‘So much room to hide… I felt very alone’ – Harry Styles on life after One Direction

Singer Harry Styles has revealed the emotional challenges he faced when launching his solo career after One Direction’s split in 2015, describing the early days as a period when he felt “very alone.”

In a recent interview with People magazine, the 32-year-old reflected on moving from being one-fifth of a global boy band to performing solo.

“When you're in a band with four other people, there's so much room to hide,” Styles said, referring to his former 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.”

Styles admitted he placed significant pressure on himself to get things right, despite the support of fans. “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,” he said.

He released his self-titled debut solo album in 2017, marking a departure from the pop sound of One Direction. “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,” Styles added.

The three-time Grammy winner also spoke about taking his first significant break in over a decade after completing his 22-month-long Love on Tour in July 2023.

“At first, the idea of taking time off felt insane. I didn't know if I could do it. 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 said.

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Styles spent time in Rome during his break, describing Italy as “really special,” particularly after experiences there during the pandemic. “I remember going to a cafe 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 recalled. “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.”

Describing the extended break as “so powerful,” Styles said it reshaped his personal outlook and influenced his music. “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. Without question, that has influenced the work I'm now making because it came from a place of pure freedom,” he said.

Styles is now preparing to release his fourth studio album, All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., on 6 March. He will support the album with a 50-show global residency across seven cities from May to December 2026, including Amsterdam, London, São Paulo, Mexico City, New York, Melbourne and Sydney.

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He described his approach to life as “like a life mantra,” saying: “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.”