One Direction never even saw. IFPI just announced that Fine Line was the fifth best selling album of 2020 across all platforms.
Fine Line brought Harry Styles commercial success, regardless of the fact that he didn’t seek that out. He wrote a psychedelic rock album with warm pop melodies while heartbroken and found his greatest musical niche. Three out of the four singles released from the record spent weeks on end at the top of the charts.
“Adore You” and “Watermelon Sugar” were inescapable in 2020, whether it was on your radio, a glimpse of the videos, or on streaming platforms. Both hits were the epitome of earworms, with catchy lyrics and heartwarming musicality. These were the songs that brought Harry Styles, a self-proclaimed ‘old soul,’ his first Grammy nominations.
“Watermelon Sugar” is up for Best Pop Song, while “Adore You” is up for Best Music Video. Fine Line is up for Best Pop Album, as well. This record has brought Harry Styles more recognition than ever before. The Recording Academy caught wind of that.
This weekend, the Grammy stage will be featuring all of that and more. March 14 is set to be a big day for the UK-born star, but it is something that has been worked towards for years. Music Daily and fans all around the world are cheering Harry Styles on at his first Grammy Awards.
