Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Harry Styles
How Harry Styles built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Harry Styles is an English singer, songwriter, and actor who initially gained fame as a member of the boy band One Direction. Following the band's hiatus, Styles launched a successful solo career, releasing critically acclaimed albums and achieving chart-topping hits. Beyond music, he has ventured into acting, appearing in films. Known for his charismatic stage presence, vocal talent, and androgynous fashion sense, Styles has become a prominent figure in popular culture, influencing music, fashion, and broader trends.
April 2010: The X Factor Audition
On April 11, 2010, Harry Styles auditioned as a solo contestant for The X Factor, singing "Hey, Soul Sister" and later "Isn't She Lovely."
July 2010: Formation of One Direction
In July 2010, Harry Styles and four other eliminated contestants formed the boy band One Direction on The X Factor, with Styles suggesting the band's name.
2010: One Direction Formed on The X Factor
In 2010, Harry Styles's music career began as a member of One Direction, a boy band formed on The X Factor, after all members were eliminated from the solo competition.
January 2011: Record Deal with Syco Records
In January 2011, One Direction signed a recording contract with Simon Cowell's label, Syco Records.
2013: One Direction supports Trekstock
In 2013, Harry Styles and Liam Payne became ambassadors for the cancer charity Trekstock, raising over US$800,000 through the online fundraising platform Prizeo. Also in 2013, Styles responded to Westboro Baptist Church picketing a One Direction concert by tweeting that he "believes in equal rights for everyone."
2013: Release of Midnight Memories album
In 2013, One Direction released their album Midnight Memories, which became the world's best-selling album of the year.
2013: One Direction: This Is Us released
In 2013, One Direction: This Is Us Documentary Film, featured Tremlow Viaduct where Styles signed his name.
2014: Styles Collaborates with Harry Lambert
During the band's Four era in 2014, Styles began collaborating with stylist Harry Lambert, which impacted his fashion and style choices.
2014: Styles endorses HeForShe
In 2014, Harry Styles endorsed Emma Watson's HeForShe gender equality campaign, showing his support for gender equality.
2014: Styles supports LGBT rights
In 2014, Harry Styles joined LGBT rights charity Stonewall's #FirstSnog campaign in celebration of their 25th anniversary. He also showed support for Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team, by wearing his jersey onstage during One Direction's concert in St. Louis that year.
2014: Where We Are Tour and Four album release
In 2014, One Direction's Where We Are Tour became the highest-grossing tour of the year and they released their album Four.
2015: Rolling Stone Review of One Direction Concert
Critics began to see Harry Styles as an unusually energetic performer from at least 2015. In a 2015 Rolling Stone review of a One Direction concert at MetLife Stadium, Rob Sheffield compared Styles to Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes.
2015: Styles sponsors water wells in India
In 2015, Harry Styles sponsored water wells in India via Drop4Drop in support of Life Water's World Water Day campaign, contributing to providing clean water access.
2016: Solo Career Beginnings
In 2016, Harry Styles joined Full Stop Management, CAA, signed with Columbia Records, and launched Erskine Records.
2016: Featured in Another Man magazine
In 2016, Harry Styles was featured in Another Man magazine, leading to him being labelled an "artthrob" by Anne T. Donahue of The Guardian.
2016: One Direction Hiatus
In 2016, One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus after promotional activities for Made in the A.M.
2016: Styles visits House of Lords to attend Brexit debate
In 2016, following an invitation by Labour peer Lord Winston, Harry Styles visited the House of Lords to attend a debate on Brexit.
March 2017: Release of "Sign of the Times"
In March 2017, Harry Styles announced that his first solo single, "Sign of the Times," would be released on April 7.
May 2017: Intimate shows for charity
In May 2017, Harry Styles played intimate shows at The Garage in London and at the Troubadour in Los Angeles to celebrate the release of his debut album. All proceeds from these shows benefited charities.
July 2017: Dunkirk Film Debut
In July 2017, Harry Styles made his feature film debut in Christopher Nolan's war film Dunkirk, playing a British soldier.
September 2017: Harry Styles: Live on Tour Begins
In September 2017, Harry Styles embarked on his first headlining concert tour, Harry Styles: Live on Tour.
2017: Dunkirk Film Role
In 2017, Harry Styles appeared in his first major film role, Dunkirk.
2017: "Treat People with Kindness" slogan during debut tour
In 2017, Harry Styles began using the slogan "Treat People with Kindness" during his debut concert tour on a badge on his guitar and tour merchandise. Pride T-shirts were sold to raise funds for GLSEN.
2017: Debut Solo Album Release
In 2017, Harry Styles released his eponymous debut solo album through Erskine and Columbia Records. It reached number one in both the UK and US and "Sign of the Times" topped the UK Singles Chart.
July 2018: Harry Styles: Live on Tour Concludes
In July 2018, Harry Styles concluded his first headlining concert tour, Harry Styles: Live on Tour.
October 2018: Premiere of Happy Together
In October 2018, Happy Together, the CBS sitcom inspired by Harry Styles's time living with Ben Winston, premiered.
2018: Performance with Fleetwood Mac at MusiCares event
In 2018, Harry Styles joined Fleetwood Mac for a performance of The Chain when the band were honored with the MusiCares Person of the Year award.
2018: Pride Month T-shirts and support for social causes
In 2018, Harry Styles' online store sold T-shirts with the slogan "Treat People with Kindness" in a rainbow print for Pride Month, with profits benefiting GLSEN. Also in 2018, Styles tweeted in support of the March for Our Lives petition and added "Black Lives Matter" and "End Gun Violence" stickers to his guitar.
July 2019: Turned Down Role in The Little Mermaid
In July 2019, Harry Styles was in talks to play Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid, but ultimately turned down the role.
October 2019: Release of "Lights Up"
In October 2019, Harry Styles released "Lights Up", the lead single from his second album, Fine Line.
October 2019: Teaser posters and "Do You Know Who You Are?" website
In October 2019, teaser posters including the phrase "Do you know who you are?" and the acronym "TPWK" were spotted in various locations. Styles also launched a website bot called "Do You Know Who You Are?" for World Mental Health Day that gives users positive randomised messages ending with "TPWK. LOVE, H."
December 2019: Styles speaks about using his influence
In December 2019, Harry Styles responded to an interview question about not using his influence more often to support specific causes.
December 2019: Popularity of "Treat People with Kindness" slogan
In a December 2019 interview, Harry Styles discussed the growing popularity of his "Treat People with Kindness" slogan and how it inspired him.
2019: Fine Line Album Debut
In 2019, Harry Styles's second album, Fine Line, debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart, achieving the biggest first-week sales by an English male artist.
March 2020: NPR Tiny Desk Concert and Songwriting
In March 2020, Harry Styles performed an NPR Tiny Desk concert and co-wrote the song "Changes" for Cam's album The Otherside.
May 2020: Styles supports Black Lives Matter
In May 2020, Harry Styles showed support for Black Lives Matter following the murder of George Floyd, urging fans to share and donate in support, and pledged to donate to a bail fund for arrested Black Lives Matter activists.
2020: COVID-19 relief efforts
During the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, Harry Styles released t-shirts with a slogan supporting safety measures, with profits going to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund by the World Health Organization. He also paid his core tour crew's salaries for the duration of the postponed dates until the end of 2020.
January 2021: "Treat People with Kindness" released as a single
In January 2021, "Treat People with Kindness" was released as a single from Harry Style's second studio album, Fine Line, with a music video featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
March 2021: Grammy Award Win
In March 2021, at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, Harry Styles won the Best Pop Solo Performance award for "Watermelon Sugar." He also received three nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album (Fine Line), Best Pop Solo Performance ("Watermelon Sugar") and Best Music Video ("Adore You").
September 2021: Love On Tour Kickoff
After postponement, the Love On Tour finally kicked off on 4 September 2021 in Las Vegas.
November 2021: Eternals Cameo and Pleasing Launch
In November 2021, Harry Styles made a cameo appearance as Eros / Starfox in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Eternals, and he launched his gender-neutral skin and nail care brand, Pleasing.
June 2022: Styles speaks out about abortion rights
In June 2022, when the Roe v. Wade ruling was overturned, Harry Styles posted on Twitter, expressing his devastation and urging support for one another. He also referenced the ruling at his concert in Austin, Texas, emphasizing the importance of bodily autonomy.
June 2022: Donation to International Rescue Committee
On June 2, 2022, Harry Styles announced he was donating his appearance fee from Apple's AirPods' spatial audio campaign to the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid organization supporting Ukrainian refugees.
September 2022: Madison Square Garden Residency
In August and September 2022, as part of his Love On Tour, Harry Styles performed 15 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, leading to a permanent banner raised in his honor.
November 2022: Gucci Collaboration and American Music Awards
In November 2022, Gucci released a collaborative collection with Harry Styles, titled "Gucci Ha Ha Ha." Additionally, at the 50th American Music Awards, Styles won Favorite Male Pop Artist and Favorite Pop Song ("As It Was").
2022: Social Media Presence and Streaming Success
As of 2022, Harry Styles had over 38 million followers on Twitter. His song "As It Was" was the most-streamed song globally on Spotify and Deezer, and he was the second-most-searched musician on Google. Rolling Stone UK named Styles the "new King of Pop".
2022: Description of Onstage Physicality
Craig McLean described Harry Styles' onstage physicality for The Face in 2022 as "stomping, head-banging exuberance" that is "impossible to resist."
2022: Success of Harry's House and Headline Performance at Coachella
In 2022, Harry Styles achieved critical and commercial success with his third album, Harry's House. Its lead single, "As It Was," debuted atop the UK and US charts, becoming his second solo number-one single in both countries. Also in 2022, Styles headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April and received three accolades at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, including Album of the Year for Harry's House.
2022: Film Roles
In 2022, Harry Styles appeared in the films Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman.
2022: Acting Roles in Elvis, Don't Worry Darling, and My Policeman
In 2022, Harry Styles auditioned for Elvis Presley in Elvis and starred in Don't Worry Darling with Florence Pugh and My Policeman with Emma Corrin.
2022: Styles designs "Ha Ha Ha" capsule collection with Gucci
In 2022, Harry Styles designed a joint capsule collection with Gucci's then-creative designer Alessandro Michele, entitled "Ha Ha Ha", which was unveiled at Milan Fashion Week.
2022: Harry's House Album Release and Success
In 2022, Harry Styles released his third album, Harry's House, which broke several records and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The lead single, "As It Was," was the number-one song of 2022 globally, according to Billboard.
2022: Partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety
In 2022, following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Harry Styles partnered with Everytown for Gun Safety for shows across five cities in North America as part of his Love On Tour.
July 2023: Styles invites Ukrainian refugees to Love On Tour
In July 2023, Harry Styles invited three Ukrainian refugees supported by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to Love On Tour at his show in Warsaw's PGE Narodowy Stadium, continuing his partnership with the organization.
July 2023: Conclusion of Love On Tour
In July 2023, Harry Styles' Love On Tour concluded as the then-fifth-highest-grossing tour of all time, earning $617.3 million.
September 2023: Background Vocals on Mitch Rowland's Track
In September 2023, Harry Styles provided background vocals on Mitch Rowland's track "Here Comes the Comeback" for his debut album, Come June.
2023: Harry's House ranked on "500 Greatest Albums of All Time"
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Harry's House at number 491 on its revision of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.
2023: The Little Mermaid Film Release
In 2023, the movie The Little Mermaid film in which Harry Styles was in consideration for the role of Prince Eric was released.
2023: Pollstar Award for Brand Partnership/Live Campaign of the Year
In 2023, the partnership between Harry Styles and Everytown earned industry recognition, winning a Pollstar Award for Brand Partnership/Live Campaign of the Year.
July 2024: Performance with Stevie Nicks at British Summer Time
In July 2024, Harry Styles joined Stevie Nicks on stage at the British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park, London, to perform "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" and "Landslide" in tribute of Christine McVie's birthday.
2024: Anne Hathaway stars in "The Idea of You"
In 2024, Anne Hathaway starred in the romantic comedy film "The Idea of You", which is an adaption of a novel inspired by Harry Styles.
2024: Invested in S.S. Daley
In 2024, Harry Styles invested in a minority stake in emerging British fashion label S.S. Daley.
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