7 Theories For Who Harry Styles's Songs Are About
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Harry Styles is extremely private and doesn't want you to know who, exactly, his songs are about. The British singer, who has released two albums and has a third on the way, generally plays coy when talking about his music. In 2017, Styles told The Zach Sang and the Gang Show that he prefers it when people don't know the "real" meaning behind a song. "I think the best thing about music is everyone can take away different things from stuff, and that's not wrong, there's not really a wrong answer," he said. "I feel like a lot of my favorite songs that mean something to me, I'd be disappointed if someone told me that they were about something else. It might ruin the song for me." So if this is how he feels about music, it's not surprising that he's not chomping at the bit to share his inspirations for his own.
What Styles does share, though, is a lot of the emotions behind his music. He has been open in interviews repeatedly about the sadness he felt writing certain songs or feelings of joy for others — and it comes across in his lyrics. Since some of his tracks are vague when it comes to discerning who inspired them, it means listeners can not only theorize, but also pin the song to someone in their own life. By leaning on emotions instead of blatantly pointing at any one person, Styles makes his music universal, and that's part of why his listeners love it so much.
That being said, the internet absolutely has some theories about who some of Styles's songs are about. Because he thinks there's no wrong answer in what you can take away from a song, fans feel confident in coming up with their own ideas. They may be "wrong," but to someone, they feel right.
Who Is Harry Styles's "As It Was" About?
The telling lyrics: "Leave America / Two kids follow her / I don't want to talk about who's doing it first."
Who it is supposed to be about: Olivia Wilde
Why? Here's the thing — this song isn't totally about Wilde, but those lyrics do point to her. Styles said in a new interview for Apple Music in May that "As It Was" is actually quite a sad song. In fact, he refers to the song as a "death march," which is apparent by some of the melancholy lyrics singing about a time gone by and feeling alone. That being said, those two lines in the song do feel like they're about Wilde and her two children.
Who Is Harry Styles's "Cherry" About?
The telling lyrics: "I, I just miss / I just miss your accent and your friends / Did you know I still talk to them? / Does he take you walking 'round his parents' gallery?"
Who it is supposed to be about: Camille Rowe
Why? Not only does "Cherry" include a voice note from Styles's former girlfriend Rowe, but some of the lyrics point to her as well. He mentions missing an accent (Rowe is French) and the person's friends. As with most relationships, your friend groups expand to include your significant other's, and Styles became friends with some of Rowe's friends. Nikolai Haas, one half of the Haas Brothers, is close with Rowe and was the one to gift Styles with one of the guitars he uses frequently. The following lyric about the art gallery is a dig at the man Rowe dated after Styles, Theo Niarchos, whom Vulture said is the son of an art-gallery owner.
Who Is Harry Styles's "Falling" About?
The telling lyrics: "I'm in my bed / And you're not here / And there's no one to blame / But the drink in my wandering hands."
Who it is supposed to be about: Rowe
Why? There is a theory that "Falling" is about Rowe and what went wrong in their relationship. Styles told Apple Music in December 2019 that "Falling" was a particularly painful song for him, saying he felt the "lowest" he's ever felt. "The chorus says, 'What am I now? Am I someone I don't want around?' I had started to feel myself becoming someone I didn't want to be, and that was really hard." Styles didn't point to any one person as the subject of the song, so it's up for interpretation, but the timing of his breakup with Rowe (2018) and when the album came out (December 2019) makes this a possibility.
Who Is Harry Styles's "Two Ghosts" About?
The telling lyrics: "Same lips red, same eyes blue / Same white shirt, couple more tattoos."
Who it is supposed to be about: Taylor Swift
Why? It's a well-accepted theory among fans that "Two Ghosts" on Styles's first album is about Swift, mostly because of the clue about red lipstick in the very first line. Styles was asked about it on BBC Radio 1 in May 2017 and he played coy, but it didn't stop the radio host, Nick Grimshaw, from introducing it to listeners as the song about Swift.
Who Is Harry Styles's "Carolina" About?
The telling lyrics: "She never saw herself as a west-coaster / Moved all the way 'cause her grandma told her / 'Townes, better swim before you drown.'"
Who it is supposed to be about: A young woman named Townes
Why? There was a rumor being passed around when "Harry Styles" was released in 2017 that "Carolina" was the story of a blind date Styles went on with someone named Townes. He mentions in his Apple Music documentary that he needed some inspiration, so he went out for a spicy night. While the theory is compelling, there seem to be holes in it — the biggest hole being the rumored timeline of Styles's blind date and when the song was written don't seem to line up. Styles and Townes reportedly went on their blind date a few years before "Harry Styles" came out in 2017, but Styles implied "Carolina" was the last song written on the album, which would mean their blind date happened in 2016. However, this theory is widely accepted by fans, and regardless of the inspiration, the song is a bop.
Who Is Harry Styles's "Sweet Creature" About?
The telling lyrics: "Sweet creature, sweet creature / Wherever I go, you bring me home," and, "We're running through the garden / Oh, where nothing bothered us / But we're still young / I always think about you and how we don't speak enough."
Who it is supposed to be about: His sister, Gemma Styles, or his childhood girlfriend Abigail Crawshaw
Why? "Sweet Creature" is a bit tricky because it's not explicitly romantic but definitely shows love. There are convincing theories that the song is about both Gemma and Crawshaw. This Tumblr theory by OhStylesNo breaks down various lyrics that could be about his sister and their love for each other. However, Styles singing about someone leading him home in the chorus could allude to someone from years gone by who makes him feel like nothing has changed and he's still the boy from Cheshire that he was before he became famous. This could be Crawshaw, or it could just be a general feeling that people are tying to her. He told The Zach Sang and the Gang Show in May 2017 that "'Sweet Creature' is definitely about one person, but I think it's important to remember that there's many different types of things that could be about."
Who Is Harry Styles's "Only Angel" About?
The telling lyrics: "She's an angel / My only angel."
Who it is supposed to be about: Kendall Jenner
Why? Some people think this song could be about Jenner, whom Styles is friends with and had somewhat of a romantic connection with a few years ago. The basis for this is really just that it's referencing an angel, and Jenner used to be a Victoria's Secret model. Beyond this clue, there isn't much tying this theory together, so take it with a grain of salt.