The usual feather boa in the wardrobe of Harry Styles It is not a recommended accessory to wear in the middle of a heat wave, but a true fan does not give in to inclement weather. The followers of the British artist are authentic warriors of devotion, worthy heirs of the admirers of Take That, Backstreet Boys, Justin Bieber or The Beatles themselves. If the k-pop fandom was able to boycott a Donald Trump rally thanks to a coordinated action on the Internet, the young women who crowded the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona on Wednesday, July 12, could have turned the tides if it had been necessary to see his idol live. The rave tails that formed to gain access to the compound were the most reliable proof of their determination.
With an audience so ready to applause, Harry Styles had it very easy to succeed. After the band Wet Leg entertained the wait and some introductory audiovisuals, the former member of the boy band One Direction waddled onto the stage, with his tattooed arms raised and a thousand-watt smile directed at the attendees in general and at each one in particular. He was the entertainer of the super girls’ night, the most remembered pajama party, the funniest girl party in the world. The percentage of cishetero men present in the compound was very low: they were in another place, possibly more boring than the more than 50,000 voices that chanted all the songs of the concert from the first to the last.
This and the one that will take place next July 14 at the Mad Cool Space in Madrid These are the two stops in Spain on Styles’ Love On Tour, after his visit in 2018. Most of the set is made up of songs from his latest album Harry’s House (2022), the third of his solo career and winner of several Grammy awards. But beyond the official honors, the demonstration of the album’s success has been the omnipresence of As It Was, the song that since its release has tirelessly played on radio, television and dance floors around the world. In fact, she broke a Guinness record for being the most played on Spotify in its first 24 hours presence on the platform. The formula? Well-laid synths on a playful pop melody and lyrics confessional enough to move but not so cloying. Like a special sour strawberry gum to make balloons.
Of course, the theme was not missing from the show -it would have been cruel and even suicidal- but it was long overdue. The session opened with Daydreamingcontinued with – “one, two, three, Barcelona!” Golden and hit the ceiling with the macrocoreada Adore You. Hearts pounded in throats as they sang-shouted the famous verses of the chorus: “I’d walk through fire for you/Just let me adore you”, a classic declaration of toxic-romantic love that moves. By now, Styles had walked the entire stage with a hip slam and after that mischievous outburst, the Brit continued with the intensity with Keep Driving y Stockholm Syndrome (one of the two One Direction songs that he rescued together with What Makes You Beautiful) before diving into ballad block. Among others, they sounded Shethe delicate Matilda accompanied by various members of his band on vocals and Satellite for resume the march, which is what suits him.
Styles splurges charisma with a toothpaste advertisement smile, great hair and carefree dances. Dressed in his friend Alessandro Michele’s Gucci, his aesthetic oscillates between a toned-down, gentle version of Marky Mark and his Starman-era Bowie with colorful sequins and glitter throughout. He also borrows from his British ancestor a pinch of androgyny suitable for all audiences, even the most conservative.