Cultural impact of Harry Styles

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Styles on stage at Wembley Stadium in 2022

English singer and songwriter Harry Styles has made a significant impact on popular culture with his music, artistry, fashion, identity, tours, and commercial achievements worldwide. He is regarded as one of the most influential men in fashion and a subject of widespread public interest with a vast fanbase. He is considered to be among the most successful solo artists who have emerged from a band.

His musical career began in 2010 as part of One Direction, a boy band formed on the British music competition series The X Factor after each member of the band had been eliminated from the solo contest. They became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016. After releasing his self-titled debut solo album through Erskine and Columbia Records in 2017, Styles steadily amassed fame, success and public interest throughout his career, becoming a fashion and cultural icon and one of the most successful artists of the 21st century. Additionally, Styles has been often described by media outlets as one of the culture defining figures shaping masculinity and a successor to artists such as Elton John, David Bowie, Elvis Presley and Freddie Mercury.

Touring

Styles has been revered by critics and journalists for his unique performing style and sense of inclusivity while touring. According to Billboard, tickets for Harry Styles: Live On Tour shows in 2017 sold out in seconds across 29 markets.[1] The tour grossed over $63 million and raised a total of $1.2 million in charity donations from ticket and merchandise sales for 62 charities around the world, and registered hundreds of new voters in the U.S. via the non-profit organisation HeadCount.[2] The second of the two final shows at The Forum in Inglewood, California, tallied more than 17,000 paid tickets and beat the record for the most paid tickets for a single show since the venue reopened in 2014. Additionally, record amounts of merchandise were sold in over 50 venues in North and South America, Australia, and Europe, according to Live Nation.[2]

Styles' Love On Tour grossed $617.3 million and sold more than 5 million tickets over 173 dates.[3] It ended as the fifth-highest grossing and eighth-most attended tour of all time, and raised more than $6.5 million for various charities including Planned Parenthood, Choose Love, and Physicians for Reproductive Health.[3] The tour eclipsed the entire career gross of One Direction's tours combined.[4] The tour was also credited by Hugh McIntyre of Forbes as "one of the first major ventures by a top-tier musician following the global pandemic" where most artists held back to see how the market would respond following the outbreak.[5]

Residencies

As part of Styles' Love On Tour in 2021, Styles announced a 15-night residency at both Madison Square Garden and The Forum, with additional 6-night residencies in Austin and Chicago. Multiple publications cited Styles as the leader in a new trend of live entertainment for performers in a post-COVID landscape and a method to reduce costs of touring. Ben Sisario of the New York Times named Styles as "the most prominent example of a bubbling trend", with Eamonn Forde of The Guardian agreeing Styles led the pack due to his large scale success, and former chief executive of Ticketmaster Nathan Hubbard claiming the strategy as "the future of live [entertainment]"[6][7]

Styles' shows at MSG was the highest grossing engagement for a British artist, for a male artist, the biggest for any artist at the venue, and the highest grossing headline engagement in Billboard Boxscore’s 30+ year history.[8] MSG raised a permanent banner to the rafters in the venue, commemorating his record-setting run of 15 consecutive sold-out shows, making Styles the third artist in history to receive the accolade.[9] Jim Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of MSG Entertainment, named Styles as "one of the most impactful artists of his generation" as a result of the residency.[10] Styles also received a commemorative banner for 15 sold-out shows at The Kia Forum in Inglewood that was raised to the rafters of the venue.[11]

Sustainability

Styles is considered one of the leading contemporary artists promoting sustainability in live entertainment.[12][13] Styles launched a partnership with the non-profit organization Reverb in 2018 for Harry Styles: Live On Tour.[14] On his first tour 6,700 gallons of waste were diverted from landfills backstage by band/crew.[15] As part of Styles' Love On Tour, "Harry Styles Eco-Village" were set up at every show, where 33,900+ single-use bottles were eliminated, and Styles supported The Kenya Clean Water Project, The Sky Wind Project, and Solar Powered Streetlights in Michigan to address the greenhouse gas emissions from the tour.[16] In 2022, the partnership was highlighted by Billboard as one of the major contributors to the "green movement" in live music.[17] Publications such as The Washington Post credited Styles alongside Coldplay and Billie Eilish for being the first major artists making climate pledges on their tours.[18]

Styles also invested in sustainable arena venue Co-Op Live in Manchester, England, the United Kingdom’s first and only 100% electric arena, powered by a combination of renewably sourced electricity and on-site solar panels.[19] The venue’s roof harvests rainfall, which is used to water its plants and flush its toilets. The venue also pledges zero waste to landfill and the intention to be the most sustainable arena in Europe.[19] In 2024, representatives for Styles joined the Music Climate Advisory Committee for a study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s Environmental Solutions Initiative, proposing sustainable solutions for events across the entire live music industry.[20]

Commercial influence

As a result of the anticipation for his albums, Styles has impacted the music industry's economy on several occasions. After the release of As It Was and Harry's House, the United Kingdom saw their highest annual exports level since 2000 and led a double-digit percentage increase in physical and digital download sales, streams and other consumption of British music in every region globally.[21] In 2022, Harry's House was listed among the key contributors to an increase of cassette sales in the UK, the highest level since 2003.[22] Styles has also been credited for the rise in vinyl sales in both the UK and the United States, for a 20% year on year industry increase.[23][24] Sony Music Group considered Harry's House a major seller for their third fiscal quarter of 2023, when the company experienced record earnings and a 42.9% year-on-year growth in music publishing revenue.[25]

British export

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has credited Styles' global success with boosting music exports of the United Kingdom multiple times.[26][27][28] Media outlets such as The Guardian have claimed Styles is "Britain’s most lucrative export" with his broad international appeal.[29][30] Harry Styles (2017) and Fine Line (2019) reached number one in the charts of over 30 countries, and Harry's House (2022), over 50. Styles' debut album earned the biggest sales week for a debut album by a British male in the Soundscan era[31] and Harry's House moved more copies on vinyl than any other artist since SoundScan tracking began.[32] Styles' As It Was (2022) is the longest running number one song by a British act in Billboard Hot 100 history.[33] Harry's House was the biggest debut for any British male artist on the Billboard 200 in history. Styles also holds the record as the first UK male artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 with their first three albums.[34] Styles was named the most influential person on Twitter in 2015[35] and ranked the number 10 Most Famous Contemporary Music Artist by YouGov.[36] Styles has also broken a variety of records in Asia, Europe and Latin America with his tours.[37][38]

Styles has been particularly praised for "breaking the boyband mould" as a solo artist and "cracking America". James Masterton of The Guardian labelled Styles as "a new kind of cross-media poly-talent" across generations, and Styles is considered a "renaissance man" for expression and fluidity in British stars.[30] Styles was the first British male soloist to win Album of The Year at the Grammys since Eric Clapton and was the first to win the award after originating from reality television.[39]

Marketing strategies

Styles' brand is considered "a professional, consistent and emotional presence" with "elaborate" and "lavish" marketing campaigns.[40][41] In 2020, Styles won the Silver Clio Award for Adore You in the "Music Marketing" category after undertaking the "Eroda" campaign.[42] Moreover, in 2024, Styles and Columbia Records won the Clio Grand in the "Album Launch/Artist Promotion Integrated Campaign" category for their achievement with Harry's House.[43]

Fashion

Styles has been labelled a fashion icon and as one of the most influential males in fashion by journalists and other sectors of the entertainment industry. His influence on fashion has been examined by critics and designers. Styles has had several ventures into the fashion industry, including owning lifestyle and fashion brand Pleasing, creating his own collection for Gucci, investing in brands like S.S. Daley, and appearing at events such as the Met Gala and The Fashion Awards. He became the first male to cover Vogue in December 2020, selling 40,000 subscriptions after the cover was launched and had to order a second print run with a waitlist.[44] Styles has set various fashion trends throughout his career, and aspects of his looks and clothing have influenced the public, designers, and other entertainers of different generations. Elements of Styles's personal belongings and famous looks have been displayed in museums and other exhibitions around the world, including The Design Museum, the Grammy Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. He is often credited for popularizing the feather boa as part of his performance outfit for "Watermelon Sugar" at the 2021 Grammy Awards. He is also credited for creating trends in fashion with pearl necklaces, hawaiian shirts, crochet garments, chelsea boots, and wide leg trousers. Styles has also received various awards for his fashion, including British Style Award at the 2013 Fashion Awards.

Other depictions

Covers and mentions

Many musicians worldwide have recorded their own renditions of songs from Styles' discography. Styles' songs have been featured multiple times at the Live Lounge, a segment from BBC Radio 1 during which acts often perform a track from another artist. Artists such as Jorja Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Little Mix, Lizzo, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, Maneskin, Cannons, and Jungkook have all covered Styles' work. Additionally, publications such as Billboard have created listicles ranking the best versions of Styles' songs.[45]

Styles has also been referenced and referred to on multiple tracks by other artists. Styles is featured as part of the titular track on Stormzy's album This is What I Mean (2022), Drake and 21 Savage's Her Loss (2022) on the track Major Distribution, Brockhampton's JOHNNY (2017) and Logic's 44 More (2018). Taylor Swift's album1989 is inspired by Styles, most prominently on the track Style.[46] Styles is also name-dropped on tracks by Kelsey Karter, Dylan, and Logan Paul.[47][48]

Tribute projects

Styles has been the subject of various tribute projects around the world. Vitamin String Quartet released a cover of As It Was commemorating the song through classical music.[49] Classical musician Steve Horner also gave tribute to Styles' Sign of The Times as part of the soundtrack for the Bridgerton television series two.[50] Styles also inspired a jazz-funk cover of As It Was by Prep that went viral on TikTok, and an additional experimental jazz cover album entitled A Visit to Harry’s House by musicians Spencer Zahn, Dave Harrington, and Jeremy Gustin.[51][52]

Styles has also been the subject of many tribute concerts across the United Kingdom, including the Candlelight Concerts series and a tour entitled the "Harry's House of Gospel".[53][54] Styles-themed events like drag brunches and themed bars have also been utilized to pay tribute to the artist.[55][56]

Scholarly interest

Styles is a subject of academic research. His artistry, fame, societal impact, and sexuality are broadly the topics of scholarly media studies. Some higher educational institutions offer undergraduate and elective courses focusing on Styles. The courses focus on a dissection of Styles' persona and works in how modern celebrity spawns “questions of gender and sexuality, race, class, nation and globalism, media, fashion, fan culture, internet culture, and consumerism.”[57] Universities such as Texas State University have courses dedicated to researching topics of Styles' impact.

See also

  1. ^ Brooks, Dave (2017-05-05). "Harry Styles Sells Out First World Tour in Seconds". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  2. ^ a b Aswad, Jem (2018-07-19). "Harry Styles Tour Tally: Nearly 1 Million Tickets Sold, $1.2 Million in Charity Donations (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  3. ^ a b Homewood, Ben (31 July 2023). "Harry Styles' Love On Tour in numbers". Music Week. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  4. ^ Frankenberg, Eric (2023-08-07). "Harry Styles' Love On Tour Ends As the Fourth $600 Million Trek Ever". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  5. ^ McIntyre, Hugh. "Harry Styles's Tour Wraps As The Fifth-Highest-Grossing Of All Time". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  6. ^ Sisario, Ben (17 August 2022). "Why Pop's Biggest Stars Are Staying Put for Long Residencies". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  7. ^ Forde, Eamonn (2022-12-13). "Move in and rock out: why bands love a residency". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  8. ^ Frankenberg, Eric (2 December 2022). "Harry Styles' 15 Madison Square Garden Shows Break a Major Billboard Boxscore Record". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  9. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2022-09-22). "Harry Styles Celebrates Historic 15-Show Run at Madison Square Garden With Banner Raising". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  10. ^ Halperin, Shirley (2022-09-22). "Harry Styles' 15-Night Run at Madison Square Garden Celebrated With Banner Dedication, Feather Boas for All". Variety. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  11. ^ Aniftos, Rania (2023-01-31). "Harry Styles Gets a Banner at Los Angeles' Kia Forum Celebrating 15 Sold-Out Shows". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
  12. ^ "5 Pop Stars Leading The Way Towards A More Sustainable Future". Capital FM. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
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  15. ^ "Harry Styles - Live on Tour • REVERB". REVERB. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
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  18. ^ Van Sistine, Ta'Leah (21 July 2022). "As concert tours heat the planet, artists try to cut carbon emissions". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
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  25. ^ Paine, Andre (26 February 2023). "Harry Styles, Beyonce and Sza lead Sony Music Q4 sales". Music Week. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
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  29. ^ Hunt, Elle (2019-11-18). "Tutu good: how Harry Styles suddenly became Britain's greatest export". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  30. ^ a b Khomami, Nadia; Arts, Nadia Khomami; correspondent, culture (2022-09-30). "'A new kind of cross-media poly-talent': the cult of Harry Styles". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  31. ^ Neubeck, Kyle (21 May 2017). "The First Week Numbers for Harry Styles' Self-Titled Debut Are In". Complex. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
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  35. ^ Blair, Olivia (7 December 2015). "Harry Styles, Katy Perry and Caitlyn Jenner the most influential people on Twitter in 2015". The Independent. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
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  39. ^ McDowell, Erin. "Taylor Swift is the first person to win album of the year 4 times. Here's every other winner throughout history". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  40. ^ Woert, Hannah Van (2023-01-17). "What Harry Styles Can Teach Us About Branding". Meteor Street Studio. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
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