Harry Styles: from teen heart-throb to global pop icon

From 1D breakthrough to stadium-filling solo career, British singer launches new world tour

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AFP May 16, 2026 3 min read

Photo: The Hollywood Reporter

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LONDON:

Harry Styles has cemented his status as one of the world's biggest pop stars, a decade after rising to fame with 'One Direction', blending magnetic stagecraft with a modern vision of masculinity that continues to reshape global pop culture.

On Saturday, the British singer is set to open a new months-long world tour with its first date in Amsterdam, following the release of his fourth studio album earlier this year. 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally' was released on March 6 and shot straight to the top of the charts in around 20 countries, including Britain, France and the United States.

It follows the success of 'Harry's House', released in 2022, which won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards and further established Styles as a dominant force in global pop.

Spotted at just 16 years old on 'The X Factor' television talent show, Styles rose to international fame as part of 'One Direction', the chart-topping band formed in 2010 alongside Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne.

With their catchy pop-rock sound, 'One Direction', or 1D as they became known, sold nearly 70 million records before disbanding in 2016. "He has never ever talked about his time in 'One Direction' with any kind of derision," said Hannah Banks, a creative industries specialist at Australia's University of the Sunshine Coast.

"And I think that helps because all of 'One Direction's fans - which was a huge number of people - came with him. He has just built upon that by doing slightly different music."

Styles quickly established his credentials as a solo artist. His self-titled debut album in 2017 was followed in 2019 by 'Fine Line', which included the smash hit 'Watermelon Sugar' and brought significant commercial success.

In the years since, he has attracted a growing and more diverse fanbase. "He's gone from a highly managed and manufactured boy band member to a man who's doing his own thing," said Sophie Cridland, a 37-year-old teacher and fan, pointing to his shift towards pop and electronic influences.

His album 'Harry's House' and his 2021–2023 'Love On Tour' cemented his transformation into an artist who has "brought a bit of the flair back" to what some see as an increasingly bland male pop landscape.

He is set to play a record 12 shows at London's 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in June, followed by a 30-date residency at New York's Madison Square Garden from late August. The tour wraps up in December in Sydney.

Styles has also become a fashion icon. In 2020, he became the first man to appear solo on the cover of US Vogue, wearing a Gucci lace dress in one image and a crinoline skirt by gender-fluid designer Harris Reed in another.

From sequined jumpsuits to flamboyant feather boas, skirts and pearl necklaces, his outfits recall artists such as David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, "who were also famous for pushing gender boundaries," said Banks. For fashion designer Nik Shimmin, Styles is "a breath of fresh air" who embodies "a version of modern-day masculinity that a lot of people want to see".

According to tabloid reports, Styles became engaged in April to US actress Zoe Kravitz. He has previously dated film director Olivia Wilde, as well as American superstar Taylor Swift and reality television personality Kendall Jenner.

Although discreet about his private life, Styles has become more outspoken on political and social issues. "He really is trying to do something that brings hope to people in a world that's very sceptical of concepts like treating people with kindness," said Louie Valencia, a humanities professor at Texas State University.

He is due to teach a course at Oxford this summer titled "Harry Styles and the Cult of Celebrity". Styles told The Times earlier this year he was excited about the upcoming tour. "When I listen back to the album, I can hear that I was having fun during this time. It's fulfilling to make something you're proud of," he said.