Harry Styles is currently touring Europe in support of his 2017 self-titled debut album, where he’s been performing a few songs left off the LP. One of the tracks, “Medicine,” has been causing a stir, with many fans interpreting it as Styles singing about being bisexual.
After opening the song with lyrics about partying, Styles teases being with men and women on the second verse and pre-chorus:
The boys and the girls are here
I mess around with them
And I’m okay with it
I’m coming down, I figured out I kinda like it
And when I sleep I’m gonna dream of how you [tasted]
Styles has been questioned about his sexual orientation in the past, but has consistently rejected labels while openly talking about a variety of experience. In 2013, the pop singer said in an interview with British GQ, “Bisexual? Me? I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I’m not.”
In a more recent interview with The Sun, Styles was asked for his take on Miley Cyrus being open about her pansexuality, and said he “never felt the need to” label his sexuality:
Everyone should just be who they want to be. It’s tough to justify somebody having to answer to someone else about stuff like that… I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself.
Last May, Styles responded to rumors about whether his song “Sweet Creature” is written about One Direction member Louis Tomlinson by stating his lyrics are open to the listener’s interpretation:
I mean, I think people are always gonna speculate what songs are about, and I don’t think I’d ever want to tell anyone but they’re wrong for feeling what they feel about a song. Even when they’re not necessarily right. But I think if you really listen to the lyrics, I think you can work out if it’s really about that or not, and I would lean towards no.
In that spirit of being open to interpretation, some fans have dubbed “Medicine” a bisexual anthem:
Openly gay singer Troye Sivan shared his own interpretation of the lyrics:
For now, Styles has yet to comment on “Medicine” and the meaning of its lyrics.
Read all of the lyrics to Harry Styles' “Medicine” on Genius now.
