#louis tomlinson vogue covers

[mr-styles]

Harry Styles' Sonic Evolution: How He Grew From Teen Pop Idol To Ever-Evolving Superstar

Harry's House' not only gives Harry Styles his most GRAMMY recognition yet — it serves as a testament to how much he's expanded his sound over his already storied career.

GABRIEL AIKINS | GRAMMYS/JAN 25, 2023 - 12:02 PM

Watching 16 year-old Harry Styles walk onto the stage for his "The X Factor" audition in 2010, it's remarkable how little some things have changed in the following 13 years. Though his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" was rather unpolished — even receiving a "no" from judge Louis Walsh — his magnetic charisma and natural talent were more than evident. And at just 16, Styles clearly knew he was on the right path.

"Singing is what I want to do," Styles said in an interview before his audition. "And if the people who can make that happen for me don't think that I should be doing that, then it's a major setback in my plans."

Of course, so much else has changed in the ensuing decade. Styles was tabbed alongside other contestants Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik to form the group One Direction. As the band stormed the charts and captured the love of fans globally, Styles grew into his abilities — and now, he's achieved a rarified level of fame. 

Even after being part of one of the most successful boy bands of all time, Styles has reached new heights of superstardom in his own right. In addition to selling millions of albums and selling out arenas around the world, he's starred in four feature films and became the first male cover star of Vogue magazine. The depth of Styles' charisma and drive he's shown from that first audition have made him an all-encompassing star like few before him.

While Styles was a solo star as soon as he emerged in 2017 — selling out his first-ever solo tour and debuting his self-titled first album atop the Billboard 200 — he has dominated the 2020s. His second album, 2019's Fine Line, spawned his first No. 1 hit in the U.S. in 2020 with "Watermelon Sugar," which also earned him his first GRAMMY in 2021 for Best Pop Solo Performance. But 2022 was the year he took his stardom to the next level — and it all began with an invitation to Harry's House. 

The lead single of Styles' third album, "As It Was," became undeniable, debuting atop the Billboard Hot 100 and spending 15 weeks there — the most in history for a British act. And when Harry's House arrived less than two months after "As It Was," it was clear that 2022 was the year of Harry. 

The album, featuring smooth electronic beats and funky bass riffs, went platinum in the UK and US, put four songs into the Billboard Top 10 at the same time, and earned Styles the most GRAMMY nominations of his career. His six nominations for the 2023 GRAMMYs include his first in the coveted Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year categories; Harry's House also earned a nod for Best Pop Vocal Album and "As It Was" is up for Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Music Video.

If you ask Tyler Johnson — who has co-written and co-produced the majority of Styles' three solo albums — the GRAMMY nominations may just be Styles' biggest validation yet. "It's really the music community recognizing him as Harry Styles — [his time in the band] is just another part of his resume, it no longer defines him. And that's really exciting."

In reality, Styles hardly ever let his past define him. Even Johnson sensed Styles' star power upon meeting the singer in 2015. "When I first met him, I knew a lot about him from the band, but it was obvious he was a star," he recalls. "Especially how he performed in the vocal booth, it was very brave. I was like, 'Wow, this person has no barriers.'"

With no barriers comes a willingness to always try something new — which is why the Harry Styles of Harry's House sounds much different than Harry Styles of One Direction. The change was heard immediately back in 2017 on his first solo single "Sign of the Times," released ahead of his self-titled debut LP later that year. It's a rock track to its core, starting with hearty piano chords and building to a crescendo of wailing electric guitar and crashing drums. This initial offering was a sign of what was to come, as Harry Styles is built on these rock sounds from beginning to end. 

Even if reviews weren't outright surprised by this sound, they noted the seemingly brand new, well, direction. "Few people probably predicted the 23-year-old ex-One Direction superstar to drop the kind of album that makes your uncle or your mom perk up," read Variety's review. Pitchfork mused, "If you only know one thing about Harry Styles, it's probably that the album bucks the established trends governing bids for young male solo pop stardom." Styles becoming a rock star was something new, but looking back at the totality of his work, it's not quite as surprising as it might be at first glance.

When assessing the music of One Direction, the singles will of course stand out. Tracks like "What Makes You Beautiful," "Live While We're Young," and "Best Song Ever" are big and boisterous, with infectiously fun hooks. And while each of the group's five albums had rock influences — queue the Clash-like electric guitar opening of "Live While We're Young" — they're all pop projects at their core. And the writers and producers behind them were pop masterminds, too, including Rami Yacoub, Steve Mac, Ed Sheeran, and Ryan Tedder.

By nature of an essentially constant touring schedule and working with so many other people — especially the four other members of the group — there was simply less opportunity to write. Across the 86 songs in the band's discography, Styles has writing credits on only 21 of them, whereas he serves as lead writer on every track on each of his three solo albums. 

"I think it was tough to really delve in and find out who you are as a writer when you're just kind of dipping your toe each time," Styles told Rolling Stonein 2017, recalling some of the struggles of being in a band. "We didn't get the six months to see what kind of s— you can work with."

Listening to the songs Styles did have a hand in writing for One Direction, though, the throughline of his career becomes clearer. Even the earliest tracks he co-wrote include key elements to his later songs.

The chorus of Up All Night's "Same Mistakes" takes his penchant for lyrical repetition, creating a folksy call-and-response feeling and pairing it with powerful guitar chords; he uses a similar pattern on Harry Styles' opening track "Meet Me in the Hallway." Made In The A.M. ballad "If I Could Fly" is strikingly vulnerable lyrically and melodically minimalistic; this combination is seen on Styles' solo ballads, like Fine Line's "Falling" or Harry's House's "Matilda."

Styles' solo success also stems from his versatility. Alongside folksy ballads, he has an ear for rock songs to fill a stadium (and after completely selling out his 2021 and 2022 Love On Tour stretches, stadiums may be where he's headed next). "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" is one of One Direction's most anthemic tracks, tailor made for karaoke or shouting alongside a crowd. It's no surprise Styles is the sole One Direction member on the writing credits for it, and you can hear that same exuberance on his solo rock anthems, from Fine Line’s ultra cool smash "Watermelon Sugar" to the funk rock-infused "Late Night Talking" on Harry's House. 

In a 2017 New York Times interview, Styles explained his rock influence — and really, his musicality as a whole — stems from his own musical tastes. "I really wanted to make an album that I wanted to listen to," he said of Harry Styles. "That was the only way I knew I wouldn't look back on it and regret it. It was more, 'What do I want to sit and listen to?' rather than, 'How do I shake up compared to what's on radio right now?'"

Judging by the elevated sounds on Harry's House, Styles' musical interests have grown as he has evolved as an artist. While there are hints of his previous writing and growth on the album, Styles incorporated so many new elements, and that's what makes Harry's House so interesting and so refreshing. 

Funk pervades the record, with synths and stylized loops fleshing out tracks like "Music For A Sushi Restaurant" and "Keep Driving." There's a constant sense of playfulness throughout all 13 tracks — something that was apparent to Styles' collaborators long before the world got to hear it. 

"Harry just said that he's never been more proud of anything, and Tom [Hull, better known as producer Kid Harpoon] and I are just there for the ride," Johnson says. "We didn't feel too caught up in the kind of reality of who he is and having to put out an album very specific to the commerce side of it. It was a lot of having fun and just kind of burying our heads in the sand and enjoying doing it. That was very different from Fine Line."

Styles can seemingly feel his evolution himself, too. In a wide-ranging interview with Zane Lowe upon the album's release in May 2022, Styles revealed that he tried not to take direct sonic influences on this record like he had in the past. "I kinda felt like you can reference things by the emotions that they evoke," he said.

The same interview points out how much more comfortable Styles has become with being flexible and fluid, both in his own writing and his collaborators. And now that he's found his right-hand men in Johnson and Hull, he finds it easier to bring his ideas to life. This has allowed Styles to continue to expand his writing, and that resulted in an album that launched his superstardom to even greater heights — and showcased Harry Styles simply having fun.

Now 28 (almost 29!), Styles has been a beloved star for nearly half of his life. In that time, fans have watched his musical abilities mature, morph and expand; he has shown a willingness to always have an eye on what comes next — and that forward thinking paid off in a big way in 2022. However he evolves next, it seems Styles will never lose the drive and endearing charm the world first saw on the "X Factor" stage over a decade ago.

"He's a very similar person. He's a very consistent, loyal, kind person, very focused. That is all the same," Johnson insists. "He's just doing what people do when they do it more and more — he's focusing in on who he is more, he's gaining confidence, and he's becoming more and more himself — which is a very potent thing."

via Grammy.com

[zot3-flopped]

Troye Sivan exists and delusional hag larries think someone is closeting louis and forcing him to be a father lmfaoooo I wonder if they ever stop and think about how stupid they are. Same with thinking Harry is not allowed to do whatever he wants, when he already wore a dress on the cover of vogue and got a ton of backlash over it. The homophobes in charge sure are powerful!

Troye exists, Sam Smith exists, Lil Nas X exists, Frank Ocean exists, Adam Lambert exists and yet little Louis Tomlinson is still being forced to fake a 7-year-old child.

[gayrockanthem]

Chapter 2. Becoming a louie

A little throwback to November 2020. I saw GayTimes posted a story about a guy in a dress on the Vogue cover. I was like, Oh, wow! I have no idea who he is but that's cool!

Now back to the timeline. March 2021. GayTimes posted about that same guy from the cover winning his Grammy. Now I was curious. I went to YouTube and put 'Harry Styles' in a search bar. I could have never guessed that moment to be a major turning point in my life.

I listened to a couple of his tunes. I watched Sign Of The Times mv. And it stuck. Over the weekend that was the song on repeat in my headphones.

Then YouTube recommended videos like 'Harry Styles being the best human' and 'Harry Styles being Aquarius that he is'. Yeah, that's how you know I fell down the rabbit hole.

I was captivated by the guy. Sweet and hot and charming and cheeky and all these things about Harry.

Soon I discovered that he was in a band called One Direction. In the years they were active I have never heard about them. My only memory of the band was when Zayn left coz that was the kind of news you can't escape even if you want. I also remember his Pillowtalk, it was a hit back then.

Around the time they formed as a band, the more or less stable Internet access only appeared in my life. Before, I had copied some pirated Linkin Park and now I could listen to more of similar music. After years of only mainstream pop from the television, I was very much into heavier stuff. No wonder a boyband marketed for teenage girls went past me. But now, all these years later I was open-minded and intrigued not only by the music but their story as well. And Larry, of course.

I've seen a lot of people share a similar experience of falling down the rabbit hole of hours upon hours online watching, researching, crying their eyes out.

So yeah, this is how I was acquainted with the existence of Louis Tomlinson.

If it wasn't for Louis, I greatly doubt I would go any further than a casual fan. Just as for the lots of others, Harry opened the door but it was Louis who pulled me in.

Chapter 1. Before becoming a louie

There were always ups and downs in my life. 2018-2019 were years when I was truly hopeful. I made a leap toward myself in terms of how I present, the people I surround myself with, and the things I do. It felt like I finally started to live MY life. It was not easy, no! But I was on a roll.

2020 was the beginning of an end.

I had a relationship that ended as fast as it started. I had a job I wanted to quit. And so I did when the quarantine started. But at that time I was already broke. I went back to live with my parent, my gratitude to them for the shelter.

in May 2020, I had what I call a spiritual breakdown. When my physical/material world fell apart, I doubted my beliefs. I figured my worldview, the things I used to believe in and rely on, they don't really work. I felt empty. What's the point of caring for the greater good when I struggle to survive. I went back to basics, pretty primitive for that matter. I downloaded Tinder and soon I went back to the mediocre office job.

In September 2020 I lost my friend. My first friend and my best friend. I didn't have friends at all growing up. We clicked together when I was already in my twenties. The part of me died with him. The significant part of me.

In December 2020 I started another relationship. But my health deteriorated. I generally have good health but then I was hit with one problem after another. Also, this was the coldest winter I have ever had, not in terms of the temperature outside but I was constantly cold which is also not typical for me.

In February 2021 the relationship ended. Just as fast as it started. Just the same as the one I had a year before.

So what do I do now? How do I move on now that I'm so very far from being hopeful as in, say, 2019?

[ladychlo]

Magazine covers : Now (2020/2021) and Then (2012)

[larrylimericks]

10Dec21

While sightings of Louis abound On the outskirts of London Town, The other’s MIA But we’d bet the UK Is also where H could be found.

[1ddiscourseoftheday]

💙Sat 12 Dec ‘20💙

◟̽◞̽ LIVE FROM LONDON aka “5 TIMES LOUIS NEARLY GAVE US HEART ATTACKS AND THE ONE TIME HE RAISED OUR BODIES BACK TO LIFE” ◟̽◞̽

The hype leading up to the event was beautiful and nerve wracking, with Louis' Walls streams showing the largest gain since release week, new merch dropping (pink! So much pink! It is the color of rock n roll after all...plus it's available in sizes ranging from XS to 3XL fuck yeah, so nice), LTHQ and Veeps whipping everyone into a frenzy with a barrage of tweets, plus Louis tweeted “if you have a speaker round the house plug it in, if you're old enough get yourself a drink. This is going to be special!” (fan: if I do that my mom will kill me! Louis, basically- fuck that, do what you want!), and then he posted the set list which genuinely took my stress levels down like 90% THANK YOU LOUIS, I was able to simply enjoy the cool static-y countdown with its rainbow glitches for a few. But ofc any calm went completely down the toilet the second he walked out with a giant ass H on his chest (the first heart attack) and started singing maybe the best he's ever sung in his life?? My heart was still pounding three minutes later when he sang the softest, most gorgeous version of We Made It, standing in front of a giant rainbow wheel. The arrangements on every song were incredible (the string section? YES!). He did the best version of Through The Dark I've ever heard and that song is already my fucking favorite, That Version of Two Of Us, ACOUSTIC ONLY THE BRAVE, rock Always You, stadium rock Fearless, and we all know about his version of Beautiful War (WOW), listen do I need to list every song? I WILL DON'T TRY ME. But on top of all that-- the NEW SONG!! Copy of a Copy of a Copy is, uh, amazing?? It's just... so GOOD...so.. gestures vaguely at like... all of it. The sound! The lyrics! GORGEOUS, and he really gets into the figurative lyrical territory that he admires so much in others' songs and has said he wants to do more, I love seeing that so much and the results are just... sublime. Truly. Much chatter now about the similarity in sound to Sign of the Times, as if it wasn't terrific enough already. So much to love about it! And I even loved the inclusion of the fan videos on KMM-- they were just on the screens behind Louis, it totally worked with the general cool look of everything and didn't detract at all, and tbh Louis singing directly to the wall  of singing louies was actually so lovely and precious. In conclusion, his voice throughout was PHENOMENAL, the band were great, strings included (hire those women Louis take them on the road, please!), the sets and lighting design and direction were awesome, the whole aesthetic was just SO on point, Louis said it best-- “we smashed it”. YEAH. YOU DID.

Other things: you didn’t think I was done with THAT FUCKING H SHIRT did you? It doesn't just have a GIANT H in the middle, above that (like tags!) are five asterisks, *****. YEAH. Look familiar? Yeah to me also damnnn. So, “end it”, “Harry”, or both? Poll time! Hair update: in a combined “you always come thru for your louies” and “you fucking demon troll” moment that's perfectly Louis he DID take his hat off to show us the glorious mane but I'm pretty sure he also trimmed it before the show! And: Hot Oli is already in the rearview I guess; ah we barely knew ye, but a new photog has appeared on the scene: enter Josh Halling (prev worked with Sam Fender) taking show pics today, including a super cool one on Louis' insta. Welcome to the team? Being a better guy than Jordan is a low bar, so just try to clear that one sir? And keep feeding us those great Louis pics! And: WBK Louis likes his backstage vodka redbull (and onstage 'water' bottles), and he confirmed between songs- “the power of vodka for me mate I’m loving it!” (straight? no, gay!). And: was the CK hoodie Louis was wearing in the pre show publicity photo (thanks Hot Oli) Harry's CK hoodie? Or simply a Copy of a…. well you know. And: hey guess what-- I gotta hand it to Veeps, against all odds that stream was flawless! Plus they got rid of the chat which was probably to facilitate that but also I simply appreciated it, good call. The Genius lyrics page for Copy of a Copy of a Copy did crash after the show though so it's cool don't worry; we've still got it. And finally: lots of people are talking now about how cool the show was but do any of them matter except DMAs reposting the pic on insta with hearts?! LOVE that for Louis.

And for the aftershow we got Louis on twitter! He thanked everyone (us, the crew, the band, Charlie, the strings, veeps, “all my personal team”), and answered a Q about doing another one-- “potentially but I doubt it, wanted to make this one special so no plans at the moment to do another.” About Copy he said “it will remain in the set for the tour and live shows but not sure when/if it will be released yet” but also re inclusion on LT2 “Probably but I want to keep all my options open. Very early in the process. Enjoy the moment!”

The rest of the day was pretty slow thank god, just some prerecorded content from Liam (a wizarding world spot) and a tik tok that's just him in the dark, shirtless, reacting to a fan screaming (literally) about how he apparently got relationship advice from Liam via facetime last night. And today's daily alarm, which was actually pretty wild, Liam and Roman reading a whole long rhyming poem about waking up! Very impressive indeed, I especially like when they rhyme “santa” with “banter”, perfectly British! And then also a strange interlude of Roman talking about how to impersonate Keanu Reeves, okay.

[bravecreature]

well now you have.

[hide-your-pizza]

HE LOOKS LIKE A PAINTING KIIIIIINNNG AIJHFLUENRUGVBDKFJLA

[angeltxmlinson]

Louis Tomlinson for Vogue (my edit)

(Please do not repost or crop out watermark!)

[kenzys-lockscreens]

so vogue should hire me right?

[disgruntledkittenface]

I posted 3,609 times in 2022

143 posts created (4%)

3,466 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@disgruntledkittenface

@neondiamond

@lilacdreamland

@wabadabadaba

@kingsofeverything

I tagged 2,039 of my posts in 2022

Only 44% of my posts had no tags

#q - 256 posts

#to read - 180 posts

#fic rec - 172 posts

#wordplay - 112 posts

#grace kelly au - 64 posts

#girl direction - 43 posts

#wip - 33 posts

#fave fics - 32 posts

#thank you for including me 💕 - 28 posts

#28th appreciation recs - 22 posts

Longest Tag: 131 characters

#but if this ends is such an achievement i loved hearing that you read it a lot to make sure it all worked because that is very me!!

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

subverting expectations by @disgruntledkittenface​

Rating: Mature

Category: F/F

Relationship: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Additional tags: American AU, Girl Direction, Met Gala, Strangers to Lovers, Smut, Semi-Public Sex, Nipple Play, Vaginal Fingering, Daddy Kink, Actor Louis Tomlinson, Model Harry Styles

“Do you have a cigarette?”

If Harry thought the question would shock Louis, she would've been wrong. Louis doesn’t even look startled, even though it’s the first time one of them has spoken. She smirks at Harry in the mirror.

“We’re not supposed to do that anymore,” she says, her raspy voice full of mirth. Like she’s amused at Harry or something. “It’s bad for the paintings or whatever.”

“And you’re not a bad girl,” Harry says, turning to face Louis. She leans her hip against the counter, determined to both gain the upper hand and not think about why she wants to. “Right?”

Harry goes to the ladies’ room at the Met Gala expecting a cigarette and a break from the boredom. Instead, she gets Louis.

An (early) birthday gift for @homosociallyyours​ // READ ON AO3

169 notes - Posted May 3, 2022

#4

306 notes - Posted April 30, 2022

#3

Darling, so it goes by disgruntledkittenface

Harry practically skips up the stairs to his office with Sophia, rejuvenated by the possibility of seeing his Vogue. It’s one thing to know which shot they picked for the cover, but it’s going to be a whole other thing to actually hold the glossy pages in his hands. The shoot had been long and exhausting, and Harry had hated being away from Louis but at the same time he’d loved every minute of it. Some of the choices are going to invite controversy, and Guy from the press office might have a coronary, but it was important to be himself. Trending topics be damned, Harry Styles – soon to be Harry of Monaco – doesn’t care what people think he should or shouldn’t wear, and marrying into a royal family isn’t going to change that.

When they walk into Harry’s office, Mitch is sitting at the small table in the corner looking at one with his coffee cup. His complete and utter lack of enthusiasm does nothing to put a damper on Harry and Sophia’s; Harry drums his fingers against the desk as she carefully opens the small package. A soft gasp escapes her lips when the cover is revealed; the stark black of the headlines that matches the fitted blazer Harry is wearing contrasts nicely with the soft blues and greens in the background. The editors had agreed when Harry requested a bit of whimsy for the cover, knowing how many official portraits would be in his near future, and they’d used a shot where he’s blowing up a small blue balloon. The pose shows off his engagement ring nicely. It’s not immediately evident that what Harry is wearing underneath the jacket is actually a gown, and he holds his breath as Sophia flips through the pages, waiting for her to see the full outfit.

“Mon dieu,” Sophia breathes, lifting the page to get a closer look when she finally gets there. “Harry, this is beautiful. I love this gown on you, so elegant. Is it Gucci?”

“Nice, man,” Mitch says, leaning over Sophia’s shoulder and holding his fist out for Harry to bump. Sophia elbows him without taking her eyes off the magazine. “Sir. That’s nice, sir.”

“Thanks, Mitchell,” Harry says, grinning as he bumps Mitch’s fist with his own. “And yeah, Gucci. It was even more gorgeous in person. You might see it sometime, I think Alessandro is going to give it to me for my archives.”

“Oh, Harry,” Louis says, holding the cover out to admire it. “This is gorgeous, darling. Fit for a prince, indeed.”

“I’m really happy they went with that one,” Harry says, pointing to the large headline on the cover that says just that. “They had a few other options, but none of them felt right.”

“It’s perfect,” Louis says, turning the pages until he reaches the editorial. “That gown is fit for a prince. My prince.”

“Harry, we should frame this,” Sophia suggests, pointing to one of the walls. “We could hang it right there, what do you think?”

“I think that’s perfect.” Harry gently takes the magazine from Louis and hands it back to Sophia. “Would you mind taking care of it? I need to go shower, actually get ready for the day. I’ll be back in like an hour.”

“Or two,” Louis says, taking Harry’s hand in his as he gives him a long once-over. “Let’s just say later.”

“You heard le patron,” Harry laughs, letting Louis drag him out of the office. “I’ll be back later!”

The Grace Kelly AU. 195k.

Coming soon as part of @onedirectionbigbang

314 notes - Posted March 16, 2022

#2

baby, you’re the end of june by @disgruntledkittenface​

“Up for it, Harold? We can go over the rundown when we get back. If you’re not busy then.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Harry says, closing his laptop and setting it on Louis’ desk. “It’s just Harry, though.”

“You look like a Harold,” Louis says, standing up and brushing some brownie crumbs off his t-shirt. Harry briefly wonders how he’s still hungry for lunch after demolishing half the plate of brownies as he stands and moves into the hallway. “It’s the cardigan, I think.”

“You guys can flirt on the way,” Niall says over his shoulder, beckoning for them to follow him as he strides down the row of cubicles. “Come on, I’m starving.”

Harry looks at Louis, but he just laughs as they follow Niall. Oh. He thought he’d been picking up a vibe while they hung out, but apparently not. Well, it’s better to know how Louis feels now, so he can nip his growing crush in the bud. Louis is a great guy, at least they can be friends as well as coworkers.

In which Harry courts Louis. Entirely by accident.

Additional tags: American AU, Advertising AU, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Fluff, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Harry Styles, Omega Louis Tomlinson, Courting, Accidental Courting, Scenting, Scent Marking, Protective Harry, Misogyny (see author’s note), Smut, Knotting, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Power Bottom Louis Tomlinson, mentions of Mating Cycles/In Heat

13.6k // written for @1daboficfest​ // READ ON AO3

392 notes - Posted June 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Darling, so it goes by disgruntledkittenface (195k, E)

Harry Styles is a world-famous actor at the height of his career but a personal low point when he meets His Serene Highness Prince Louis of Monaco by chance. He doesn’t think they’ll ever see each other again, but after striking up a correspondence, it turns out they have more in common than he thought. Then they start to fall for each other. Louis is different from anyone Harry has dated before and their relationship moves fast as Harry realizes he’s ready for a change. Soon Harry finds himself adapting to an entirely new life, in a country where he doesn’t know the rules, the customs, even the language. Harry is used to people underestimating him, and he’s more determined than ever to prove them wrong.

He just needs Louis to meet him halfway.

Grace Kelly AU.

Additional tags: Royal AU, Actor Harry Styles, Prince Louis Tomlinson, Famous/Famous AU, Developing Relationship, Long-Distance Relationship, Moving In Together, Louis Tomlinson Calls Harry Styles Pet Names, Meet the Family, Family Dynamics, Communication, Lack of Communication, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Light Angst, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Engagement, Royal Wedding, Prince Harry Styles, Family Planning, Past Family Member Death, Original Characters, POV Harry Styles, Alcohol, Drinking, Smut, Dirty Talk, Phone Sex, Safe Sex, Barebacking, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Riding, Anal Plug, Light Exhibitionism, Semi-Public Sex, D/s Undertones, Light Subspace, Light Bondage, Handcuffs, Blindfolds, Spanking, Overstimulation, Harry in Panties, they kind of share that, meaning they’re both verse

written for @onedirectionbigbang​ // featuring art by @hrrytomlinson​

READ ON AO3

951 notes - Posted May 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[dreamings-free]

BRINGING THE LOVE Get to know the wildly adored British pop star Harry Styles before his concert tour hits San Diego. San Diego Union-Tribune  12 Nov 2021

full text under the cut >

By Nina Garin

IT’S HAPPENING. After two COVID-19 postponements, Harry Styles will finally bring his Love On Tour concert to San Diego. And we are ready. We’ve been ready. We can’t handle how ready we are. We have our best outfits (hopefully they still fit after lockdown). We’ve made signs to hold up during the show (hopefully he can see all the way up to the balcony). And we’ve memorized every single set list (hopefully he’ll do a San Diego-centric cover — Andra Day? Switchfoot?).

If you’re reading this and are confused by all the enthusiasm, perhaps you are not aware of the greatness that is Harry Styles. Here’s a bit of background: Born in 1994, Styles grew up in Holmes Chapel, England (not too far from Liverpool, actually). In 2010, he auditioned for Simon Cowell on the seventh season of “The X Factor,” performing Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.” That’s when the world was introduced to the musician, songwriter and actor that consumes so many hours of our days.

If that isn���t enough to win you over to Team Harry, here are 12 more reasons why we love him:

1. He put in the work

Though Styles didn’t make it as a solo artist on “The X Factor,” he was placed in the boy band One Direction with fellow promising singers Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan. (At 16, Styles was the youngest). The band signed to Cowell’s Syco Music label and released five chart-topping albums: “Up All Night,” “Take Me Home,” “Midnight Memories,” “Four” and “Made in the A.M.”

2. He’s loyal

Styles stayed in One Direction even after Malik left in early 2015, continuing with the band until it officially went on hiatus in December 2015.

3. But he’s also independent

In 2017, Styles released “Harry Styles” — a record that Rolling Stone called “a superb solo debut.” His follow-up, 2019’s “Fine Line,” was a global success thanks to songs like “Watermelon Sugar” and “Adore You.” That Grammy-nominated album is essentially why the world is in its current state of Harrymania.

4. He’s a star of stage and screen

Along with being a full-time rock star, Styles also takes on unexpected movie roles, like playing a soldier in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” and it was recently announced that he’s joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Eros, brother of Thanos.

5. He gives back

“Treat People With Kindness” is a song from “Fine Line,” but it’s also the slogan he uses to raise money for charity. Styles has raised over $1 million for local charities through merchandise and ticket sales;

causes around the world include the North Texas Food Bank, the Munich Refugee Council and the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.

6. He’s funny

Styles has been doing skits on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” since his One Direction days, including some “Carpool Karaoke” drives and a “Crosswalk Concert.” He also did a memorable Mick Jagger impression on “Saturday Night Live” a few years ago. In 2019, Styles was both the host and musical guest on “SNL,” and — bonus to local fans — in the sketch “Airline Pilots,” he actually says “San Diego.” (Squee!!)

7. He’s fashionable

Styles made headlines in December 2020 for being the first man to be on the cover of Vogue, and he did it wearing a dress. But even before that cover, Styles has always dressed provocatively and androgynously, with looks that include a pearl necklace with a frilly collar, a pink pantsuit and a custom Gucci leather suit with accompanying feather boa. Yes, queer icons like Billy Porter have been dressing this way for ages without the same attention and adulation, but in mainstream circles Styles is helping to change the dialogue around what’s acceptable in men’s fashion.

8. He keeps good company

Which is your favorite friendship? Styles and Lizzo? The two have covered each other’s songs and famously flirted on camera at the 2020 Brit Awards. Styles and Stevie Nicks? Clearly inspired by her 1970s rock vibe, Styles befriended the Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter, who has has referred to Styles as the son she never had. In 2020, Styles inducted Nicks into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. What about Styles and Ed Sheeran? The two British pop singers have been friends for ages and even have matching tattoos.

9. Speaking of tattoos ...

The 27-year-old musicians has over 50 of them — from the oversize butterfly just above his stomach to the tiny guitar on his shoulder.

10. The gift of ‘Sign of the Times’

This one’s very specific, but anyone who watches dance in real life or on TV has seen an interpretation of Styles’ intense and moving song “Sign of the Times” — it usually involves a lot of floor work and stomping. It’s a staple at dance competitions around the world and has been performed on “So You Think You Can Dance.” One of the best versions is by Korea’s G.NI Dance Company.

11. He appreciates his fans

Usually when you dress up for a concert, you don’t actually expect to get noticed by the performer. But Styles is extremely attentive, treating his fans more like friends and joking with them throughout his performances. He reads and reacts to homemade signs, offers relationship advice, and even did a baby gender reveal for fans during a show.

12. The spirit of Harryween

The best thing about Styles is the level of enthusiasm and commitment he brings to anything he does, exemplified recently over Halloween weekend. He threw not one, but two costume parties/concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden. On Oct. 30, he and the band dressed up as characters from “The Wizard of Oz” (Styles as Dorothy, obviously) and sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” then on Halloween night he wore a vintageinspired clown costume and performed Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” We can’t wait to see what he’ll do in San Diego.

[hldailyupdate]

For British singer/songwriter Harry Styles, 2020 was a career-defining year, bolstered by the December 2019 release of his GRAMMY-nominated sophomore solo album, 'Fine Line'

Though many people might want to write off 2020 as a year that never existed, for others, it was a year of growth, change and even success. For Harry Styles, 2020 was a career-defining year, which is no easy feat when the entire world is shut down. The pandemic left him no choice but to put his world tour plans on pause and strategize a new way to not just promote his sophomore album, Fine Line, released in December 2019, but also keep fans' attention.

What followed was a bit of a phenomenon.

Styles, who has been a star since his One Direction days, became a bigger star with every passing day. His album went multi-platinum, he got his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single with "Watermelon Sugar," he was named Variety's 2020 Hitmaker of the Year, he landed his first-ever GRAMMY nominations of his career (Best Pop Solo Performance for "Watermelon Sugar," Best Music Video for "Adore You" and Best Pop Vocal Album for Fine Line at the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show). And the list goes on.

While these accomplishments would add up to a banner year for any artist, what makes it so unique for the British singer is twofold. For one, he's been in the business for a decade already, gaining fame at just 17 as a member of the huge boy band One Direction. While in the group, which came together in 2010 as part of "The X-Factor," Styles and his bandmates Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik found global success, selling millions of records, performing in sold-out stadiums around the world and winning many awards.

However, despite how massive the band became, they didn't quite crossover to listeners of all ages—they had a hard time shaking the boy band label. While their music evolved into a more mature rock sound over the years, they never got to a place where they were wholly appreciated by the public in a way that their fans knew they deserved.

Once the band went on hiatus in 2015, Styles went to work creating his first solo album, Harry Styles. It was released in 2017 to much fanfare (it also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200), but it wasn't until his second solo album that he really hit his stride. With Fine Line he found his musical voice and shared an album that not only resonated with his core fanbase but also brought him further into the mainstream.

From the first single released off the album ("Lights Up" in October 2019) all the way to the most recent video ("Treat People With Kindness" in January 2021), Fine Line has continued to grow. It was with this album that Styles became a household name, disconnected from his boy band roots in a way like never before. Gone are the days where people refer to him as "Harry Styles from One Direction." Now Styles stands alone, proud of where he came from but boldly moving forward on his own path.

The even more stunning part of Styles' year, though, and the second reason 2020 was so out of this world for him, he largely let his fanbase spread the good word about his art. Fans on social media hosted streaming parties for "Watermelon Sugar" to ensure it hit Billboard's No. 1 spot. They've created and sold their own merchandise to advertise his music. As only a dedicated stan army can do, they've made sure that every single thing he does goes viral. Even though Styles himself has a limited social media presence, he's still one of the most noteworthy internet personalities, simply because his fans have kept him there. In a world where social media reigns supreme, he lets his work speak for itself and trusts in his partnership with his fans to help him succeed.

The impact of Fine Line was substantial. Because of it, he is currently in the running for his first three GRAMMYs--Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Music Video for "Adore You" and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Watermelon Sugar." And the numbers also back up his work. Fine Line is RIAA certified double platinum, has over 4 billion worldwide streams and spawned six songs that cracked the Billboard Top 100 chart.

Before the album's release, to promote "Adore You," Styles and Columbia Records created a mysterious world called Eroda that trended before anyone even knew it was for a music video. "Watermelon Sugar" became one of the songs of the pandemic summer after the video dedicated to human touch—which has over 194 million views on YouTube—was released in May 2020.

Not one to ever let the album get stale, Styles continued to remind listeners of its existence throughout 2020, even though the world had shut down and in-person promo wasn't an option. Before that, though, Styles caused a buzz as he took double duty on "Saturday Night Live" in November 2019 as the host and musical guest, as well as performing in BBC Radio1's Live Lounge the following month. After a few shows in Los Angeles, London, and New York in late 2019 and early 2020, Styles hunkered down amid COVID and let his music videos do the talking. Aside from "Watermelon Sugar," he released a video for "Falling" in February and "Golden" in October. Fans may not have gotten to see Styles on the road in 2020, but he made sure to keep popping up on their screens, including a virtual appearance at iHeart Radio's Jingle Ball in December, one of his only in 2020.

But 2020 wasn't only a great year for Styles' music, he also graced multiple fashion magazine covers, continued his relationship with Gucci, and even landed a second major movie role, in Olivia Wilde's upcoming Don't Worry Darling. Not only was he Vogue's first man to pose on a cover alone, he did it wearing a dress. He's continued to quietly advocate for genderless fashion by wearing what makes him happy, whether it's fishnets for Beauty Papers or his everyday pearl necklace. Though many rock stars before him pushed similar gender-bending trends, he's become that person for his generation.

Styles even influenced countless people in lockdown to take up knitting, simply to recreate the J.W. Anderson rainbow patchwork cardigan he wore during a rehearsal for the "Today" show in February. After a few fans fumbled through knitting a copycat, the fashion house published a pattern that spread like wildfire. Suddenly TikTok was flooded with people knitting "The Sweater," and fans all over the world showed off their matching rainbow cardigans in their Instagram selfies from home.

As much as the phrase has been bandied about in recent months, it still holds true: It's Harry Styles' world and we're all just living in it. Despite all the setbacks and hardships, 2020 defined Styles as an artist—not just a musician, but a whole artist. It seems inevitable that Styles will only continue to grow his star power as he draws in more fans for this journey. For those devoted fans who have been there for him since he was just a teenager singing "What Makes You Beautiful," though, his meteoric rise in 2020 just made sense.

(11 March 2021)

[larrylimericks]

9Dec21

Beach Edition South Beach will see Harry headlining A New Year’s Eve Eve college bowl thing, And move over, Chaucer, For a new published author: Lou foreword-ed Helene’s Just Sing.

Leech Edition On the coattails of Harry’s appeal, A new cover girl’s been revealed, With a Wilde press release Dressed up as a Vogue piece Purchased in a two-for-one deal.

[1ddiscourseoftheday]

Tues 11 May ‘21

Louis saw us all coming up with wacky theories about what the BMG announcement might mean and came to tell us what’s going on… wait no he just retweeted the same article from yesterday with the partnership wording! Haha, but in seriousness while I know not everyone agrees I think it’s pretty clear at this point that BMG is his new record label. The tweet he posted was captioned with another easily misconstrued statement, THANKS FOR THAT LOUIS, but I will repeat what I said yesterday, which is that by far the likeliest explanation of his announcing to a fandom that’s rabid for label news that he’s joined a label is that- it’s his new label! And all the evidence I see supports that. The post he retweeted said (in the words of Music Week) “After five One Direction albums and one solo LP with Sony Music and Syco, now Louis Tomlinson is officially an independent artist with BMG”. Some believe this means he’s NOT signed to BMG but is putting out his own album and simply using them as a distro; I personally would say it seems pretty clear at this point that that simply refers to the fact that BMG are, as a label that isn’t one of the Big Four, considered an independent label, making Louis, as someone on their roster, an indie artist- like the tweet said. If he’d gone rogue and started his own label there would be articles everywhere about it and that article would have talked about it (instead headlines read “Louis Tomlinson Signs Record Deal With BMG”), plus we have plenty of quotes that would be frankly odd if he weren’t signed to BMG, such as the vice president of A&R at BMG UK, saying "We are delighted to welcome Louis to BMG. He is already busy working on new music, and we are excited to join him on the next phase of his extraordinary career,” a BMG sales manager saying “BMG will have the new album” and referring to the fact that they’ll do promo for it (in a DM conversation that actually appears to be real, unlike SOME going around today), and Charlie Lightening posting “Congrats @louist91 on the new deal with BMG UK excited for LT2, gonna smash it lad”.

More to the point-- why do people want so badly to think he ISN’T signed with BMG? This is GREAT NEWS!! They’re an indie (what everyone has wanted for Louis forever), and they were founded specifically to give artists more control than the majors (after splitting off from Sony; they were more or less founded as a direct push back against Sony’s business model), but they’re big enough to give him the support an artist of his size needs, which would be very hard for him to pull off running his own label-- I’d much rather see him putting his energy into writing songs, touring, making documentaries, and running his management company, rather than doing his own promo and wrangling with distro deals and shit. He should be signed to a label to do that work for him! And BMG seems like an awesome choice! But the weird ideas out there just continue right on-- not just people saying he’s not on a label, but also others, who don’t think him being on a label completely unconnected to Sony will be able to prevent Sony from dropping a piano on Louis’ head like the moustache twirling masterminds they are er sabotaging BMG somehow (the whole point of them being an indie is that this shouldn’t be an issue?), and such amazing takes as “louis has signed to a queer label” (evidence? “we just know that they are queer”; an actual dialogue from tiktok), are unlikely to be affected by any number of facts, as are the twitter folks getting excited about him ‘unfollowing’ accounts he never followed to begin with (Syco etc).

Anyway Louis, on a roll of giving us what we want today, also gave us a VIDEO with his HAT OFF! I don’t even care that it’s a silly ad (for samsung), or that he trimmed his luscious locks a little, it’s Louis! Talking and stuff!! Showing off his still wonderfully long hair all pushed up and back! Gorgeous, amazing, perfect… and yes I am ignoring the slides and socks thank you very much, though I will mention that they are literally exactly the same as Harry’s slides and socks. He also followed BMG, one of his (no doubt many) NFT trading profiles was found (@LT282828, LMAO), and new shows are being added as the tour dates finalize (though ticketmaster showing a Harry date for the same day/place as one of them was a glitch, we don’t have Harry’s updated dates yet)

And speaking of Harry! MP filming was indoors today, so Harry was only seen walking to his car, but he showed up at the Brits!!! In an amazing geometric patterned (or, uh, “macro framed sequence print” I GUESS) brown and tan suit (that clashed just HORRIFICALLY with the neon pastel Brits décor and his award, I fucking love that) and a cute lil handbag and sneakers to accept his AWARD for Best British Single!! (For Watermelon Sugar oddly, but hey a wins a win). CONGRATULATIONS baby and WOW great to see him! He popped in with pal Tomo Campbell, last seen by us when they drove to Italy together last summer. He thanked “my fans, for being so generous to me, always, and everyone in my life who has my back, thank you so much I love you.” Question, did he make the choice to swap out the pink and yellow award he was handed onstage for the blue and green version he had later? Either way, lol. Lots more people will have nice things to say about him now with this high profile win, but even before that people were gushing about him-- Joshua Bassett came out as queer by calling Harry hot (”I guess this is me coming out”), we got Billy Porter on the Brits pre show carpet saying, “I am seeing change! You know Harry Styles on the cover of Vogue Magazine that is change. You’re welcome!” and someone from his recording studio telling us he “was very nice wasn’t he, he brought doughnuts for the assistants and gave everyone a lift home. He came into reception and offered to make everybody a cup of tea,” awww Harry! Lift home from Harry, that’s my new meeting-one-of-the-boys goal.

Niall wished “everyone involved at the Brits” good luck, and Liam wished an NFT creator luck on his sale.

[bravecreature]

these two are blessed with not just each others as soulmates but also breathtakingly beautiful waists? and I have neither? God is unfair.

P. S they can be mold into each other's hands perfectly.