No matter your taste in music, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Harry Styles is a once-in-a-generation star. His talent, charm and style have a magnetism that only comes with the greats, which, combined with his energetic stage presence and charisma, has seen him become one of the most influential and successful musicians of our time.

Few artists have as an extensive and far-reaching fanbase as Styles, many of whom have followed the star since he recorded video diaries on the stairs of the The X Factor house with his bandmates and many of whom have been won over by the critical success of his two solo albums. He has the rare ability to disappear for months, but, when he returns, it is with just as much momentum as when he left.

© Kevin Mazur

Far beyond music, Styles has become one of the most influential celebrities in the fashion world, as his wardrobe of gender-fluid pieces delivers endlessly iconic looks time and time again. Navigating the world of music and celebrity is no easy task, but from the age of 16 Styles has shown nothing but humility and kindness, approaching his position with care and consistently using his platform for good. His compassion is rare for someone who faced the pressures of fame so young, but he has navigated and grown in the celebrity world with ease.

As he celebrates his 26th birthday, we look back on his decade-long career and the most memorable moments within it. With two hit albums, an upcoming world tour and a Christopher Nolan movie under his belt, it seems there is absolutely no stopping him.

He’s one of the best-dressed men in the world…



Whether he’s on stage, on the street or presenting on a talk show, Harry Styles never stops delivering some of the most memorable and unique looks in the industry right now, which served him well as he claimed a spot on GQ’s Best-Dressed Men Of The Year list in 2020.

As a cohost of last year’s Met Gala, all eyes were on Styles as he arrived on the red carpet in a bespoke Gucci look, sporting sheer black sleeves and frills, perfectly encapsulating the “camp” theme and making a clear statement that his style was absolutely one to watch. His elegance and bold choices followed on from the Gucci campaign he shot in 2018, sporting flower crowns and an inspired tailoring collection as he posed alongside lambs in Rome. His look is completely unique, ripping up the fashion rule book and making us question why it even existed anyway.

With Styles, it’s not just one or two standout looks that make him such a style icon, but his ability to push the boundaries of men’s fashion wherever he goes and whenever he is spotted. Whether it be a velvet Saint Laurent tux or a silk Gucci shirt, the musician is always on form and never fails to impress. More recently, in the video for “Lights Up”, the first single release from his new album, Fine Line, Styles debuted a gender-blending blue outfit made by designer Harris Reed that sent Twitter into meltdown. It was bold and it was perfect.

He embraces his One Direction past…

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It’s now approaching ten years since Harry Styles stepped out on stage and secured himself a spot in the next round of The X Factor, singing Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” in front of a live audience for his audition. While some stars (we won’t name names) have tried their best to distance themselves from their boy band days, Styles has fully embraced the five years he spent with One Direction and the Simon Cowell machine that rocketed him to fame. “When somebody gets out of a band they go, ‘That wasn’t me.’ But it was me. It was so much fun. If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t have done it,” the star said of his boy band past in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. While his music and style have definitely moved on, it’s refreshing to see he hasn’t forgotten his past.

His music, of course…



Harry Styles’ true passion lies in music, and given the success of his two solo albums, he’s also pretty damn good at it. Whether the crowd is large or small he always delivers a standout performance, bringing just as much energy to a Live Lounge as he does to his arena shows.

His first solo release, Harry Styles, rocketed to the top of the charts to secure a No1 position on the Official Charts in May 2017. Fine Line, released in December 2019, also made it two weeks at the peak of the Billboard Top 200 charts in the United States. His music reflects his inspirations, varied in styles and crossing between genres, and at times taps into a deeply personal emotional space into which he rarely lets his fans.

© Kevin Mazur

With credits on both Ariana Grande’s “Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart” and Michael Bublé’s “Someday”, Styles has proven he can most certainly write – something many boy band stars have been accused of lacking skill in. But not Harry, of course. His drive and love of the craft have secured the respect of musicians far older and more experienced than himself, a testament to his abilities as Stevie Nicks, Kacey Musgraves and Stormzy have all jumped at the chance to duet with Styles during his live shows.

But he’s far more than just a musician…

© Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock



Shortly after One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus, Styles proved himself to be quite the talented actor as he booked a role in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. Nolan claimed to not even be aware of how famous the star was when he booked him.

© J. Kempin

Having hosted The Late Late Show With James Corden multiple times over the past few years, taking over SNL and appearing on both The Graham Norton and The Ellen DeGeneres Shows, Styles has become a talk show favourite. From the day he was tattooed live on air, he has proven himself charismatic, charming and more than happy to make a fool of himself.

Just give him his own chat show already…

He is an LGBTQ+ ally

© Steve Jennings

Throughout his career Styles has been a proud and vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, promoting inclusivity at his shows and actively attempting to make his performances a safe and welcoming environment for all fans. In June 2018 his team released two T-shirts with his “Treat People With Kindness” slogan designed with the colours of the Pride flag, donating all profits to GLSEN, which works to create safe and inclusive environments in schools across the United States for LGBTQ+ youth. He also donated a pair of rainbow shoes he had worn during his promotional tour for Dunkirk to London Friend, a charity which advocates for LGBTQ+ mental health and wellbeing services.

In one of his most compassionate moments, the musician supported one of his fans as they came out to their mother at his show after reading a sign she was holding in the audience that said “I’m gonna come out to my parents because of you”. After asking if he could read it aloud, he had the entire crowd singing “Tina, she’s gay”.

© Kevin Winter

Regularly during his shows he can be seen holding pride flags and works to create a safe and inclusive space at his shows through collaborations with the Rainbow Project and GLSEN. His determination to support those in the LGBTQ+ community can be seen even in his One Direction days, when in 2014 he wore Michael Sam’s number on a jersey during a performance in St Louis. Sam had just made history as the first openly gay football player to be drafted into the NFL. “[Gay rights] doesn’t feel like politics to me. Stuff like equality feels much more fundamental,” he once championed.

While Styles has left his own sexuality undefined, the most recent music video he released for “Lights Up” showed Harry, almost naked, dancing with a group of both men and women, showing his clear support for all and any forms of love. Fans on Twitter also noticed he had released the song on 11 October – National Coming Out Day – and had quickly shown their love and support for him and his involvement with the LGBTQ+ community and blurring the lines between sexualities.

And he’s never afraid to stand up for important causes…

© Beretta/Sims/Shutterstock



Styles’ compassion doesn’t end there, as he has supported and championed countless causes with his platform. His debut solo tour saw the musician perform 89 shows internationally, selling almost a million tickets – a huge success after stepping out alone from One Direction. The twist? Styles stayed true to his famous slogan “Treat People With Kindness” by donating $1.2 million of the profits to 62 charities across the globe, according to Variety. Some of the causes he chose to support with his tour included Time’s Up, Help Refugees and the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.

More recently, Styles has continued to support women’s equality when releasing a commemorative T-shirt for the Fine Line album release. In collaboration with Gucci and Alessandro Michelle, his T-shirt was not only eco-conscious, but a portion of each sale was donated directly to the Global Fund For Women.

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