Welcome to the latest installment of Vox Populi, where Columba College ākonga cast a critical eye over pop culture happenings. This week, Pippa Trotman (Year 11) takes us on a guided tour of ‘Harry’s House’…

The long-anticipated new Harry Styles album ‘Harry’s House’ has finally arrived and fans are in for a treat. From the opening track ‘Music for a Sushi Restaurant’ to the last ‘Love of My Life,’ it’s easy to tell Harry has finally let go and is making music he enjoys, and not just radio hits. Styles has taken a full turn in mood with this album, leaning towards calm indie tunes and away from poppy tracks. This is shown in ‘Daylight’ and ‘Satellite,’ with lyrics such as "If I was a bluebird, I would fly to you” and "I can see you're lonely down there, don't you know that I am right here?"

His past - ‘Adore You’ and ‘Watermelon Sugar’ - is long gone and Styles has finally started to get deep in his lyrics. ‘Matilda’, a song based on a grown-up Roald Dahl character, is for anyone that has ever felt used, alone or just needs to let something go: "I know they won’t hurt you anymore as long as you can let them go".

But this album isn’t just about the lyrics - the trumpets and ‘bababas’ of ‘Daydreaming’ and the acoustic riffs of ‘Little Freak’’ create an environment where you’re free to let go and dance your days away. The final two tracks are what make ‘Harry’s House’ truly brilliant. ‘Boyfriends’ is a ballad about the difficulties of being in a relationship, while ‘Love of My Life’, an 80s-inspired synth-ballad, has emotional lyrics which have left many in tears, its pace and piano riff-ending making it the perfect finale to a perfect album.