Harry Styles is no stranger to going viral, whether in his days of One Direction stardom or in his new and improved red-carpet era. But one live performance from the solo star is still blowing fans away, even four years after it launched on YouTube — the time Harry joined NPR’s league of stars and performed his very own Tiny Desk concert.
Recorded in February 2020 and uploaded to the NPR Music channel in March, this low-key acoustic set went viral over the first Covid lockdown and hasn’t stopped collecting views since, standing with an eye-watering 30.9 million YouTube hits to date.
But for this set, Harry didn’t play his all-out hits like “Sign of the Times” or “As It Was” — instead, he picked out four favourites from his 2019 album, “Fine Line,” which hit streaming services only two months before this gig was filmed. Featured on the setlist are the songs, “Cherry,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “Adore You,” and “To Be So Lonely,” the latter of which Harry revealed was one of his favourite tracks from the entire record.
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Even avid Harry fans were taken aback by his Tiny Desk set, the acoustic surroundings instantly taking the superstardom out of Harry’s songs to make his hits sound like student performances or music radiating from a small-scale open mic. It’s a wild experience to hear how different Harry’s voice sounds in this massively stripped-back and intimate setting, singing almost reservedly and not entirely pitch-perfect, but more authentic than we’ve ever heard him before here at The Music Man.
In a blue knitted sweater and grandad shirt, Harry plays acoustic guitar during the tracks, backed by some otherworldly backing singers who make his songs sound totally different from the studio versions, their soulful harmonies akin to birdsong.
Between the tunes, Harry treats viewers to some rare anecdotes on how he creates his music. In one small chat with his live audience, he reveals how he wrote his major hit, “Watermelon Sugar” back in 2017 during a day off in Nashville, and spent years in a love-hate relationship with that song before finally releasing it in 2022, when it topped the US Billboard Hot 100. He also shares his lyrical inspiration: “It’s kinda about that initial euphoria when you start seeing someone, you start sleeping with someone, or just being around someone and you have that kind of excitement about them,” making his crowd laugh with his upbeat relatability despite being one of the most successful post-boyband solo stars in pop history.
This set is totally changing the way people hear Harry’s music, with one fan commenting on the viral vid, “’To Be So Lonely’ is such an underrated song from ‘Fine Line’; this performance has made it my favorite from the album.”
Harry Styles continues to captivate audiences with his unforgettable Tiny Desk concert, showcasing his versatility and deep connection to the music from his “Fine Line” album. With over 30.9 million views, this performance remains a testament to his enduring appeal. For those eager to dive deeper into this remarkable artist’s repertoire, be sure to check out the useful links below.