"As It Was" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Harry Styles | ||||
from the album Harry's House | ||||
Released | 1 April 2022 | |||
Studio | Henson (Hollywood) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Harry Styles singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"As It Was" on YouTube |
"As It Was" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles, released through Erskine and Columbia on 1 April 2022 as the lead single from his third studio album, Harry's House (2022). The song was written by Styles alongside his producers Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson.
"As It Was" was widely acclaimed by music critics and entered at the top of the UK Singles Chart, becoming Styles' second solo number-one single, his first being "Sign of the Times" in April 2017. "As It Was" spent ten weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart, becoming the longest-running number-one and best-selling single of 2022 in his home country. In the United States, it was his second chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100, where it spent 15 non-consecutive weeks at number one, becoming the longest-running US number one by a UK act and the fourth-longest-running number one in the chart's history. It also spent 38 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten, making it the sixth longest charting song in the region.
"As It Was" was the best-selling global single of 2022, earning 2.28 billion subscription streams equivalents globally according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Outside the UK and US, the song was a commercial success and topped the charts in 45 countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, and Norway.
Harry Styles announced the title of his third studio album as Harry's House on 23 March 2022, unveiling its artwork, a 40-second trailer, and the album's release date as 20 May 2022. [1] [2] Five days later, he announced the title of its lead single as "As It Was", alongside 3 pictures of Styles facing away from the camera in a sequinned, sleeveless red outfit, and set its release date as 1 April 2022. [3] [4] [5] Simultaneously, posters bearing the lyrics "It's not the same As It Was" and a picture of Styles sitting on a big ball appeared in various cities. [6] He released a teaser of the music video on 30 March, which included an "energetic drum beat" and a "sunny electric guitar riff", and depicted him in a red jumpsuit spinning in circles atop a motorised turntable. [7]
In an interview with Billboard, Kid Harpoon revealed Styles pushed for the track to become the lead single for the album campaign, stating: "It was Harry that pushed that through. He was like, ‘This is the one. I’m telling you.’ But everyone was like, ‘It should be this other one.’" [8]
"As It Was" was the last song written for Styles' third album, Harry's House. [9] The song was recorded at Sony Music Entertainment CEO Rob Stringer’s house in England. In an interview with Consequence of Sound, producer Kid Harpoon stated "We moved all the furniture out and put a drum kit in the TV room. “As It Was” was done in that setup. Harry came in with a riff idea, and we ran with it." [10] In an interview with Hits Radio Styles said the song was originally written slower before adding synths and drums. [11] He called the original voice note of the slower track "a death march" in an interview with Zane Lowe [12] although the existence of this version has been disputed by Kid Harpoon. [13] Speaking to Music Week , producer Tyler Johnson stated the track was almost completed in its final form after three or four days [14] with the bridge of the song being written a few days later. [15]
Johnson described the process of writing the single as: "Harry was sitting on the Moog One and I liked what he was playing, so I sat down and played as he started to write the melodies and the lyrics. I said to Harry, ‘We need a lead line’ and he just came up right away with the ‘Dah, dah, dah...’ part. He didn't hesitate. Then he started writing the second verse and referring to himself in the third person. So much of this song just came from Harry's heart. And then Tom, with this magical sense of hooks that he has, came up with the idea of doing, ‘You know it's not the same…’ after the chorus, which I was very impressed with. That turned out to be a very smart move." [14] Styles came up with the idea and melody of the tubular bells included on the track, and plays them on the finished product. [16]
The child's voice which opens the track is Styles' godchild Ruby Winston, daughter of producer Ben Winston. Styles explained the addition in an interview with Capital Breakfast : "She used to try and call me before bedtime every night, and one time it didn’t ring or something, so they sent me that. I dug it out when we were in the studio and put it in front of the song for some reason, and I kind of just fell in love with it, so it stuck." [17]
Styles described the meaning of the song as "about metamorphosis, embracing change and former self, perspective shift and all that kind of stuff. It just felt like the thing I wanted to say, the thing I wanted to be doing and the kind of music I wanted to make coming back." [18]
Music critics described the song as a guitar-driven synth-pop and new wave track, a noticeable shift from Styles's rock-oriented sounds. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] Chris Willman of Variety noted it takes heavy inspiration from Depeche Mode and A-ha, while also suggesting it adopted a style similar to the Weeknd's 2019 single "Blinding Lights". [20] Euphoria magazine felt that Styles was inspired by James Bay's 2018 single "Pink Lemonade", adding that the two songs sound "eerily similar". [24] Lyrically, "As It Was" is rooted in personal transitions and depicts a feeling of loss and loneliness. [25]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
The Guardian | [26] |
NME | [27] |
"As It Was" received widespread critical acclaim. NME 's Rhian Daly gave the song five out of five stars, describing it as "not a million miles away from where Fine Line left off, but hardly retreading old ground." According to Daly, the track suggests Harry's House will solidify Styles "as one of the current pop landscapes' greats". [27] Beau Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian also rated the song five stars and called it "one of his very best", writing, "Many will pore over the gossipy, self-referential lyrics, but Styles's song is for everyone: an effervescent, high-tempo hit to have you clicking your heels." [26] In his review for Rolling Stone , Rob Sheffield regarded "As It Was" as one of Styles's most "emotionally powerful" songs, calling it a "daring change-up" and a "straight-from-the-heart cry that's also an irresistible dance-floor challenge." [21] Sahar Ghadirian of Clash magazine deemed it a "powerhouse" and Styles "at his most vulnerable". Ghadirian appreciated the "dream fusion" of synth-pop with electro rock and commented that the bells end the song on "a euphoric high". [28] Thania Garcia of Variety magazine described the song as being "new wave-inspired". [29] Hugh McIntyre of Forbes hailed the song as a "decade-defining smash." [30]
Evening Standard reviewer Jochan Embley meanwhile found the track inferior to the singer's previous singles "Watermelon Sugar" and "Adore You", but wrote that Styles and his collaborators "still know how to make an instantly enjoyable tune". [31] Olivia Horn of Pitchfork was less impressed and bemoaned that the song "winds down without any real payoff", citing the circuitousness of the lyrics as "a frequent shortcoming in Styles' songwriting." [32]
Entertainment Weekly named "As It Was" as the best song of 2022: "The synths gallop like excitable ponies while his warm-wash vocals swoop and dip, a sweet little slice of life-support disco for the lonely." [33] USA Today also chose it as the best song of the year: "At first, it sounds like a generically pretty pop song. But then you understand Styles' longing for the perfect something that was yanked away, his dreamy vocals taking on a sadness as he recalls that blissful bubble and resigns himself with a sigh to his current reality. The giggly opening by his goddaughter, pillowy '80s-rooted synths, tubular bells and urging beat contradict his pensiveness." [34] Billboard ranked it at number 3 on their "The 100 Best Songs of 2022" list: "Coming in at a lean 2:47, "As It Was" serves as a broader anthem about how nothing is "the same as it was" before the pandemic, but on a micro level, it turns out Styles isn't the same either as he grapples with fame and the realization that "he's no good alone" when left to his own devices and pills." [35]
BBC ranked it at number 3 on their "25 of the best songs released in 2022" list: "As It Was is a vapour trail of a song, silvery and airborne, as Harry Styles searches for meaning amidst break-ups and loneliness and personal turmoil." [36] NME ranked it at number 3 on their "The 50 best songs of 2022" list: "It's hard not to tumble into the vast emotional depths of 'As It Was' and look beyond everything else that made this song such a triumph. Change is a constant beneath the track's heart-raising BPM and twinkling melodies: here, Harry Styles' empathetic songwriting saw him fight for stability amid breakups and personal upheavals, finding strength in a renewed relationship with himself." [37] The Guardian ranked it at number 5 on their "The 20 best songs of 2022" list: "Occupying the slim valley between A-ha's Take On Me and Vampire Weekend, As It Was delivers bruised-peach hurt, sophisticated languor from the back seat of a tastefully expensive car. He can sing something as vague as "In this world, it's just us / You know it's not the same as it was" and make you feel that he really means it" [38] i-D ranked it at number 10 on their "The 100 best songs of 2022" list: "For an artist reckoning with blinding attention towards his public persona, this infectious, upbeat song about loneliness and change felt like a balm both for the artist and his fans." [39]
NPR ranked it at number 12 on their "100 Best Songs Of 2022" list: "Like a fling who would have never dated you in real life saying arrivederci at summer's end, this song is by turns forlorn, resigned, apologetic and a little caddish. Its slippery nostalgia is grounded in a synth line evoking the New Romantic era of Styles' parents' youth and in the singer's cool, bossa nova-ish croon, which sounds like the way it feels when that departing lover wistfully strokes your hair. The Easter-eggy verses matter to fans, but the chorus is what made "As It Was" so sticky in 2022: It renders regret comfortable, a service everyone needs in a time of chronic heartbreak." [40] Complex ranked it at number 27 on their "50 Best Songs of 2022" list: ""As It Was" is a beautiful, mesmerizing record that lives up to all the buzz it's generated on TikTok (and everywhere else on the internet and radio). It carries an energetic tone thanks to the uptempo instrumentation, and Harry Styles adds layers of emotion with his soft vocals. "As It Was" is a fun and danceable record that continues to demonstrate his power as one of the biggest pop stars in the world." [41] Paste ranked it at number 29 on their "The 50 Best Songs of 2022" list: "Our first glimpse into Harry Styles' newest era, where he is fully immersed in his own flamboyant intricacies, the song is a thoughtful rumination on the exhaustion that stems from not enough love and too much fame." [42]
The Fader ranked it at number 33 on their "The 100 best songs of 2022" list: "On Harry's House lead single "As It Was," the singer hits an effervescent pitch both sonically and conceptually, expressing a willingness to embrace introspection while delivering one of the most textured performances in his loaded discography." [43] Pitchfork ranked it at number 100 on their "The 100 Best Songs of 2022" list: ""As It Was" is the kind of twinkly little confection that would easily get the indie kids pogoing at any local DIY dance night at any point in the last two decades. It just happens to have been recorded by one of the biggest pop stars in the world in 2022 instead of, say, the Strokes twenty years earlier. "You know it's not the same as it was," Harry Styles sighs, giving a nod to the easy bait of nostalgia. A pointillist synth line tap dances through the song, and all over that nagging pandemic-era malaise we're all desperately trying to shake. Resistance is futile." [44]
Associated Press placed it on their "Top Songs of 2022" list: "The song is deceptively upbeat with a jingly synth-pop beat and a little kid's voice as the intro and wedding bells at the end. But the lyrics are self-referentially melancholic as he accepts the reality of change that even he is not quite ready for." [45] Esquire placed it on their "The 45 Best Songs of 2022" list: ""As It Was" was Harry Styles first single this year, and it did not disappoint. This glittering track fuels nostalgia as Styles sings about life which is, of course, always changing. (Reality bites!)" [46]
As It Was was praised by many musicians and those within the entertainment industry. Sir Elton John declared the track as "one of the great records of the year" and that it should win Song of The Year at The Grammys. [47] Lindsay Buckingham praised the song as "a great pop song" in discussion with Omar Apollo. [48] Jon Bon Jovi stated "It is not going to be the same as it was folks, I love that because he gave you a slap upside the head and said, “I’m here with you but doing it on my terms.” [49] Artists such as Jorja Smith and Arcade Fire also covered the song in the Live Lounge. [50] [51]
Numerous critics and publications listed "As It Was" in their year-end ranking of the best songs of 2022, often inside the top-ten.
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Billboard | The 100 Best Songs of 2022: Staff List | 3 | |
Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Songs of 2022 | 9 | |
DIY magazine | DIY's tracks of 2022 | 12 | |
Entertainment Weekly | The 10 best songs of 2022 | 1 | |
Esquire | The 45 Best Songs of 2022 (So Far) | Placed | |
Exclaim | Exclaim!'s 25 Best Songs of 2022 | 8 | |
NME | Top 50 Best Songs of 2022 | 3 | |
Pitchfork | The 100 Best Songs of 2022 | 100 | |
Rolling Stone | The 100 Best Songs of 2022 | 9 | |
Slate | The Best Songs of 2022 | Placed | |
The Guardian | The 20 Best Songs of 2022 | 5 | |
UPROXX | The Best Songs Of 2022 | Placed | |
Music Critics Poll: The Best Songs Of The Year | 7 | [64] | |
BBC News | 25 of the best songs released in 2022 | 3 | [65] |
In 2024, "As It Was" was included in Rolling Stone's “ The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Rolling Stone | The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time | 500 |
"As It Was" was an immediate success; it earned the Guinness World Records title for the most streamed track on Spotify within 24 hours by a male artist, and broke the Apple Music streaming record for most first-day streams for a 2022 release. [67] [68] The song also opened atop the Billboard Global 200 with the greatest global streaming week of 2022, becoming Styles's first number-one on the tally. [69] Globally, "As It Was" was the best-selling global single of 2022, earning 2.28 billion subscription streams equivalents globally according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). [70] It was also the fifth best-selling global single of 2023 with 1.46 billion subscription streams equivalents. [71] "As It Was" ranked as the most popular song on Spotify and the second most popular song on Apple Music in 2022. [72] It was the 3rd most streamed song on Spotify and the 14th biggest song on Apple Music in 2023. [73] [74]
The song reached number one on the official charts of Australia, [75] Austria, [76] Belgium, [77] Croatia, [78] Denmark, [79] Germany, [80] Greece, [81] Ireland, [82] Israel, [83] Lithuania, [84] the Netherlands, [85] New Zealand, [86] Slovakia, [87] Sweden, [88] and Switzerland. [89]
In the UK, "As It Was" became Styles's second solo number-one on the singles chart, debuting with the biggest sales and streaming weeks of any single in 2022. [90] It spent ten weeks at number one on the UK singles chart, becoming the longest-running number one of the year in the UK. [91] It became the most-streamed track (149.6 million streams), most physically purchased (12,000 units), most digitally downloaded (47,000 units) and overall, best-selling (1.3 million equivalent units) track in the UK in 2022, as of October 2022 [update] . [92] It was the 9th biggest song in the UK in 2023 according to the Official Charts Company. [93]
"As It Was" entered at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Styles' second number-one single after "Watermelon Sugar" (2019). [94] The song garnered the most single-day streams on Spotify in the United States, surpassing Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License" (2021). [95] After the single's debut at No. 1, "As It Was" fell out of the No. 1 position and returned multiple times between April and September 2022; when it returned to No. 1 for the week ending 3 September 2022, it became the first song ever to have five separate runs in the top position. [96] "As It Was" spent 15 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the longest-running US number one by a UK act, the second longest-running No. 1 with no accompanying artists (i.e. a solo-billed song) and the fourth longest running number-one in the chart's history. [97] [98] In addition, "As It Was" spent 18 weeks at number one on the Canadian Hot 100. [99]
The music video for "As It Was" was released alongside the song. [100] In the clip, Styles joins dancer Mathilde Lin on a turning platform and performs choreography by Yoann Bourgeois [101] [102] in the Barbican to release negative emotions. [19] The video was filmed in London: apart from the Barbican Centre, it was also filmed at Lindley Hall near the Houses of Parliament, and the penguin pool at London Zoo. [103] It was directed by Tanu Muino, who stated that directing for Styles was "a bucket list dream come true" but, on the second day of shooting, Muino's home country of Ukraine was invaded by Russia, rendering the process a "bittersweet" experience; nevertheless, Muino and her team from Ukraine "poured so much love into this video and you can see it on screen. The music video references a photo mural of industrial designers Charles and Ray Eames on exhibit at LACMA as Styles and his love interest grow further apart. [104] It will be a music video I will never forget and now I can happily retire.". [100] On YouTube, the video has received over 725 million views and 8 million likes as of May 2024. [105] Styles later released a Behind The Scenes version of the making of the music video. [106]
Organization | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
IHeartRadio Titanium Awards | 2022 | 1 Billion Total Audience Spins on iHeartRadio Stations | Won | [107] |
MTV Millennial Awards | 2022 | Global Hit of the Year | Nominated | [108] |
MTV Millennial Awards Brazil | 2022 | Global Hit | Nominated | [109] |
MTV Video Music Awards | 2022 | Video of the Year | Nominated | [110] |
Best Pop | Won | |||
Best Direction | Nominated | |||
Best Choreography | Nominated | |||
Best Cinematography | Won | |||
Los 40 Music Awards | 2022 | Best International Song | Nominated | [111] |
Best International Video | Nominated | |||
UK Music Video Awards | 2022 | Best Pop Video - UK | Won | [112] |
MTV Video Music Awards Japan | 2022 | Best International Solo Artist Video | Won | [113] |
MTV Europe Music Awards | 2022 | Best Song | Nominated | [114] |
Best Video | Nominated | |||
NRJ Music Award | 2022 | Video of The Year | Won | [115] |
International Hit of the Year | Won | |||
People's Choice Awards | 2022 | Favorite Song | Nominated | [116] |
Favorite Music Video | Nominated | |||
Premios MUSA | 2022 | International Anglo Song of the Year | Won | [117] |
Guinness World Records | 2022 | Most Streamed Song by a Male Artist in 24 Hours on Spotify | Won | [118] |
Most Streamed Song by a Male Artist in a Week on Spotify | Won | |||
Most Streamed Song in a Year on Spotify (2022) | Won | [119] | ||
American Music Awards | 2022 | Favorite Music Video | Nominated | [120] |
Favorite Pop Song | Won | |||
Danish Music Awards | 2022 | International Hit of the Year | Nominated | [121] |
APRA Music Awards | 2023 | Most Performed International Work | Won | [122] |
Grammy Awards | 2023 | Record of the Year | Nominated | [123] |
Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
Best Pop Solo Performance | Nominated | |||
Best Music Video | Nominated | |||
Brits Awards | 2023 | Song of the Year | Won | [124] |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2023 | Song of the Year | Nominated | [125] |
Best Music Video | Nominated | |||
TikTok Bop of the Year | Nominated | |||
GAFFA Awards | 2023 | International Hit of the Year | Won | [126] |
Global Awards | Best Song | Won | [127] | |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | 2023 | Favorite Song | Won | [128] |
Ivor Novello Awards | 2023 | Best Song Musically and Lyrically | Nominated | [129] |
PRS for Music Most Performed Work | Won | [130] | ||
2024 | Nominated | [131] |
Styles performed "As It Was" for the first time at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on 15 and 22 April 2022. [132] At the 'One Night Only' performance for Harry's House, Styles surprised the crowd at UBS Arena with an encore of the track. Speaking on the experience to Rolling Stone , Styles stated: "We came offstage, and I went into my dressing room and just wanted to sit by myself for a minute, After One Direction, I didn’t expect to ever experience anything new. I kind of felt like, ‘All right, I’ve seen how crazy it can get and I think there was something about it where I was … not terrified, but I just needed a minute. Because I wasn’t sure what it was. Just that the energy felt insane." [133]
Styles performed As It Was at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards with a rotating stage and routine choreographed in the style of the music video by Yoann Bourgeois. [134] However, a technical malfunction caused the stage to rotate the wrong way and forced the dancers with Styles to perform the dance in reverse. [135] Dancers included in the routine stated "there was nothing we could do to stop it" once the performance began. [134] Styles "called the team in charge to make sure they were OK" after the performance according to Grammys set designer Julio Himede. [135]
Weekly charts | Monthly charts
Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [296] | 11× Platinum | 770,000‡ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [297] | 2× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [298] | 3× Diamond | 480,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [299] | 8× Platinum | 640,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [300] | 2× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [301] | Diamond | 333,333‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [302] | 3× Gold | 600,000‡ |
Hungary (MAHASZ) [303] | 8× Platinum | 32,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [304] | 5× Platinum | 500,000‡ |
Mexico (AMPROFON) [305] | Diamond+2× Platinum | 980,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [306] | 5× Platinum | 150,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [307] | Diamond | 250,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [308] | 8× Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [309] | 5× Platinum | 300,000‡ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [310] | 4× Platinum | 80,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [311] | 5× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [312] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000‡ |
Streaming | ||
Greece (IFPI Greece) [313] | Diamond | 10,000,000† |
Sweden (GLF) [314] | 2× Platinum | 16,000,000† |
Worldwide | — | 3,740,000,000 [315] [316] |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | 1 April 2022 |
| [317] | |
Italy | Radio airplay | Sony Italy | [318] | |
United States | 4 April 2022 | Adult contemporary radio | Columbia | [319] |
5 April 2022 | Contemporary hit radio | [320] | ||
United Kingdom | 15 April 2022 | CD single |
| [321] |
"Hips Don't Lie" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released by Epic Records in 2006. "Hips Don't Lie" is a reworking of Jean's earlier single "Dance Like This", therefore it features additional composing credits by Omar Alfanno, Duplessis, Luis Días, and LaTavia Parker. The song was released as the first single from the reissue of Shakira's seventh studio album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, and second overall. Shakira and Jean wrote the lyrics and jointly composed the music with additional co-writing by Shakira's percussionist Archie Pena. The song was produced by Shakira and Jean with additional co-production by Jerry Duplessis. The song incorporates samples from "Amores Como el Nuestro" written by Alfanno, and "Carnaval " written by Días.
"Don't Matter" is a reggae fusion–R&B song by Senegalese-American singer Akon from his second studio album, Konvicted (2006). The song was released as the album's third single in January 2007. In April of that year, it became Akon's second U.S. number-one single. "Don't Matter" was ranked number 31 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. This song was also ranked number 81 on MTV Asia's list of Top 100 Hits of 2007.
"Counting Stars" is a song by American pop rock band OneRepublic from their third studio album, Native (2013). The song was written by lead singer Ryan Tedder, and produced by Tedder and Noel Zancanella. It was released as the album's second single on June 14, 2013.
"Without Me" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fourth studio album The Eminem Show (2002). "Without Me" was released on May 13, 2002, as the lead single from the album, and re-released on his greatest hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits (2005). "Without Me" is one of Eminem's most successful singles, reaching number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and number one in fifteen countries.
"Sign of the Times" is the debut solo single by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles from his self-titled debut studio album. Released on 7 April 2017 by Columbia Records, it was first written by Jeff Bhasker, Mitch Rowland, Ryan Nasci, Alex Salibian, while Styles gets writing credits for contributing. It was produced by Bhasker and co produced by Salibian and Johnson. Musically, it was described by critics as a pop rock and soft rock ballad. Its accompanying music video was released on 8 May 2017.
"Dance Monkey" is a song by Australian singer Tones and I, released on 10 May 2019 as the second single from Tones and I's debut EP, The Kids Are Coming. The song was produced and mixed by Konstantin Kersting.
"Cruel Summer" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). Swift and Jack Antonoff produced the song, and they wrote it with St. Vincent. "Cruel Summer" is a synth-pop, industrial pop, and electropop song composed of synths, wobbling beats, and vocoder-manipulated vocals. The lyrics are about an intense romance during a painful summer.
"Watermelon Sugar" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles from his second studio album Fine Line (2019), included as the album's second track. Styles wrote the song with Mitch Rowland and the song's producers, Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon. They were inspired by the American novel In Watermelon Sugar (1968) by Richard Brautigan. "Watermelon Sugar" is a horn and guitar-driven funk-pop, rock song.
"Adore You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles from his second studio album, Fine Line (2019). It was released through Erskine and Columbia Records as the album's second single on 6 December 2019. The song was written by Styles, Amy Allen, Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, with Harpoon handling the production and Johnson serving as a co-producer. "Adore You" has been described as a midtempo pop, funk, disco, psychedelic pop, and pop rock ballad, incorporating layered guitars, synths, brass and percussions in its production. A love song, its lyrics find Styles talking about the initial stages of a relationship.
"Golden" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles from his second studio album Fine Line (2019). The song was written by Styles alongside Mitch Rowland, Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon, with Johnson and Harpoon handling the production and co-production, respectively. The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio formats in the United Kingdom on 23 October 2020 as the album's fifth single. In the US, the song was serviced to adult contemporary and contemporary hit radio formats on 26 and 27 October 2020 respectively. This song peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Blinding Lights" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his fourth studio album, After Hours (2020). The song was released through XO and Republic Records on November 29, 2019, as the album's second single. The Weeknd wrote the song with Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Belly, and DaHeala, with the former three producing the song. It is a synth-pop, electropop, new wave, and synthwave track, which lyrically addresses the importance of a partner, and the desire to see them at night.
"Save Your Tears" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd from his fourth studio album, After Hours (2020). It was released to Dutch contemporary hit radio on August 9, 2020, as the album's fourth and final single. The song was written and produced by the Weeknd, Max Martin, and Oscar Holter, with Belly and DaHeala receiving additional writing credits.
"Heat Waves" is a song by English indie rock band Glass Animals released as a single from their third studio album Dreamland on 29 June 2020. A sleeper hit, it is the band's signature song and biggest hit single to date. In addition to reaching number five on the UK Singles Chart and being a top-five hit in several other European countries, it reached number one in Australia, Canada, Lithuania, Switzerland and the United States, where it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in early 2022 after a record-breaking 59-week climb to number one. At 91 weeks, it is the longest charting song on the Hot 100 of all time, surpassing "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd. By June 2024, the song had accumulated more than three billion streams on Spotify. At the 2022 Brit Awards, "Heat Waves" was nominated for Best British Single.
"Cold Heart (Pnau remix)" is a song by English singer and songwriter Elton John and English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from the former's 32nd studio album, The Lockdown Sessions (2021). It was released on 13 August 2021 as the lead single from the album for digital download and streaming in various countries by EMI and Mercury. Created during the COVID-19 pandemic, the collaboration between the artists was a testament to their friendship, which was established in November 2020. The song is a medley of four songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, as well as Andrew Meecham, Dean Meredith, Nicholas Littlemore, Peter Mayes and Sam Littlemore, with the production completed by the latter three as part of the dance music group Pnau. Interpolating John's songs "Rocket Man" (1972), "Kiss the Bride" (1983), "Sacrifice" (1989) and "Where's the Shoorah?" (1976), the remix is an upbeat contemporary synth-pop, dance, dance-pop and pop song describing the decline of a relationship.
"The Motto" is a song by Dutch DJ and producer Tiësto and American singer and songwriter Ava Max from the former's seventh studio album, Drive (2023). The song was written by the artists, Claudia Valentina, Pablo Bowman, Sarah Blanchard, and Lostboy, who produced it with the DJ. It was released as the third single from the album for digital download and streaming in various countries by Atlantic and Musical Freedom on 4 November 2021. "The Motto" is a fusion of dance, EDM, and pop, showcasing empowering lyrics that emphasize "doing you, having a good time and letting the world know". Upon its release, the release of the song was well received by music critics, who praised the music and production of the song, the collaborative effort between the artists, and the vocal delivery of Max. At the 2022 MTV Europe Music Awards, the song received a nomination in the category for the Best Collaboration.
"About Damn Time" is a song by American singer and rapper Lizzo, released on April 14, 2022, by Nice Life Recordings and Atlantic Records as the lead single from her fourth studio album Special (2022). The song reached number one in the United States, becoming her second number one single there, while reaching the top three in ten additional countries, as well as number six on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
"Music for a Sushi Restaurant" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles, from his third studio album Harry's House (2022). It was released to hot adult contemporary radio on 3 October 2022, as the album's third single. The song was written by Styles, Thomas Hull, Tyler Johnson and Mitch Rowland, while production was handled by Kid Harpoon and Johnson. A music video for the song was later released on 27 October 2022.
"Late Night Talking" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles. The song was released to US pop radio as the second single from his third studio album Harry's House on 21 June 2022. A music video for the song was later released on 13 July 2022, in which Styles is shown exploring the world on different beds.
"Calm Down" is a song by Nigerian singer Rema, from his debut studio album Rave & Roses (2022). It was released on 11 February 2022 through Jonzing World and Mavin as the album's second single. The song charted across Europe, reaching number one on the Belgian Ultratop 50, Dutch Top 40 and Dutch Single Top 100. In the United Kingdom, "Calm Down" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and spent 27 non-consecutive weeks in the top ten of the chart.
"Escapism" is a song by British singer-songwriter Raye featuring American rapper 070 Shake. It was released independently on 12 October 2022, as the third single from her debut album, My 21st Century Blues (2023), as a double A-side with "The Thrill Is Gone". It was co-written by Raye, 070 Shake, and Mike Sabath, with Sabath handling production. "Escapism" is an uptempo R&B, electropop, and hip-hop song with lyrics speaking of escaping from reality and dealing with heartbreak.
Styles goes new wave for "As It Was," where he grieves a broken relationship over a gentle, reverberating synth line.