If there is one thing that didn’t disappoint us in 2020 that is definitely the new music and video releases. From Ariana Grande’s new single “Positions” to Harry Styles’ latest music video “Golden,” artists have been blessing us with new content to keep us motivated and empowered to finish this year in the best way possible.
Running under the sun through the picturesque streets of the Italian Amalfi coast, Harry Styles comes in our direction and tells us that we are so golden. “Golden” is the latest video release from Styles’ 2019 album Fine Line following the videos of “Falling,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “Adore You” and “Lights Up.” After a “Golden” photo teaser was posted by Styles’ info Instagram account on October 23, the actual music video was revealed three days later. In only two hours, the video amassed more than a million likes and took social media platforms by storm and now is trending number one on Youtube.
“It’s one of the first songs when I was making the album and it’s always been a source of joy for me,” Styles said in an interview with AP Entertainment. “And I wanted to make a video that encapsulated that. I’d like to think it will maybe cheer a couple of people up. Cheered me up.”
From One Direction to Finding His Own Direction
Since its inception in The X Factor under the guidance of Simon Powell in 2010, the English-Irish boy band One Direction has taken over the world. Their single “What Makes You Beautiful” was named best British single at the 2012 Brit Awards and the following year, their international success became the subject of 3-D documentary One Direction: This Is Us. Even after the band’s “indefinite hiatus” in 2015, Directioners remained strong and supported the solo careers of the four members Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, and former member Zayn Malik.
Styles debuted his first solo “Sign of the Times” in 2017 as part of his eponymous album. With a melodic combination of piano, guitar and drums, the song marked a turning point from One Direction’s summer-vibe pop and encapsulated Styles’ new identity as a solo artist. The English singer-songwriter released his second solo album Fine Line last December, debuting number one on Billboard and endowing him with the biggest U.S. sales week for a British male artist in 27 years. Fine Line’s “Watermelon Sugar” became Styles’ first number one single in the Hot 100 of Billboard in mid-August, marking a new milestone in the artist’s four-year solo career.
Styles was expecting to tour with his album Fine Line this year but the pandemic pushed back his plans to 2021. “I really hope to play the shows as planned for 2021 but will continue to monitor the situation over the coming weeks and months,” Styles tweeted. “I can’t wait to see you all on the road as soon as it’s safe to do so.” Looking ahead to the future of live performances, Styles announced Monday that he became one of the investors of the Co-op Live, a new concert venue in Manchester which hopes to be the UK’s largest arena. “What’s going to make it different than just touring? I want it to be a room that people remember playing and look forward to playing,” Styles told AP Entertainment. “As long as everything’s in order by 2023, hopefully they’ll let me play there.”
Golden Response
After a month of secretly shooting in Italy, the “Golden” video is here to cure your wanderlust. With a loosened white shirt showing his swallow chest tattoo and messy long hair flowing, Styles looks like taken out of a dreamy rom-com that we all want to star in with him. His fashion throughout the video is on point, a teal suit and two-color manicure perfectly complement the playful personality of the artist.
Social media didn’t wait to react to Styles’ video, including Lizzo who urged her fans to watch the video on Instagram live. “Go watch Golden, by Harry Styles… go watch my boy’s music video, my boy!” the Truth Hurts singer said while showing off her new crimson hair.
The video’s immediate success puts Styles back on the radar and proves his chances of possible 2021 Grammy nominations in the categories of Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Knowing that the fans couldn’t have enough of “Golden,” the artist launched a website where you can personalize your own “You’re so golden” postcard featuring photos from his dreamy music video. There is also a new line of limited edition products, including hoodies and tote bags, featuring the Italian flag colors, Styles’ portraits and a drawn storefront that says “Treat people with kindness.”
“GOLDEN. OUT NOW.”
