The man. The myth. The legend.
Harry. Freakin’. Styles.
When life gets me down, I remind myself that I am blessed to live in the same era as Harry Styles. I grew up with teenie bopper Harry. I hummed to One Direction as I shopped for lime green tank tops at Justice stores. I saw him staring at me from schoolgirl backpacks and tacky lunch boxes. Harry was the beauty standard no middle school prepubescent child could ever live up to. Then, there was long-haired Harry. The hair frat boys only wished they could have. He matured as I matured, wavy locks of hair overtaking his short knit of natural curls. Today, ten years after the genesis of One Direction, we have before us a matured, moth-curtain-loving, Mr. Harry Styles.
This show has been a long time coming. Through cold weeks of Poctorio exams and hot months of #DracoTok, I anxiously awaited the Love On Tour concert. The evening of the show was one of the best nights of my life. The buildup was huge, and, unlike so many things as of late, it did not disappoint. For those of you who couldn’t make it to Harry’s most recent concert in Denver or are planning to see him in another city (if y’all are going to Harryween in NYC, we need to talk!), here are some relatively spoiler-free highlights you can look forward to:
The Show
After a 30-minute set by the rockin’ Jenny Lewis, the restless energy of thousands of fans began to grow. As Harry took to the stage, desperate sobs and orgasmic screams mingled to produce a sound more vibrant than the bisexual flag Harry would later fly across the stage. I remember wondering how it must feel for Styles to know that any girl (or guy) in a sea of thousands would have him right there and then. From start to finish, Harry ran, rocked, and razzle-dazzled the masses. His voice never let up as he scattered “Harry Styles” and even One Direction favorites among a “Fine Line”-dominated set. The relentless pace refused to let up. Commendably, it was an absolute party from start to finish.
Humor
Any fan of Harry knows he likes his little jokes. Right from the start, we got the cheeky, affectionate “Some of you will have my face and some of you will have my ass,” addressing his attempt to perform to a full 360-degree arena. We later got the now-TikTok famous, iconic comment “It’s like I paid for it…whose shoe is this?” in response to a fan throwing a shoe at him during his saucy performance of “Kiwi.” His sense of humor and crowd interactions produced tangibly human moments that only emphasized flashes where he seemed to resemble less a mortal man and more a God-like rockstar.
Style
It is his last name after all. I cannot emphasize just how much the fashion sense of both Harry and the fans influenced the insane atmosphere of this show. Waiting in line to enter the arena, every fan was dressed, not just to impress, but to fully upstage Styles himself. From fancy, form-fitting dresses to watermelon costumes (no joke, I saw two girls wearing them, and they caught everyone’s eyes, too!), every audience member came to slay. Harry adorned bright red pants, suspenders, and a striped collared shirt. He left the show soaking wet from a water bottle. Every fan left sweaty and exhilarated from jumping up and down for nearly two hours.
Heart
Finally, Harry put so much raw emotion into this show. He took time in between songs to express his gratitude to the crowd for showing up and allowing him to do what he loves most, as well as acknowledging how hard a year it’s been and the need for everyone to heal through the power of music. I can most certainly say, there were moments in the show that genuinely moved me to tears. It was magical and moving, just as I knew it would be.
It might sound cliche, but this was so much more than a concert. It felt like how some people describe going to church. There was love and healing. Resurrection. Music and magic. It was a church for gals and pals who love rockstars, sparkles, and fruit references. Its impact was 100x more powerful in a post-pandemic world where humans have craved togetherness more than anything else, and I am so thankful to Harry Styles for providing that safe environment of fun and connection.
Mr. Harry Styles, everyone.