Harry Styles’ second solo album titled “Fine Line” was released this past Friday and it debuted No. 1 on the iTunes Charts. This former boy-band member turned rock soloist has delighted fans with his newest 12 track record. It explores an artistic deep dive into Styles’ newfound musical freedom.

The main premise of his new album deals with the aftermath of Styles’ breakup with the French model, Camille Rowe. Songs such as “Falling” and “Cherry” allude to the breakup, “Cherry” even features a cryptic voicemail from Rowe herself. “She” and “Fine Line” both are reminiscent of songs from his last album, such as “Two Ghosts” and “From the Dining Table.” The familiar sound is helpful to listeners and makes the album sound like himself.

Styles masterfully portrays the fine line (pun intended) between his own happiness and despair. Styles has mentioned that the title fully reflects his experience in the creation of the record and his own life experiences. You can hear the happiness within Styles’ voice as he sings “Sunflower Vol. 6” and “Watermelon Sugar”, it becomes difficult not to sing along to the upbeat anthems.

The contrast of those songs (“Sunflower Vol. 6” and “Watermelon Sugar”) and the aforementioned ones (“Falling” and “Cherry”), allows the listener to feel all the ups and downs that the retro-rocker has gone through quite beautifully. It’s evident that the album takes influence from the late ’60s and early ’70s in its lyrics and tones. Songs like “Golden”, “To Be So Lonely” and “Canyon Moon” pull influence from folk-rock singers such as Van Morrison and Stevie Nicks. Styles shows that he isn’t just a singer-songwriter, but a hard-core rocker. Towards the end of the album, Styles has some fun with a Queen-reminiscent tune entitled “Treat People With Kindness.” The imprint of the rock genre has greatly helped Styles create a name for himself without the lingering boy-band innocence creeping back into our minds. The “Lights Up” singer is now able to express himself in ways that would have been greatly looked down upon in the past.

The fans have spoken, so have the critics, and “Fine Line” is the best thing since his 2017 debut self-titled album, “Harry Styles.” Styles has big plans for next year, as he is embarking on a world tour that many are anticipating. “Fine Line” is sure to be a hit for people all around the world for years to come.