Harry Styles: you just have to say the name and everyone knows who you’re talking about. After being in arguably the biggest pop band of all time One Direction, Styles released his solo debut album last year, which peaked high in the UK charts. Now, with a sold out world tour, the UK musician visited the Genting Arena for a sold-out show on the 7th April. Intricately weaving his new songs with the nostalgic One Direction gems, Harry Styles sure knows how to put on a show.
No concert is complete without a support act and having just released two hit singles, ‘Finders Keepers’ and ‘Fine Line’, Mabel was the perfect opener. Fans were extremely responsive, dancing and singing lyrics back at her. By the time it came to Harry’s grand entrance, the crowd was itching for more and was already fully engaged with singing the pre-concert playlist (which included the One Direction favourite ‘Olivia’).
Opening with ‘Only Angel’ was a smart decision. The upbeat, steady song enticed the audience for an energetic night. ‘Woman’ followed, again engulfing cheers from the crowds and opening room for the audience to let go and just dance. Taking the time to introduce himself and say hi to the crowd before playing fan favourite ‘Two Ghosts’, it’s clear that fame hasn’t gone to his head and he’s still a friendly young guy just living his dream.
What followed was perhaps a more unexpected song – ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ from One Direction’s third album. The crowd completely lost it and there was not a single person in the audience who wasn’t either singing or dancing around. Performing a diverse range of tracks allowed Harry to present his musical talent uninterrupted.
The crowd’s reaction to every song was exciting and fascinating. Harry’s respect in turn for the audience was also a highlight. Taking the time to endlessly thank fans for coming to the show and performing at the back of the arena for fans who were sat further away was an exciting moment. Performing ‘Sweet Creature’ and One Direction track ‘If I Could Fly’, the crowd used their phone lights and the arena lit up. Throughout these acoustic tracks, fans had created the “Birmingham fan project” where different coloured sheets covered the phone lens which, when lit, embraced the colours of the rainbow, indicating support for the LGBTQ community. The dedication from the fans to appreciate the music and everything Harry represents was incredible to witness. It’s refreshing to see that after all these years in the music industry, it still really is about the music and the fans.
The final songs before the encore began with the track that started it all – One Direction’s first single ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ followed by his debut solo single ‘Sign of the Times’. Both songs balanced the fun, emotional and musically spectacular aspects of music Harry has perfected over the years. Ending the show with ‘Kiwi’ was the perfect choice. Harry truly shone throughout the encore, having fun and soaking up the atmosphere for a final time. The audience let go for the last 5 minutes and truly screamed out every lyric.
Harry Styles sure knows how to put on an energetic and somewhat nostalgic show whilst creating a safe place for fans to let go of any troubles and just immerse in the music.