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. Rising to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction, he has since achieved significant solo success, marked by his influence on popular culture, showmanship, artistry, and philanthropic endeavors. Styles is widely recognized as one of the most successful solo artists to transition from a boy band background, attracting substantial public interest and cultivating a large and devoted fanbase.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

April 2010: X Factor Audition

On April 11, 2010, Harry Styles auditioned as a solo contestant for The X Factor.

July 2010: Formation of One Direction

In July 2010, Harry Styles and four other eliminated contestants were put together to form One Direction.

2010: Formation of One Direction

In 2010, Harry Styles's musical career began when he became part of One Direction, a boy band formed on The X Factor. Each member had been eliminated from the solo contest.

January 2011: Signing with Syco Records

In January 2011, One Direction signed a recording contract with Simon Cowell's label, Syco Records.

2012: Take Me Home Album Release

In 2012, One Direction released their album Take Me Home, which debuted at number one in the UK.

2013: Ambassador for Trekstock

In 2013, Harry Styles and Liam Payne became ambassadors for the cancer charity Trekstock and spoke out against the Westboro Baptist Church.

2013: Midnight Memories Album Release

In 2013, One Direction released the album Midnight Memories, which debuted at number one in the UK and became the world's best-selling album of the year.

2014: Endorses HeForShe Campaign

In 2014, Harry Styles endorsed Emma Watson's HeForShe gender equality campaign.

2014: Supports LGBT Rights

In 2014, Harry Styles joined Stonewall's #FirstSnog campaign and supported Michael Sam by wearing his jersey onstage.

2014: Four Album Release

In 2014, One Direction released their album Four, which debuted at number one in the UK. Styles also co-wrote the song "Just a Little Bit of Your Heart" for Ariana Grande's album.

2014: Collaboration with Harry Lambert

In 2014, during One Direction's 'Four' era, Harry Styles began collaborating with stylist Harry Lambert to evolve his fashion style.

2015: 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.

2015: Made in the A.M. Album Release

In 2015, One Direction released their album Made in the A.M., which debuted at number one in the UK.

2016: Solo Career Beginnings

In 2016, Harry Styles signed a recording contract with Columbia Records, launched his own record label, Erskine Records, and began recording his debut album.

2016: Views on Brexit and Political Involvement

In 2016, Harry Styles visited the House of Lords to attend a debate on Brexit. He expressed that "anything that brings people together is better than things that pull people apart."

2016: Featured in Another Man magazine

In 2016, Harry Styles was featured in Another Man magazine, leading to The Guardian labeling him an "artthrob" for his unique fashion and artistic expression.

2016: One Direction's Hiatus

In 2016, One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus after becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.

2016: One Direction's Indefinite Hiatus

In 2016, One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus after completing promotional activities related to Made in the A.M.

March 2017: "Sign of the Times" Release Announcement

In March 2017, Harry Styles announced that his first solo single, "Sign of the Times," would be released on April 7.

May 2017: Charity Shows for Album Release

In May 2017, Harry Styles played intimate shows in London and Los Angeles to celebrate his debut album release, with all proceeds benefiting charities.

May 2017: Debut Album Release and Film Release

In May 2017, Harry Styles released his self-titled debut album, which topped charts in multiple countries, and the film Harry Styles: Behind the Album was released exclusively on Apple Music.

July 2017: Dunkirk Film Debut

In July 2017, Harry Styles made his feature film debut in Christopher Nolan's war film Dunkirk.

September 2017: Harry Styles: Live on Tour Start

In September 2017, Harry Styles embarked on his first headlining concert tour, Harry Styles: Live on Tour.

2017: Debut Solo Album Release

In 2017, Harry Styles released his self-titled debut solo album, which debuted at number one in the UK and the US.

2017: Beginnings of TPWK

In 2017, Harry Styles started using the slogan "Treat People with Kindness" on his guitar and merchandise during his debut tour, including Pride T-shirts for GLSEN.

2017: Dunkirk Film Role

In 2017, Harry Styles's film roles included Dunkirk.

July 2018: Harry Styles: Live on Tour End

In July 2018, Harry Styles concluded his first headlining concert tour, Harry Styles: Live on Tour.

October 2018: Happy Together Sitcom Premiere

In October 2018, the CBS sitcom Happy Together, which Harry Styles served as an executive producer on, premiered. It was inspired by his time living with television producer Ben Winston and his wife.

2018: MusiCares Person of the Year Performance

In 2018, Harry Styles joined Fleetwood Mac for a performance of "The Chain" when the band was honored with the MusiCares Person of the Year award.

2018: Pride Month T-Shirts and Activism

In 2018, Harry Styles' online store sold "Treat People with Kindness" T-shirts for Pride Month, benefiting GLSEN. He also tweeted support for March for Our Lives and added "Black Lives Matter" stickers to his guitar.

July 2019: Prince Eric Role Consideration

In July 2019, Harry Styles was in talks to play Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid, but he ultimately turned down the part.

October 2019: TPWK Teaser Campaign and Mental Health Initiative

In October 2019, Harry Styles launched a teaser campaign with "Do you know who you are?" posters and launched a website bot for World Mental Health Day, providing positive messages ending with "TPWK."

October 2019: "Lights Up" Release

In October 2019, Harry Styles released "Lights Up," the lead single from his second album, Fine Line.

December 2019: TPWK Slogan Recognition

In December 2019, Harry Styles acknowledged the growing popularity of his "Treat People with Kindness" (TPWK) slogan and its presence on merchandise.

December 2019: Response to Criticism on Using Influence

In December 2019, Harry Styles responded to an interview question about why he doesn't use his influence more often to support specific causes.

2019: Fine Line Album Debut

In 2019, Harry Styles's second album, Fine Line, debuted atop the US Billboard 200, achieving the biggest first-week sales by an English male artist.

May 2020: Support for Black Lives Matter

In May 2020, Harry Styles showed support for Black Lives Matter following the murder of George Floyd, urging fans to donate and pledging to donate to a bail fund for arrested activists.

2020: COVID-19 Relief Efforts

During the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, Harry Styles released t-shirts with proceeds going to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. He also paid his core tour crew's salaries.

January 2021: "Treat People with Kindness" Single Release

In January 2021, Harry Styles released "Treat People with Kindness" as a single, featuring a music video with Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

November 2021: Eternals Cameo and Pleasing Launch

In November 2021, Harry Styles made a cameo appearance in Eternals and launched his gender-neutral skin and nail care brand, Pleasing.

June 2022: Advocacy for Abortion Rights

In June 2022, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Harry Styles posted on Twitter expressing his devastation and referenced the ruling at his concert in Austin, Texas, affirming individual 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 to support refugees fleeing Ukraine.

September 2022: Love On Tour Residency at Madison Square Garden

In August and September 2022, Harry Styles performed 15 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden as part of his Love On Tour. To commemorate this achievement, a permanent banner was raised in his honor inside the venue.

November 2022: Release of "Gucci Ha Ha Ha" and American Music Awards Win

In November 2022, Gucci released a collaborative collection between Alessandro Michele and Harry Styles, titled "Gucci Ha Ha Ha." At the 50th American Music Awards, Styles won Favorite Male Pop Artist and Favorite Pop Song for "As It Was".

2022: Social Media Following and Streaming Success in 2022

As of 2022, Harry Styles had over 38 million followers on Twitter and his song "As It Was" was the most-streamed song of the year globally on Spotify and Deezer. He was also the second-most-searched musician on Google in 2022. Rolling Stone UK named Styles the "new King of Pop".

2022: Film Roles in Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman

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 the role of Elvis Presley, starred in "Don't Worry Darling" alongside Florence Pugh which premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, and starred in "My Policeman" alongside Emma Corrin which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The main cast of the film received the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance.

2022: Designs "Ha Ha Ha" Collection with Gucci

In 2022, Harry Styles collaborated with Gucci's Alessandro Michele to design a joint capsule collection called "Ha Ha Ha," unveiled at Milan Fashion Week.

2022: Harry's House Album Release

In 2022, Harry Styles released his widely acclaimed third album, Harry's House, which broke several records.

2022: Release and Success of "Harry's House"

In 2022, Harry Styles's third album, Harry's House, achieved both critical and commercial success. Its lead single, "As It Was," topped charts in the UK and US, becoming a long-running number-one hit in the US. The album also debuted at the top of the charts in multiple countries. Styles headlined Coachella, was featured in an Apple AirPods commercial, released a music video for "Late Night Talking", and was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2022. At the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, Styles received three accolades, including Album of the Year for Harry's House.

2022: Partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety

In 2022, following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, Harry Styles partnered with Everytown for Gun Safety for 44 shows, donating $1 million to the Everytown Support Fund.

2022: Referencing Tracey Emin's "My Bed" in "Late Night Talking" Music Video

In the music video for his 2022 single "Late Night Talking," Harry Styles referenced Tracey Emin's 1998 seminal work My Bed.

July 2023: Inviting Ukrainian Refugees to 'Love On Tour'

In July 2023, Harry Styles continued his partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) by inviting three Ukrainian refugees to his 'Love On Tour' show in Warsaw.

July 2023: Conclusion of Love On Tour

In July 2023, Harry Styles's Love On Tour concluded, becoming 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 bandmate Mitch Rowland's track "Here Comes the Comeback" for his debut album, Come June.

2023: Pollstar Award for Brand Partnership

In 2023, Harry Styles and Everytown for Gun Safety won a Pollstar Award for Brand Partnership/Live Campaign of the Year for their collaboration on the Love On Tour.

2023: Release of The Little Mermaid (in which he did not participate)

In 2023, The Little Mermaid was released, the role in which Harry Styles had declined in July of 2019.

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: Invests in S.S. Daley

In 2024, Harry Styles invested in a minority stake in emerging British fashion label S.S. Daley.