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 first rose to prominence as a member of the boy band One Direction. Following the band's hiatus, he launched a successful solo career, releasing critically acclaimed albums and achieving numerous chart-topping singles. Beyond music, Styles has ventured into acting, appearing in films like Dunkirk. He is known for his flamboyant fashion sense and charismatic stage presence, making a significant impact on popular culture. His influence extends beyond entertainment, inspiring fashion trends and promoting messages of self-acceptance and inclusivity.
1973: Secretariat running Belmont Stakes compared to One Direction's concert
In a 2015 Rolling Stone review of One Direction's concert at MetLife Stadium, Rob Sheffield compared Harry Styles to "watching the footage of Secretariat running the Belmont Stakes in 1973".
April 2010: X-Factor Audition
On April 11, 2010, Harry Styles auditioned as a solo contestant for the seventh series of The X Factor, singing "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train.
July 2010: Formation of One Direction on X-Factor
In July 2010, after being eliminated as a solo contestant on The X Factor, Harry Styles was grouped with four others to form the boy band One Direction.
2010: Formation of One Direction
In 2010, Harry Styles's musical career began as part of One Direction, a boy band formed on The X Factor after each member was eliminated from the solo contest.
January 2011: One Direction Signed to Syco Records
In January 2011, One Direction signed a recording contract with Simon Cowell's label Syco Records.
2012: Release of Take Me Home album
In 2012, One Direction released the 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, raising over US$800,000 through the online fundraising platform Prizeo. Styles also spoke up on Twitter in support of equal rights after the Westboro Baptist Church picketed a One Direction concert.
2013: Release of Midnight Memories album
In 2013, One Direction released the album Midnight Memories, which debuted at number one in the UK.
2013: Midnight Memories Album Success
In 2013, One Direction's album Midnight Memories was the world's best-selling album.
2014: Endorsement of HeForShe campaign
In 2014, Harry Styles endorsed Emma Watson's HeForShe gender equality campaign, publicly showing his support for gender equality.
2014: Support for LGBT rights
In 2014, Harry Styles joined LGBT rights charity Stonewall's #FirstSnog campaign and showed support for Michael Sam by wearing his jersey onstage.
2014: Release of Four album
In 2014, One Direction released the album Four, which debuted at number one in the UK.
2014: Where We Are Tour Success
In 2014, One Direction's Where We Are Tour was the highest-grossing tour.
2014: Collaboration with stylist Harry Lambert
In 2014, during One Direction's 'Four' era, Harry Styles began collaborating with stylist Harry Lambert, marking a significant step in developing his personal style.
March 2015: One Direction Record Sales
As of March 2015, One Direction had sold 70 million records worldwide since their debut, including 7.6 million albums and 26 million singles in the US.
2015: Energetic Performer
As noted by critics since at least 2015, Harry Styles is seen as an unusually energetic performer.
2015: Sponsorship of 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.
2015: Release of Made in the A.M. album
In 2015, One Direction released the album Made in the A.M., which debuted at number one in the UK.
2016: Solo Career Beginnings
In 2016, Harry Styles joined Jeffrey Azoff's Full Stop Management and CAA, signed a recording contract with Columbia Records, and launched his own record label, Erskine Records. He began recording his debut album in Los Angeles, London, and Jamaica.
2016: House of Lords debate attendance on Brexit
In 2016, Harry Styles visited the House of Lords to attend a debate on Brexit following an invitation by Labour peer Lord Winston, and stated that "anything that brings people together is better than things that pull people apart" and stated that it symbolises "the opposite of the world [he] would like to be in."
2016: One Direction Hiatus
In 2016, One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus after completing promotional activities related to Made in the A.M., suggested by Styles to avoid "exhausting" the fan base.
March 2017: Announcement of Solo Single Release
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 to celebrate debut album release
In May 2017, Harry Styles celebrated the release of his debut album by performing intimate shows at The Garage in London and at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, with all proceeds benefiting charities.
May 2017: Release of Debut Solo Album and Documentary
In May 2017, Harry Styles released his debut studio album, Harry Styles, which debuted at number one in several countries. The film Harry Styles: Behind the Album, documenting the album's creation, was released exclusively on Apple Music.
July 2017: Feature Film Debut in Dunkirk
In July 2017, Harry Styles made his feature film debut in Christopher Nolan's war film Dunkirk, playing a British soldier named Alex.
September 2017: Start of First Headlining Concert Tour
In September 2017, Harry Styles embarked on his first headlining concert tour, Harry Styles: Live on Tour.
November 2017: Television Special and Victoria's Secret Performance
In November 2017, BBC One broadcast Harry Styles at the BBC, and he performed at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show held in Shanghai.
2017: Release of Debut Solo Album
In 2017, Harry Styles released his eponymous debut solo album through Erskine and Columbia Records. The album, led by the UK number-one single "Sign of the Times", became one of the top-ten best-selling albums of the year globally.
2017: Film Role in Dunkirk
In 2017, Harry Styles's film roles included Dunkirk.
July 2018: End of First Headlining Concert Tour
In July 2018, Harry Styles concluded his first headlining concert tour, Harry Styles: Live on Tour.
October 2018: Premiere of Happy Together Sitcom
In October 2018, CBS's sitcom Happy Together premiered, inspired by Harry Styles's time living with television producer Ben Winston and his wife. Styles also served as an executive producer on the show.
2018: Gay Times Honour for LGBTQ Advocate
Harry Styles received a Gay Times Honour for LGBTQ Advocate in 2018.
2018: MusiCares Person of the Year performance
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. Styles is a patron of the MusiCares non profit organisation.
2018: Pride Month T-shirt sales and support for social justice movements
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. That year, Styles also 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: Talks for The Little Mermaid Role
In July 2019, it was reported that Harry Styles was in early talks to play Prince Eric in the live-action Disney film The Little Mermaid, but he ultimately turned the part down.
October 2019: Release of Lights Up
In October 2019, Harry Styles released "Lights Up", the lead single from his second album, Fine Line, which debuted at number three in the UK.
October 2019: Teaser posters and "Do You Know Who You Are?" website launch
In October 2019, Harry Styles' team put up teaser posters including the phrase "Do you know who you are?" and the acronym "TPWK" in various cities. In October 2019, to mark World Mental Health Day in 2019, Styles launched a website bot called "Do You Know Who You Are?" that gives users positive randomised messages such as "bright", "determined", "loving", and "wonderful", and ending with "TPWK. LOVE, H."
2019: Release of Fine Line Album
In 2019, Harry Styles released his second album, Fine Line, which set the record for the biggest first-week sales by an English male artist in the United States.
March 2020: NPR Tiny Desk Concert and Calm App Narration
In March 2020, Harry Styles performed an NPR Tiny Desk concert and narrated a bedtime story for the relaxation app Calm.
May 2020: Support for Black Lives Matter after George Floyd's murder
In May 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Harry Styles showed support for Black Lives Matter, 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 the slogan 'Stay Home. Stay Safe. Protect Each Other,' on the front and 'This t-shirt fights COVID-19. Treat people with kindness' on the back with 100% of the profits going towards the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund by the World Health Organization. Styles also paid his core tour crew's salaries for the duration of the postponed dates until the end of 2020.
2020: First man to appear solo on Vogue cover
In 2020, Harry Styles became the first man to appear solo on the cover of Vogue for its December issue, wearing a blue Gucci dress. This sparked controversy, with some right-wing commentators criticizing his choice of attire.
2020: Postponement of Love On Tour
In 2020, Harry Styles's Love On Tour, which was intended to support Fine Line, was postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
January 2021: "Treat People with Kindness" single and music video release
In January 2021, Harry Styles released "Treat People with Kindness" as a single, accompanied by a music video featuring writer and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The song was titled after the slogan.
September 2021: Love On Tour Kickoff
After previous postponement, Harry Styles's Love On Tour kicked off on September 4, 2021, in Las Vegas.
November 2021: Cameo in Eternals and Launch of Pleasing Brand
In November 2021, Harry Styles made a cameo appearance as Eros / Starfox in Eternals, and he launched his gender-neutral skin and nail care brand, Pleasing.
2021: Postponement of Love On Tour
In 2021, Harry Styles's Love On Tour, which was intended to support Fine Line, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021: Film Role in Eternals
In 2021, Harry Styles's film roles included Eternals.
June 2022: Featured in AirPods commercial
In June 2022, Harry Styles and his single "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" were featured in an AirPods commercial.
June 2022: Donation of appearance fee to International Rescue Committee
On 2 June 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 organisation that is responding to the more than six million refugees being forced to flee Ukraine.
September 2022: Madison Square Garden banner raised
In August and September 2022, as part of his Love On Tour, Harry Styles performed 15 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden. To mark the achievement, a permanent banner was raised inside the venue in September 2022.
November 2022: Collaboration with Gucci
In November 2022, Harry Styles collaborated with Alessandro Michele on a Gucci collection titled "Gucci Ha Ha Ha".
2022: Description of onstage physicality
In 2022, Craig McLean described Harry Styles' onstage physicality for The Face as, "stomping, head-banging exuberance" that is "impossible to resist."
2022: Success of Harry's House Album and "As It Was" Single
In 2022, Harry Styles achieved critical and commercial success with his third album, Harry's House, and its lead single, "As It Was", which topped charts globally and broke records in the US.
2022: Partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety
In 2022, Harry Styles partnered with Everytown for Gun Safety for shows across North America as part of his Love On Tour following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
2022: Release and Grammy Win for Harry's House
In 2022, Harry Styles released his widely acclaimed third album, Harry's House, which later received the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single, "As It Was", became the world's biggest single of the year.
2022: Starred in Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman
In 2022, Harry Styles starred in two films: Don't Worry Darling, a psychological thriller alongside Florence Pugh, and My Policeman, a romantic drama with David Dawson and Emma Corrin. Both films premiered at international film festivals and received mixed reviews, particularly regarding Styles' performance.
2022: Inducted into Business of Fashion's Class of 2022
In 2022, Harry Styles was inducted as part of the Business of Fashion's Class of 2022, which is a definitive index of people shaping the global fashion industry.
2022: Film Roles and Vogue Cover
In 2022, Harry Styles's film roles included Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman. He also became the first man to appear solo on the cover of Vogue, wearing a blue Gucci dress.
2022: Gucci collection and museum features
In 2022, the Gucci dress Harry Styles wore on the cover of Vogue was incorporated into a V&A Museum exhibit called Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear. Additionally, in 2022 Styles designed a Gucci joint capsule collection with Alessandro Michele entitled "Ha Ha Ha". Unveiled at Milan Fashion Week, the collection included tailored wool and velvet suits, tweed trench coats, tartan kilts, bowling shirts, and printed pyjamas.
July 2023: Love On Tour invites to Ukrainian refugees
In July 2023, Harry Styles continued his partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and invited three Ukrainian refugees supported by the IRC to Love On Tour at his show at Warsaw's PGE Narodowy Stadium.
July 2023: Love On Tour Concluded
In July 2023, Love On Tour concluded as the then-fifth-highest-grossing tour of all time, earning $617.3 million.
September 2023: Provided 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".
2023: Pollstar Award for Brand Partnership/Live Campaign of the Year
In 2023, Harry Styles and Live Nation won a Pollstar Award for Brand Partnership/Live Campaign of the Year for their partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety during his Love On Tour.
2023: Likely Release of 'The Little Mermaid' Movie (However, Harry Styles turned the part down)
In 2023, the live-action Disney film 'The Little Mermaid' was released, however, Harry Styles turned the part down for various reasons which included touring and wanting to pursue darker roles.
July 2024: Joined Stevie Nicks on Stage
In July 2024, Harry Styles joined Stevie Nicks on stage at the British Summer Time festival in London to perform "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" and "Landslide" in tribute of Christine McVie's birthday.
2024: Investment in S.S. Daley
In 2024, Harry Styles invested in a minority stake in emerging British fashion label S.S. Daley.
December 2025: Shared "Forever, Forever" video
In late December 2025, Harry Styles shared a video titled "Forever, Forever" to his YouTube channel, depicting the final night of Love On Tour in July 2023.
January 2026: Album and concert residencies announcement
In January 2026, Harry Styles announced his fourth studio album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, and released the lead single "Aperture" on January 23. Additionally, he announced Together, Together, a series of concert residencies in seven cities on January 22.
March 2026: Release of fourth studio album
On 6 March 2026, Harry Styles' fourth studio album, entitled Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, was released.
2026: Release of Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
In 2026, Harry Styles released his fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, which featured the global number-one singles "Aperture" and "American Girls".
2026: Curator of Meltdown Festival
In 2026, Harry Styles was announced as the curator of the 31st edition of Meltdown Festival, to be held at the Southbank Centre in London. He is also headlining the festival.
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