Nearly two years after One Direction announced its breakup, Harry Styles has finally unleashed his solo debut single “Sign of the Times.” Co-produced by Tyler Johnson, Alex Salibian, and Jeff Bhasker, the track draws heavy inspiration from ‘70s glam-rock acts like David Bowie and Queen.
On the track, Styles sings about a dying relationship:
Just stop your crying
It’s a sign of the times
Welcome to the final show
Hope you’re wearing your best clothes
You can’t bribe the door on your way to the sky
You look pretty good down here
But you ain’t really good
Although it shares a similar name to Prince’s 1987 album Sign o' the Times (and dropped almost exactly 30 years after that album’s release) Styles' song is unrelated to Prince’s work. It’s not clear if the single will appear on a forthcoming project, although it does seem that there’s a music video in the works. He’s also slated to perform on Saturday Night Live on April 15, where acts typically perform two songs, so it’s possible that another single is on its way soon.
The former One Directioner opened up about the track during a recent interview with BBC Radio 1:
It’s a bit weird, I feel like I’ve been hibernating for so long now and you hear it in the safety of the studio and now it’s time to give birth… It’s the song I’m most proud of writing.
You can listen to the song above and read all the lyrics to Harry Styles' “Sign of the Times” on Genius now.
