Harry Styles Says He Felt 'Very Alone' After One Direction Broke Up

In a new interview, the "Aperture" singer opened up about his transition from a boy band member to a solo artist following the group's split in 2015

NEED TO KNOW

• Harry Styles revealed in a new interview that he felt “very alone” after One Direction broke up
• He opened up about his transition from a boy band member to a solo artist following the group’s 2015 split, saying there is “so much room to hide” when you are in a group
• The “Aperture” singer also reflected on taking his first proper break in more than a decade following the conclusion of his 22-month-long Love on Tour world tour in July 2023

Harry Styles is sharing rare insight into his transition from a boy band member to a solo artist.

In a conversation with his friend and stylist Harry Lambert, published by The Sunday Times Magazine on Saturday, Feb. 14, the "Aperture" singer, 32, discussed how he felt after One Direction broke up in 2015 and he launched his solo career.

"When you’re in a band with four other people, there’s so much room to hide," he said, referring to bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne. "There’s only ever so much weight that’s on your shoulders. The first couple of times on stage [without One Direction], I’d think, 'What do I do with my hands?' "

"But I also felt very alone all of a sudden," he continued. "I was lucky to have the opportunity where people were interested in what I was going to make, but I put a lot of that pressure on myself, wanting it to be correct."

Reflecting on the release of his debut self-titled solo album in 2017, Styles explained that he wanted to push his creative exploration but worried about disappointing people.

"With that first album, I was trying to explore what music I would make by myself, but in that moment I felt there were a lot of people who had put faith in me and I didn’t want to disappoint people or let them down," he said.

Elsewhere in his conversation with Lambert, Styles also opened up about taking a break and stepping out of the spotlight following the end of his 22-month-long Love on Tour world tour in July 2023. It marked the first significant break from his music career that he'd had in more than a decade.

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Styles said that at first, the idea of taking time off "felt insane."

"I didn’t know if I could do it," he admitted. "But it was the right time for me — we’d finished the tour in July, and I was turning 30 in February. It was time for me to stop for a bit and pay some attention to other parts of my life."

He headed for Italy, a place he said has become "really special" to him since he spent time there during the pandemic. Rome taught him an important lesson: "how to slow down."

"Italy became so important to me because I was so used to everything moving so quickly and being on the go, but then I remember going to a café and sitting and having a coffee and thinking, 'I don’t remember the last time I sat down and had a coffee — if I’ve ever sat down and just had a coffee,' " he said of his busy, on-the-go lifestyle.

"I was suddenly learning, through my friends, that eating a meal is more than just sitting down and refuelling," he continued. "I realized the pleasure in just being in the moment of what you’re doing. The Romans are the best at that — that’s their speciality. The pace they’ve taught me has been so special."

The three-time Grammy Award winner described the experience of stepping away from music for more than two years as "so powerful," explaining that it gave him a new understanding of himself.

"I’d always thought, or hoped, that I was the kind of person who didn’t need the dopamine hits that doing this job often gives you. But I hadn’t actually removed myself from it, and it’s hard to eliminate the doubt that maybe if it all went away, I’d really miss it. That’s always been a fear for me," he said, per the Sunday Times.

"So living my life in a way where I could really like who I am away from this world has been so powerful for me," he continued. "Without question, that has influenced the work I’m now making because it came from a place of pure freedom."

Now, Styles is back and ready to dive into performing again. Following the much-anticipated announcement of his fourth album, All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. (out on March 6), he revealed plans for a global residency spanning 50 shows across seven cities, including Amsterdam, London, São Paulo, Mexico City, New York, Melbourne and Sydney from May through December, 2026.

Speaking about the title of his upcoming album, Styles said in an interview with Hits Radio, "It's like a life mantra, I guess," noting that you "can't" be at the disco all the time.

"Loving and moving through your life with love and taking a break every now and then to have some fun, I think, is a really good way to approach your life," he added. "That's what I felt like I did the last couple years, and it led to positive changes in my life."

Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. will be released on March 6.

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