Harry Styles has been teasing his fans with cryptic posts about his new album called “Harry’s House,” which is set to release on May 20 of this year. On April 1, Harry dropped his single “As It Was” along with its music video. Since its release, many fans have come up with theories for what the lyrics and video mean. An upbeat tempo with sad lyrics? Oh Harry, you’ve confused us all! So what does it really mean?
Here are some interesting fan theories I found:
- “As It Was” in “The Matrix”
Some fans speculated the song could have been about having to choose between two paths or choose between the “red pill” and “blue pill” — from a famous scene in the cult classic with Keanu Reeves called “The Matrix.” So what could have caused this speculation? Well, Harry was dressed in a red, glittery ensemble with the other person in the video dressed in a matching blue set. The lyrics “what kind of pills are you on?” paired with the blue and red costumes could have eluded to this theory. The blue pill signifies staying where you are now, in a state of blissful ignorance, while the red pill signifies seeking the truth and stepping into the unknown (no matter how scary it may be). So could Harry be stuck in a blissful ignorance and scared to step out into the light?
Check out the tweet that started the theory.
Believability Factor: 3/5
- I live for you, I long for you, OLIVIA
Harry has been dating Olivia Wilde, the director of “Don’t Worry Darling,” a film he’ll be starting in that’s set to release September 2022. It’s no surprise many fans would assume his new single is about Oliva. Most of the song lyrics suggest Harry misses the way things used to be or what once was by saying “you know it’s not the same as it was.” This could only mean Harry and Olivia’s relationship has taken a turn but not for the better since he’s saying he wishes to go back to the way things were. The only lyrics in the song that could make this theory more believable is “Leave America, two kids follow her” suggesting Olivia has left the country to be with Harry and her two kids.
I find this fan theory to have quite a bit of holes in it. Would Harry really put his and Olivia’s personal relationship out there for the world to know? And would someone really write about missing the way things were with their current partner? Ouch!
Believability Factor: 2/5
- Oh, Larry…
Of course, the Larries have come to take their claim on this song and say it’s about Harry’s “relationship” with former bandmate, Louis Tomlinson. Fans of the two speculate the song is about him missing Louis, and the (romantic) relationship the two shared prior to their solo careers. I find this theory to be quite disrespectful to both Harry and Louis, especially after they’ve come forward and addressed the amount of discomfort they had with fans assuming the two have dated.
Believability Factor: 1/ 5
Of course social media sites like TikTok and Twitter have fans going crazy with theories and digging deeper into the meaning of the song and music video. You can scroll for hours down the rabbithole of what it all means, but the only one who will ever know the true meaning of “As It Was” is the man himself: Harry Styles.
What’s your favorite fan theory? Have you come up with any on your own?