Four years after the split of One Direction and two years after his solo debut album, on Dec. 13 Harry Styles released Fine Line, a combination of teachings from his rock idols, years of making boy band hit singles and his own eccentric charm.

Styles jumps from style to style on each track, hoping one of these songs will be the key to cementing him as a rock star in his own right, proving his worth outside of the shadow of One Direction. In his self-titled debut album, Styles drew too heavily from his rock idols and got caught up in making the album different from what he produced with One Direction. While it was refreshing, Styles was overshadowed by the influence of rock stars, and we couldn’t find anything that made him unique in his own right.

Styles attempts to find himself musically and personally, evident in the lyrics. Both “Lights Up” and “Falling” illustrate a man questioning himself; even in “She”, which tells the story of a man contemplating leaving his family behind for an amazing woman, Styles focuses on self-exploration.

While the funky tunes are fun, all of Styles’ singles play it safe. Although sensible in the full rock album, “Adore You”, “Watermelon Sugar” and “Lights Up”, with a few adjustments, could fit into a pop album. 

The opening tune, “Golden”, is brash and bold, the entire song backed by glowing vocals and big choruses. The musicality of “Golden” and the rest of the album makes it memorable, each song with a widely varying set of instrumentals. 

“Cherry” boasts the most striking lyrics in the album. “I noticed that there’s a piece of you in how I dress, take it as a compliment,” Styles sings. The lyrics are petty and almost childish, with “I just miss your accent and your friends, did you know I still talk to them?” and “Don’t you call him what you used to call me.”

After “Cherry”, Styles dives even deeper into his sadness with “Falling.” Backed by a simple piano, he wallows, making us nostalgic for a romance we are not a part of. After the emotional rollercoasters of “Falling” and “Cherry”, Styles sings “To Be So Lonely”, a bitter track, sounding something like a phone call he might regret making. The lyrics bring listeners to tears as Styles tells us about something permanently broken.

Ignoring the concept of “She”, the story of a man in love with the idea of a woman who doesn’t exist, the song is perfect. Mitch Rowland, a guitarist of Styles’, performs so excellently even I, who knows nothing of guitar, would tell you it was showstopping. On top of that, the lyrics ooze Styles’ personality and charm. If anyone other than Styles had written the lyrics to tell the story of “She”, it would not be half as excellent. 

In both “Sunflower, Vol. 6” and “Canyon Moon”, Styles reminisces about the good parts of a relationship, again making private moments relevant to all. Although “Sunflower, Vol. 6” has a nearly psychedelic tone, with synths following every word, the ending feels more tiring than awe-inspiring. Both songs lack creative lyrics but make up for it with a musical tone.

Even with its excellent tagline, “Treat People With Kindness” lacks the lyricism, musicality and creativity to belong on Fine Line. The vocals are overbearing, and despite Styles’ lyricism in the verses, the loud chorus and overdone clapping collapse the track underneath itself.

While Styles has a ways to go in learning to showcase his own personality while simultaneously emanating the rock star persona he hopes to embody, he has proven, once again, he can and will be one of the rock stars he so idolizes. 

Follow Anjali (@anjalikrishna_) and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter.