Picture this. It is 2014, and I am in my living room with my mom and sister. I am laying down peacefully watching television, and all of a sudden music starts blasting. As I turn to look to the side, my sister is sitting in front of the computer with One Direction’s music video turned up all the way. I roll my eyes and turn the TV on to try to ignore the music. 

I was not a One Direction fan and I was just never into the 2014 boy band moment. I have vivid memories of watching my sister and my mom jump up and down in the middle of my living room with One Direction playing in the background. I think I have every single frame of the music video “What Makes You Beautiful” memorized still to this day because that’s how often it was playing. Maybe my sister’s obsession is just one of the reasons I began to stray away from One Direction. 

I felt very out of the loop when I was young when listening to my friends talk and rave about One Direction. I don’t know why, but I just had no interest in listening to their music. My 12-year old self was more focused on making duct tape purses and wallets, or trying to get every Build-a-Bear there was. Despite not enjoying their music, I could not deny that they were irrevocably cute. I was mostly drawn to one of the five members, Harry Styles. I think this was a little bit of foreshadowing for what would come later in my life. 

It was not until freshman year that my mind was opened and my ears were filled with the harmony of Harry Styles’ first solo album. 

I’m not overexaggerating when I say this, but I think I listened to “Sign of the Times” every day of summer that year. Little did I know, that was just the beginning. It wasn’t until this moment that I really understood the hype around Harry Styles and it was as if something had clicked. 

Though I had found a new respect for Harry, I did not really openly project my love for him. I still held a little bit of judgment in my heart. It wasn’t until Harry released “Fine Line” that I truly accepted my love for him. 

That winter I listened to the “Fine Line” album non-stop because I could not get enough. The musical theory he used and the different levels of melodic tones filled me with happiness and peace. 

I linked the entire album to my playlist and constantly had it playing throughout my day. If you were wondering, my favorite song is “To Be So Lonely.”

With the start of COVID-19, I thought my eyes would never be blessed enough to see Harry Styles in concert when his tour continuously kept getting pushed back and canceled. 

However, somehow the stars aligned and his concert was finally scheduled to be in Saint Louis. 

I garnered pit tickets and raced my way to STL this past September. I was in the pit and two rows back from the stage. I swear he made eye contact with me at least four times. After the concert ended, I have never been the same and felt a sort of withdrawal from the happiness that I experienced at his concert. 

Luckily, he announced one of his final concerts in Little Rock, Arkansas and it would occur on November 24, which was my 18th birthday. It was as if Harry scheduled it specifically for me. 

Never have I ever been more thankful for putting aside my judgments of something and listening to Harry Styles.