While I’ve always considered myself to be a modern pop music enthusiast, I will confess that there is one notable artist whose discography I took forever to get around to: Harry Styles. Of course, I’d heard his most popular tunes from time to time on the radio and admired the dedication and passion of his fanbase, but I always felt late to the party when it came to his music, which held me back from becoming a “true fan.” However, last summer, I finally caved and jumped headfirst into Styles’ catalogue. 

Flash forward to the first week of March 2026, when I joined millions of fans worldwide to eagerly await the release of Styles’ fourth studio album, titled Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. (and affectionately dubbed “Kissco” by fans). Frantically refreshing Spotify as the clock struck midnight and pressing play on an album that had been three years in the making felt like a significant event.

Overall, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. was a great listen, with a sound reminiscent of both the flirty fun projected in popular tracks in his second studio album, Fine Line (2019), and the more mature, gritty undertones of Styles’ self-titled album (2017). The majority of Kissco is jam-packed with upbeat songs perfectly curated for the dance floor, with addictive production that kept me coming back for more. “American Girls,” “Pop” and “Dance No More” had especially catchy melodies, and I found myself humming them subconsciously throughout spring break.

However, while listening to this album, I couldn’t help but wonder: Where was the disco? While the album’s production was pleasing to listen to, it felt way more electronic with occasional acoustics than the retro disco throwback fans had been expecting. I feel like this was definitely a missed opportunity, as leaning fully into a more retro disco aesthetic would have paired well with the colorful and authentic visual brand Styles has built for himself (particularly during the Fine Line era). 

One of the biggest criticisms of this album I have seen on social media is that it is all style, no substance. I can understand where these critics are coming from, especially in reference to the album’s opening track “Aperture.” Aside from the unique futuristic production of the song, “Aperture” does not have much going on lyrically, as it is mostly a repetition of the line “We belong together.” When I heard this song for the first time, I couldn’t help but think those lyrics had primarily been written for fans to sing along to them as a call-and-response on Styles’ upcoming tour, “Together, Together.” To me, that this lyric is one of the opening lines of the album provides insight into the themes that it explores. A call for unity and the reunion of a community that has spent a long time apart immediately stood out through these lyrics. Styles is known for taking particularly long hiatuses after each album, and it became a running joke among fans that his fourth album could drop at any second. Through Styles’ music, fans have created meaningful connections with one another, and they celebrate those connections when they are together again during concerts. This is a thematic thread that is being established, but that thread is not always obvious throughout the album. The closing track titled “Carla’s Song” has a similar weakness to “Aperture” because of a similar lack of lyrical diversity. However, those same thematic threads of reunion and community can be identified  in the lyrics “It’s all waiting there for you,”  which suggests that there will always be a community waiting to welcome you back. 

While Kissco is a traditional pop album with upbeat and arguably surface-level tracks, there are still emotional songs woven throughout the project. “Coming Up Roses” is my favorite track on the album because of its unique orchestral accompaniment as the backdrop to the singing, which heightens its emotional impact for the listener. There’s a cinematic quality to this song that is uncommon within Styles’ discography, making it an album standout. In a way, the recurring lyric “It’s only me and you” reminded me of the themes of reunion that I interpreted from “Aperture,” once again showing that while it is not as solid as it could be, there is still a thematic thread present in this project. 

As Styles’ fourth studio album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. is an overall success and is sure to have a continued cultural impact, especially as eager fans prepare to reunite with each other and their favorite artist on the upcoming tour. To me, that is the heart of the album, a celebration of love and a community that will always come back together.