Harry Styles has revealed that his decision to step back from music came because he was “a little bit in my head” while dealing with pressure and expectations around “what people want from me”.
Having maintained a low profile following the conclusion of his 2023 tour, the 32-year-old launched his latest studio album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, in March.
In an interview with W Magazine, the musician explained that he took “time off” to prioritise “living from the inside out” instead of focusing on external pressures and opinions.
Styles said: “A big part of the break was about recalibrating the image of myself that I felt I was accidentally swallowing all the time – that was being reflected back at me but that I didn’t want necessarily.
“It’s such an unnatural thing to be shown other people’s perception of you all the time.
open image in gallery“I was a little bit in my head about moving through the world and feeling very aware of how everything was being perceived toward the end of the last tour. A lot of the time off was about getting back to living from the inside out.”
He also noted that placing “so much emphasis” on his music being self-referential creates “a really complex relationship to have with yourself”.
He added: “It was about: How do I make something that I really love with no perception of what’s expected of me or what people want from me?
“You can become so disconnected from the world, the universe and people. Then you stop being able to relate.”
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Styles, who achieved fame at the age of 16, added: “When I was younger, admitting that it’s not really about me would have been quite terrifying.
“Now it’s actually really liberating to acknowledge that it’s so much bigger than me. If you’re onstage, it’s a very God-like position. But I’m not guiding you to me. I’m not asking you to follow me.
“I’m saying that I believe in the same thing that you believe in and we’re all here for that reason – which is beyond me.”
Following a record-breaking 12-night run at London’s Wembley Stadium during his global tour, the musician also commented on the “magic” of performing live.
Styles told the publication: “Post-Covid, and now in this AI time, there’s something about standing next to a sweaty stranger and exchanging energy that you can’t really replace with anything.
open image in gallery“The desire is for the more tangible, the little bits of magic that just happen.”
He added: “I’m not going to do this forever. It feels very singular and that’s allowing me to really be in it.
“During the shows, there’s a lot more moments where I’m standing there taking it in, when I’m in the room with the crowd, seeing this energy they’ve made.
“I feel so aware that it exists past the shows, the songs, the tour – everything.”
Styles first achieved fame in One Direction alongside Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, after the group was established on ITV singing contest The X Factor in 2010.
The band went on to reach global fame with tracks including What Makes You Beautiful, One Thing and Drag Me Down, before entering a hiatus in 2016, roughly a year after Malik departed.
The Worcestershire-born musician subsequently built a lucrative solo career, securing four UK number one singles and three UK number one albums alongside several Brit and Grammy awards.