Remember when Harry Styles auditioned on X Factor? It feels like a lifetime ago. When we first heard his baritone voice in 2010, who could have predicted he would go from just one member of a band of five boys to one of the biggest solo artists in the world?

The list of post X Factor success stories isn’t a particularly long one, the list of boyband members who’ve successfully gone solo shorter still, but the former One Direction star makes up for that almost on his own. At this month’s Brit Awards, Styles received four gongs, adding to his six at the Grammys the week before.

Harry’s House was a number one album across the globe including Denmark, Norway, UK, America and was the fastest selling album of 2022, cementing his status as the new king of pop.

Styles’ opted not to stay in one direction in more ways than one, with the album proving another sonic departure that carried fans with him, That baritone ring heading in a different direction as he played around with octaves.

Here we take a look at Styles’ work across his career as we attempt to tell his story through his own words.

What Makes You Beautiful (Up All Night, 2011)
 

This classic pop song made it on our screens back in 2011. It was the first ever song the band brought out and played it on The X Factor whilst competing. The popular lyrics “But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell. You don't know, oh-oh. You don't know you're beautiful” are still played millions of streaming devices to this day and live it still gets stadiums screaming.

Sign of the Times (Harry Styles, 2017)
 

Styles’ first solo hit is classic rock with a bit of RNB and rap thrown in for good measure and was the most listened to song from his self-titled debut. The song is almost six minutes long and was performed at Saturday Night Live. ‘Sign of the Times’ starts with “Just stop your crying. It's a sign of the times. Welcome to the final show” as Styles shows his new range as a solo performer.

Sweet Creature (Harry Styles, 2017)
 

Sweet creature was a mature hit that was a step in the other direction for Styles’ as it has a back story and meaning behind it. The chorus really hooks you into the song “Just stop your crying. It's a sign of the times. Welcome to the final show”. The song is soft rock with piano and guitar is in G Major.

From The Dining Table (Harry Styles, 2017)
 

The start of his debut LP sees Styles imploring ‘Meet Me In The Hallway’ and by the end he is in the dining room, for this plaintive breakup anthem. He sings “We haven't spoke since you went away. Comfortable silence is so overrated. Why won't you ever say what you want to say? Even my phone misses your call, by the way” and thousands of hearts break.

Adore You (Fine Line, 2019)
 

The psychedelic pop and pop rock ballad is still popular as it’s played frequently on social media platforms. As the song starts “Walk in your rainbow paradise (paradise). Strawberry lipstick state of mind (state of mind). I get so lost inside your eyes. Would you believe it?” The album is based around the summer and this song captures the atmosphere of the season perfectly.

Fine Line (Fine Line, 2019)
 

The title track from Styles’ second album and a pop sensation. With over 300m streams on Spotify, this closing track was a great way to end a fine collection of songs, going out with the lines: “We'll be alright. We'll be alright.”

Golden (Fine Line, 2019)
 

The opener sees Styles bring a relatable, raw song to be able to engage with his fans. ‘Golden’ is more of indie rock effort which was different for the former One Direction star at the time, but set a tone for the rest of the album. No-one who’d heard his former band would have expected this direction on his second solo album.

As It Was (Harry’s House, 2022)
 

The story of the life of a lonely singer in a famous world, this song was written by Styles himself alongside Tyler Johnson and Thomas Hull. Styles’ second UK number one remained at the top spot for 10 weeks and was the biggest-selling single of last year, as well as earning him 15 weeks at the top of the US charts, a record for a British artist.

Late Night Talking (Harry's House, 2022)
 

This RNB hit came as the second song to the album. However it was the first song Styles’ had written alongside Hull. Hull played the instruments including drum, drum machine, bass guitar, electric guitar synthesizer and tambourine. The upbeat song was brought to life at Coachella before it was initially released. The song was a massive hit with the popular chorus lyrics “If you're feelin' down. I just wanna make you happier, baby. Wish I was around. I just wanna make you happier, baby”.

Matilda (Harry’s House, 2022)
 

A more serious song on an otherwise upbeat album. The song has an acoustic- guitar ballad and a chorus that goes “You can let it go/You can throw a party full of everyone you know/And not invite your family, 'cause they never showed you love/You don't have to be sorry for leaving and growing up”. The repetition demonstrates that sad tone throughout the chorus, as Matilda brings out a different side to Styles.

Watermelon Sugar (Harry’s House, 2022)
 

The passionate song has over two billion streams on Spotify, making it one of Styles’ biggest hits. ‘Watermelon Sugar’ has undercover meanings throughout the song where it’s hard to be exactly sure what the singer is getting at on what is a funk-pop song with a dark undertone.

Spotify playlist: