Oct. 11, as many people know, was National Coming Out Day. And with so many artists nowadays trying to create anthems and songs for the LGBTQ+ community, it can often become quite difficult when things are coming from the heart or purely from an angle of sales. Taylor Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” comes to mind, being one that did not necessarily settle well with its desired audience. In simple fashion, former member of One Direction, Harry Styles, has released his first song in over two years since the initial release of his first solo album titled, “Harry Styles.” After two posts were released Thursday evening on Twitter and Instagram, Styles waited until 12 a.m. EST to release a YouTube link to his newest song, “Lights Up.” He is clearly not the first to release such a song, with LGBTQ+ artists like Halsey, Sam Smith, Hayley Kioko, Troye Sivan and Miley Cyrus. But it is definitely one of his first songs discussing the topic and with impeccable timing too, being that it was National Coming Out Day in both the United States and his home country of the United Kingdom.
In the music video, which was later followed by the song being released on other platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, Styles can be seen in a crowd of scantily clad men and women with yellow and green hues shining upon them as many share looks of relief and ecstasy. With scenes flickering from him swaying with the crowd and images of him in pink and baby blue sparkling dress shirts and outfits, the imagery of the music video is just an entire story in itself and a majority of the reason as to why it is being claimed as a bisexual anthem. Styles has always been one to refrain from describing himself as heterosexual while stating that he did not care to label things. With speculation circulating since his early days in One Direction back as far as 2010 when the group of five was on the X-Factor, he has always shown to be a supporter and ally of LGBTQ+ rights. He has been known to fly transgender and bisexual flags at his shows from his most recent tour with the intent on making everyone at his shows feel welcomed and comfortable. With an unreleased track titled “Medicine,” many rumors began to start about his sexuality with lines in the chorus like “Tingle running through my bones / The boys and the girls are in / I mess around with him, and I’m okay with it.” But it appears Styles could be hinting at more than just that.
“It’d be so sweet if things just stayed the same / La-da-da-da-da / All the lights couldn’t put out the dark / Runnin’ through my heart” These lyrics could also just simply refer to Styles becoming comfortable with himself and having his newfound ability to be himself after stepping into the solo limelight, hence the green lights and shading present in parts of the music video. Since the release of his first solo album, Styles has also made his debut acting career in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” in 2017.
Aside from bleeding skylines of pink, purple and blue, which make up the bisexual flag and the obvious choice of date to release his song, on National Coming Out Day, Styles also broke his silence on Twitter after a month of inactivity by posting the word “Do” on Oct. 5. The obscure tweet was seen to be a sign that something was brewing and that new music could possibly be on the way. There were also mysterious posters being discovered all over the world in countries like Australia, England, Japan and the United States bearing the question “DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?” with the Columbia Records logo and the acronym “TPWK” underneath referencing the project Styles’ was fronting titled “Treat People With Kindness,” many began to make the connection right away with John Lennon, where it was believed that the last words he heard were the same question. On Oct. 10, just a day before the release of the song, a website, in addition to the promotional posters, was launched. Upon entering the site, fans were encouraged to enter their name, to which Styles would reply with a message of encouragement.
“Lights up and they know who you are / Know who you are / Do you know who you are? (Oh) / Shine, step into the light / Shine, so bright sometimes / Shine, I’m not ever going back.”
Whether one takes a personal stance with the song or not, it cannot be denied that the three-minute track is more than catchy and empowering. With a simple message and repetitive lyrics, it appears to be just the song that is getting people through the tough times that the season of autumn brings. From the initial synthesized tracks and heavy bass, and almost airy vocals, Styles is able to captivate and hook the listener. The music as well as the visuals create an illusion of release and serenity after chaos, making it one of the most satisfying songs out at the moment.
Provided by Genius, Styles has said: “I’m discovering how much better it makes me feel to be open … Feeling that vulnerability, rather than holding everything in,” and “Feeling happier than I have ever been, sadder than I have ever been, feeling sorry for myself, being mad at myself, being petty and pitiful — it feels really different to share that.”
So whether one just needs words of encouragement or a track to burn a bridge to, “Lights Up” is the song that everyone should listen to at least once. And judging by his first release in quite some time, Styles’ sophomore effort is bound to be a hit. But until then, if you are anything like me, “Lights Up” will be on repeat.
Image from Harry Styles via YouTube
