I cried when Zayn left One Direction on March 25th, 2015 because I thought his departure symbolized the end of my youth. It was strange to feel so attached to someone I’ve only seen from the top of Gillette Stadium, but it’s like I knew him and he was leaving to embark on his own journey far away from me and the rest of his bandmates.
Even though I was sad about Zayn’s departure, all I could think about was how Harry Styles must feel.
I’ll be honest, I have a framed picture of Harry Styles in my closet and put his picture in the rotation of my regular phone backgrounds. Does that make me a super fangirl? Yes, of course it does. Am I ashamed? Not really.
In my mind, Harry Styles and I have been transitioning into this quasi-adult life together, even if he doesn’t know I exist. Because we’re of similar age – he was born in ‘94 and I was born in ‘95 – I feel like we’ve grown up together. From awful clothing stages and weird hairstyles to him carving out his own space as a solo artist, and similarly, me trying to attempt to be a person in the post grad world. I feel like he just gets me.
I’ve read countless news articles about his kind ways, and maybe I’m blinded by his dazzling smile, but I buy into the fact that he’s just a normal guy navigating a very abnormal life. He seems approachable, although I don’t know if I’d be able to utter a sentence if we met, and he is devoted to his fans.
I admire his commitment to being a feminist (I squealed when he posted a “He for She” picture), and enjoy his lack of social media presence. Instead of being a celebrity that’s always posting and crafting a superficial image, he sculpts an aesthetic that revolves around his interests and promotes worthy causes. I also like that he wears what he wants without caring what critics say. He has inspired me to show more of my personality through fashion too.
When I heard about his new single being released, Sign of the Times, I was oddly proud of him and excited to see he was living life like he wanted to. I’m 21 years old, and this borderline obsession I have with Harry Styles will probably never die. I’m excited to hear his new album and follow him on his journey to solo success!