Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally: A Review

Listening Party for "Kiss All The Time, Disco Occassionally" at Darkside Records in Poughkeepsie. Photo by Nicole Kreib '28

After lurking in the shadows for nearly two years since taking his final bow during “Love on Tour" in 2023 and four years since releasing new music, Harry Styles is officially back. The wait is finally over with his newest release, “Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally.”

The announcement that Styles would be releasing a new album came on Jan. 15, with Styles posting the album cover on his Instagram, along with the intriguing title and release date, Mar.  6.

In the week following this announcement, Styles released the one and only single from the album, “Aperture.” This techno, upbeat song leaned into the disco vibe of the album’s title and caused many fans to believe this was a taste of what the rest of the album’s vibe would be.

Styles himself had previously described the vibe of this album as an immersive, dance-floor-inspired experience. If you’re a fan of his, you know his concerts are a place where dancing is encouraged, with fans even taking it upon themselves to choreograph their own dance moves, such as the infamous ‘boot scoot’ to “Treat People With Kindness.”

 With this being his fourth studio solo album, one could make the assumption that his work could be becoming somewhat predictable.

But that could not be further from the truth.

When the clock struck midnight, and HS4 was officially out to the world, people took to their music streaming services. The album spanned 42 minutes, with twelve songs each spanning anywhere between two and five minutes. 

Each song felt uniquely important, with differentiating lyrics to interesting usage of instrumentals.

Styles has previously been known to implement the usage of solemn bass riffs, melodic guitar chords and even piano melodies into his work. He has a way of articulating instrumentals in such a way that makes the hair on your arms stick up, and that is certainly not a talent he had diffused for his fourth album.

Funky bass riffs, weeping orchestral crescendos and techno beats cascade and vary throughout this album, making each song feel as though a new story is being told.

Styles certainly loves to give listeners whiplash with this technique. One moment you’re listening to the beautiful, melodic waltz love song that is “Coming Up Roses”; the next you’re grooving to the techno beats of “Pop,” or jumping around the album to the guitar-heavy track that is “Are You Listening Yet?”

Something Styles has always pushed is the message of simply feeling the music. You’re not meant to “get it,” the meaning behind a plethora of his songs is meant to be subjective. This has certainly been shown throughout this album. 

With songs like "Aperture," “American Girl,” “Ready, Steady, Go!,, “Season 2 Weight Loss” and “Dance No More,” it’s clear that Styles wants the listeners to feel the music in their veins and express a sense of joy through movement. The clubby beats of these songs make you want to do nothing short of dance like nobody’s watching and just feel the music.

Styles did produce some less-intense songs, giving this album the sweet balance of wild and tame that his other albums provide as well. 

The slower-paced synthetic-pop song that is “The Waiting Game,” the calm techno beats that adorn “Taste Back, the acoustic guitar in “Paint By Numbers” that feels almost like a gut-punch of nostalgia and the dreamy hopefulness in “Carla’s Song” remind the listener to rest, occasionally, from the adrenaline spike the rest of the album provides.

Lyrically, Styles has been known to excel and it’s safe to say he maintains that reputation. Somehow, he was able to sneak meaningful and sometimes deep lyrics into even the most upbeat of songs. So, if you’re too busy dancing, you may miss a rather cryptic message. 

As this was Styles’ first album in nearly four years, fans were eager to know what he had been working on behind the scenes for so long and what this silence really entailed. All good things take time.

And he certainly took his time. 

“Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally” certainly serves as yet another captivating piece from Harry Styles, one with interesting creative choices that so far, fans seem to be enjoying.

 If you’re fortunate enough to attend one of the more than 50 upcoming shows on his Together, Together tour, remember that everyone around you was drawn there for the same reason. This album moved them enough to show up and disco with you, if only for the occasion, of course.