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By now, we’re all well familiar with the route an artist will follow to drum up some media attention and fan frenzy ahead of an album launch. First there’ll be a single, maybe even some leaked snippets, and an eventual cover story with the likes of Vogue or GQ.
Not Mr Styles though.
Making the headlines for all the right reasons — I personally have not yet recovered from his performance with Shania Twain at Coachella — the As It Was singer surprised us all by publicising his upcoming album with an in depth interview with Better Homes & Gardens.
Having seamlessly transitioned from boyband heartthrob to out-and-out music icon by the age of 28, the former One Direction member knows exactly what he’s doing when it comes to PR.
While it may sound a little bit bonkers to sit down with an interiors and gardening magazine to talk about the dark side of fame, sex and sexuality, and the importance of privacy, it’s actually the perfect fit.
The upcoming album, titled Harry’s House, was born from deep ruminations on what makes a house a home, and the realisation that “that ‘home’ feeling isn’t something that you get from a house; it’s more of an internal thing.”
Coinciding nicely with Better Homes & Gardens’ 100th anniversary, their June issue is quite the departure from their usual content. Speaking on their surprising cover star in his editor’s letter, Stephen Orr said, “Over our long history, we have never been known as a celebrity magazine. But once in a while we feature famous people, like Brooke Shields, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Marie Kondo on our covers.”
“Our subject matter might usually be fabric swatches and paint colours, but we, like Styles, know it’s the heart and soul of a house that make it a home.”
Much like Harry Styles himself, the magazine is a wholesome, beloved title with just the right amount of kitsch and charm to draw us in. Throughout the interview, he opens up to journalist Lou Stoppard about the idea of home as “a headspace or mental well-being.”
The pair speak at length about the singer-songwriter’s compulsion to be likeable, and the ways in which he has had to dilute himself in order to remain palatable throughout his career. He speaks of his discomfort at being constantly asked about his sex life, who he’s dating, and to put a label on his sexuality.
“For a long time, it felt like the only thing that was mine was my sex life. I felt so ashamed about it, ashamed at the idea of people even knowing that I was having sex, let alone who with,” he said. “I’ve been really open about it with my friends, but that’s my personal experience; it’s mine.”
“The whole point of where we should be heading, which is toward accepting everybody and being more open, is that it doesn’t matter, and it’s about not having to label everything, not having to clarify what boxes you’re checking.”
Speaking on the reduced pressure he feels ahead of the release of Harry’s House, Styles no longer feels confined to create within the parameters of what may or may not be branded commercially successful.
“I just want to make stuff that is right, that is fun, in terms of the process, that I can be proud of for a long time, that my friends can be proud of, that my family can be proud of, that my kids will be proud of one day.”
The new album — which he just dropped the tracklist of — will be released on Friday, 20 May. The Harry Styles world tour will be making a pit stop in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on 22 June.
So, all ‘round to Harry’s House then, yeah?