Ever since Harry Styles made his solo debut in 2017, the former member of the band has been heading for the rock star band. On his self-titled debut album, he hovered through Kiwi’s whiskey-blues-rock trance and made a stormy epic in ‘Sign Of The Times’. Two years later, on his second album, ‘Fine Line’, he embarked on Laurel Canyon’s folk (‘Canyon Moon’) and glam-pop anthems (‘Adore You’). As he topped the Coachella 2022 account tonight (April 15), Stiles mixed those past efforts with some new experiments and an expert sense of ostentation to make his strongest bid to date for rock god status.
His arrival on stage is signaled by a video of rabbits, which begins innocently enough, but quickly turns into various members of the animal kingdom, who ascend while the wedding bells cascade into beautiful bells. As the screens give way to festival cameras, Stiles is found standing on top of a stunning white stage that looks appropriate for the TV special expression of the ’60s icon, a grim expression on his face, a black feather coat covering a multicolored sequin jumpsuit . His grim look didn’t last long as he released his latest single, “As It Was,” jumping across the stage as cheerfully as the bright synthesizer melody that runs through the song.
What follows is an 80-minute spectacular festival that satisfies the average fan waiting for the crazy, and the sworn Stan, eager for some deeper cuts – and brief reviews of new material. The recordings from the first album ‘Carolina’ and ‘Woman’ correspond to the mood of the evening, although they drag the momentum down a bit. “She” gives you time to indulge in rock fantasies, guitarist Mitch Rowland gets a moment in the spotlight for solo noodles, while the usually delicate “Cherry” is slightly enhanced. Even One Direction’s hit “What Makes You Beautiful” received a bit of a makeover – the infectious hook intact but rearranged to hit harder and more advantageously than before.
Harry Styles plays new song “Boyfriends” in Coachella 🥲 pic.twitter.com/4thNGSMvT3
– Ryan Daily (@rhian__) April 16, 2022
In addition to “As It Was”, two new songs will be broadcast tonight. First, it’s the folklore Boyfriends that Stiles introduces, stating, “It’s for boyfriends everywhere – fuck it.” This is a rare moment of silence from the star during the set, as he gently performs a song about a troubled relationship, in which “it becomes difficult to understand what he thinks.” He later debuted ‘Late Night Talking’, a ’70s funk funk grove longing to make his partner happy again, confirming that his third album’ Harry’s House ‘will have at least two solid gold bops.
Bopp, if I’ve ever heard it – another new song from Harry tonight, “Late Night Talking” 🕺 pic.twitter.com/gFEfazn4Qj
– Ryan Daily (@rhian__) April 16, 2022
However, in order to truly become a rock god, Stiles needs an army of famous friends to help him surprise his fans, and the ability to spread memorable stage jokes between songs. Fortunately, tonight he shows that he has both. He brings out Shania Twain to perform “Man! I Feel Like A Woman “and” You’re Still The One “for an unpredictable but wonderfully fun break from his own material. While his guest is on stage, he explains what she has taught him over the years, including how to sing and “that men are rubbish.” Towards the end of the set, he announces a 12-minute part of the dance, which the audience mistakenly accepts as the last 12 minutes of the set. “It doesn’t end so quickly,” he explains. I may be quick on many things, but this is not one of them.
By the time we reach the finale of the set – a stunning version of “Sign Of The Times” full of fireworks – Styles is done. He is a grove and guitar hero every inch of the stage, turning pop anthems into rock jagunauts and holding the audience in his palm for every second of his dazzling show. As he releases the final notes of the song, it becomes clear that he is no longer striving for the rock star, but is firmly making his own way through it.
Harry Styles played:
“As it was” “I adore you” “Golden” “Carolina” “Woman” “Girlfriends” “Cherry” shines “She” “Canyon of the Moon” Treat people with kindness “What makes you beautiful” Man! I feel like a woman ” You’re still this ” Late night talk ” Watermelon sugar ” Kiwi ” A sign of the times ”
Check back at NME all weekend for more Coachella 2022 reviews, news, interviews, photos and more.
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