Fine Line (Harry Styles album)

Fine Line
Studio album by Harry Styles
Released	13 December 2019 (2019-12-13)
Recorded	February – July 2019
Genre	Pop pop rock rock
Length	46:37
Label	Columbia Erskine
Producer	Jeff Bhasker Kid Harpoon Tyler Johnson Greg Kurstin Mitch Rowland Sammy Witte
Harry Styles chronology
Spotify Singles (2017) Fine Line (2019)
Singles from Fine Line
"Lights Up" Released: 11 October 2019 "Watermelon Sugar" Released: 16 November 2019 "Adore You" Released: 6 December 2019

Fine Line is the second studio album by Harry Styles, released on 13 December 2019. Three singles preceded the album's official release: "Lights Up", "Watermelon Sugar" and "Adore You".

Background

On 26 August 2019, it was reported that the singer was putting "final touches" on his album. About the album, Styles explained that it was "all about having sex and feeling sad." He further admitted to using psychedelic drugs during the recording process.

Promotion

Shortly before release, the single "Lights Up" was promoted by billboards and the caption: "Do You Know Who You Are?" in several cities around the world. The song was released on 11 October 2019 as the lead single of the album. Styles officially announced the release on his social media on 4 November 2019. Styles promoted the album on the 16 November 2019 episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live as both a host and a musical guest. On the 2 December 2019 Styles revealed the trailer for "Adore You" which was narrated by Spanish superstar Rosalía. The song and music video were released on 6 December 2019.

On 5 November 2019 Styles announced a one-night-only show to celebrate the December 13th release of his second solo album, at The Forum in Los Angeles. Fans who pre-ordered Fine Line gained access to an exclusive presale for $25 tickets to: "Harry Styles – Fine Line Live at the Forum – One Night Only." The album will be released by Columbia Records/Erskine Records on CD, vinyl, and a special edition with a 32-page book with exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the recording sessions.

The album will also be promoted with Love On Tour.

Composition

Fine Line has been described as rock, pop and pop rock. It also includes elements of prog-pop, psychedelic pop, folk, soul, funk and indie pop.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.1/10
Metacritic	76/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The A.V. Club	B+
The Daily Telegraph
The Guardian
The Independent
NME
Now
Pitchfork	6.0/10
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine

Fine Line received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 76 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" based on 20 reviews.

Laura Snapes, writing for The Guardian, noted that "Styles is taking his time coming into focus. The results serve him – and his fans – well" while also complimenting his "much improved" songwriting and his ability to "sell the story," naming "Golden," "Watermelon Sugar", "To Be So Lonely," and "She" as examples. Gregory Robinson, also for The Guardian, branded the album as "confident, convincing and catchy" and "a confident step in Styles’s whimsical musical adventure." Alexandra Pollard of The Independent wrote that "it may not reach the pinnacle of sex or sadness, but Fine Line is a fine album nonetheless." Hannah Mylrea of NME wrote that "for the most part ... Styles’ second album is a total joy" while calling it "an elegant combination of the ex-boybander’s influences, slick modern pop and his own roguish charm." Rea McNamara of NOW Magazine praised Styles' decision to lean towards "ebullient, soulful pop" while naming "Sunflower, Vol. 6" as the album's best track. Nick Catucci, writing for Rolling Stone, called the album "excellent" and "outstanding" while writing that "how consciously he uncouples here that truly sets him apart from the old testament rock gods." He ended the review by saying "if there’s a nontoxic masculinity, Harry Styles just might’ve found it. And that’s the kind of magic mushrooms can’t buy." David Smyth, writing for The Evening Standard, named the album as "the most interesting boy band escapee yet" while writing that "there’s plenty [Styles] can be proud of here." Anna Richmond of Slant Magazine opined that Fine Line "eschews boundaries for youthful self-discovery," and praised Styles' "remarkable openness" while writing that "the path from cookie-cutter boy-band member to bona fide rock star is one fraught with a lot to prove both personally and publically, and yet it’s one Styles seems to be navigating with an eagerness to learn, to experience and to experiment." Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club, stated that "Fine Line proves that the musician has absorbed the best lesson passed down by California’s great musicians: Don’t be afraid to take chances within a folk- or pop-rock framework, as that’s how you create iconoclastic music that endures."

Chris Willman of Variety called the album "very good" while praising "Styles’ full immersion in an era that predates him by a few generations" and his choice to defy "blockbuster expectations by following his muse back into the classic rock era and casually claiming it as his own" and that fact that the album "makes almost no sops to sounding like anything else you’ll hear on the radio." Alex Rodobolski of Exclaim! opined that "there is a certain sense of mysticism surrounding the album" and that with the album, "Styles is able to come into his own, more so than with his self-titled debut." Rodobolski ends the review by writing Fine Line is proof that Harry Styles has grown as an artist since his solo debut" and that "he hasn't reached his full potential, but he's certainly well on his way." Jon Pareles of The New York Times called the album "a production tour-de-force" while adding that "there are plenty of moments, even in lesser songs, when instruments merge in shimmering brilliance and voices stack up in surreal stereo fireworks" and complimenting how "Styles exults in sound, not image." Susan Hansen, writing for Clash, wrote that the album is "a wonderfully bright, inspirational and ambitious piece of work, brimming with confidence and joy combined with some darker shades in-between" and that "stylistically, everything melds with pure pop sensibility to satisfy such a craving, while elements of soul, gospel and rock are sprinkled expertly across the album as a whole, giving a sense of constant change and freedom" while later adding that "there is a ‘fine line’ between plain pop music and good pop music that’s interesting to listen to. On this album, Harry Styles definitely falls into the latter category." Madison Vain of Esquire called the album "outrageously good" and "fun as hell" while opining that "confident and vulnerable ... [the album] redefines manhood for the 2020s."

Some reviews were less positive. Tim Sendra of AllMusic complimented Styles' vocals and opined that "Watermelon Sugar", "Golden", "She", and "Sunflower, Vol. 6" were standout tracks, but also stated that he felt like most of the album was "on cruise control" and that Styles "wants to make music that stands the test of time and really matters to people... he'll need to make records that go beyond pleasant and enjoyable" while ending the review by saying "despite the handful of songs that touch on his potential for greatness, Fine Line isn't quite there yet." Jeremy Larson, writing for Pitchfork, felt that Styles "hides himself inside of a mystic pop-rock record that keeps us away from who he is as a songwriter and fledgling rock star" while adding "I hear a guy who’s still afraid he’ll never make a David Bowie record" although he did write that "actual sound of Fine Line is incredible" and that "most songs have at least one great moment to grab hold of." Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph named the album "charming but inconsequential."

Track listing

Credits adapted from liner notes and Tidal.

No.	Titel	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Golden"	Harry Styles Thomas Hull Mitch Rowland Tyler Johnson	Johnson Kid Harpoon[a]	3:28
2.	"Watermelon Sugar"	Styles Hull Rowland Johnson	Kid Harpoon Johnson	2:53
3.	"Adore You"	Styles Hull Amy Allen Johnson	Kid Harpoon Johnson[a]	3:27
4.	"Lights Up"	Styles Hull Johnson	Johnson Kid Harpoon[b]	2:52
5.	"Cherry"	Styles Johnson Sammy Witte Hull Jeff Bhasker	Johnson Witte Kid Harpoon[b]	4:19
6.	"Falling"	Styles Hull	Kid Harpoon Johnson[b]	4:00
7.	"To Be So Lonely"	Styles Hull Johnson Rowland	Kid Harpoon Johnson	3:12
8.	"She"	Styles Hull Bhasker Rowland	Kid Harpoon Johnson[a]	6:02
9.	"Sunflower, Vol. 6"	Styles Hull Greg Kurstin	Kurstin	3:41
10.	"Canyon Moon"	Styles Hull Rowland	Kid Harpoon	3:09
11.	"Treat People with Kindness"	Styles Bhasker Ilsey Juber	Bhasker	3:17
12.	"Fine Line"	Styles Hull Rowland Johnson Witte	Kid Harpoon Johnson	6:17
Total length:				46:37

Notes

• ^{^[a]} indicates a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} indicates an additional producer

Charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)	52
South Korean Albums (Gaon)	40

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Edition	Label	Ref.
Various	13 December 2019	Digital download streaming CD LP	Standard	Columbia Erskine
		CD	Deluxe

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Allmusic.

• Harry Styles – Primary Artist, Composer, Vocals, Dulcimer, Guitar (acoustic), Background Vocals
• Tyler Johnson – Additional Production, Composer, Bass, Drum Programming, Drums, Engineer, Guitar (acoustic, electric), Keyboards, Mixing, Moog Bass, Piano, Producer, Programming, Background Vocals
• Kid Harpoon, aka Thomas Hull – Composer, Producer, Additional Production, Bass, Drum Programming, Drums, Engineer, Guitar (acoustic, electric, bass), Keyboards, Moog Bass, Piano, Organ, Background Vocals
• Greg Kurstin – Composer, Bass, Clavecin, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Organ, Producer, Sitar (electric)
• Jeff Bhasker – Composer, Conductor, Mellotron, Piano, Producer, String Arrangements, Vocals (Background)
• Mitch Rowland – Composer, Drums, Glockenspiel, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Slide Guitar, Background Vocals
• Sammy Witte – Composer, Engineer, Guitar (acoustic), Producer, Background Vocals
• Amy Allen – Composer, Background Vocals
• Ilsey Juber – Composer
• David Campbell – Arranger (orchestra, strings), Conductor
• Jason White – Choir/Chorus, Chorus Master, Contractor
• Molly Hawkins – Creative Director
• Jon Castelli – Engineer, Drum Programming, Mixing
• Nick Lobel – Engineer, Mixing
• Rob Bisel, Jeremy Hatcher – Engineer, Assistant Engineer
• Mark Rankin, Julian Burg, Jens Jungkurth, Ryan Nasci, Alex Pasco – Engineer
• Spike Stent – Mixing
• Randy Merrill – Mastering
• Tyler Beans, Dan Ewins, Oli Jacobs, Oli Middleton, Dylan Neustadter, Kevin Smith, Matt Tuggle, Matthew Wallick – Assistant Engineer
• Lucius, Jason Morales, Nikki Grier – Vocals
• Sarah Jones – Background Vocals
• Morgan Kibby – Keyboards, Moog Bass, Vocals (Background)
• John Kirby – Keyboards
• Leo Abrahams – Guitar (Electric)
• Laurence Juber – Guitar
• Pino Palladino, Nick Movshon – Bass
• Ivan Jackson – Horn
• Tiffany Smith, Tiffany Stevenson, Brandon Winbush, Nikisha Grier – Choir/Chorus, Vocals
• Serena Goransson, Tereza Stanislav – Violin
• Jonathan Moerschel – Viola
• Gabe Noel – Cello, Double Bass, Sarangi
• Jacob Braun – Cello
• Aaron Sterling – Drums, Percussion
• James Gadson, Homer Steinweiss – Drums
• Davey Chegwidden – Percussion
• Ian Fitchuk, Elizabeth Pupo-Walker – Congas
• – Congas
• Ingmar Carlson, Michael Freeman – Mixing Assistant
• Tim Walker, Hélène Pambrun – Photography
• Bradley Pinkerton – Graphic Design