"As It Was" Reveals Harry Styles Is Ready to Embrace Change and Find Himself Again

The man, the myth, the legend: Harry Styles is back and ready to dominate the music industry in 2022.

Everyone's favorite English singer/songwriter is kicking off his third era with the brand-new single "As It Was," and it's an absolute bop. The track heavily leans into the '80s synth-pop genre and is quite reminiscent of A-ha's global hit "Take on Me."

But, when it comes to the lyrics, Harry's latest song is far from embracing the upbeat, lovey-dovey feel. Following its release, many fans began speculating about the song's meaning; however, the Grammy-Award-winning superstar has since opened up about the message behind his ultra-personal tune. Here's what Harry had to say about the meaning of "As It Was."

If you have been listening to "As It Was" for hours on end in hopes of uncovering the true meaning of the song, you're not alone. However, if you feel your efforts aren't successful, here's what we discovered about the new tune.

Overall, "As It Was" conveys Harry's inability to look beyond the past; he cannot move on from what he's experienced and has no interest in opening up about his feelings. As the song continues, listeners discover his feelings of loneliness and his persistence in bottling his emotions up to avoid the pain they could potentially cause when discussing them.

On April 1, the "Watermelon Sugar" vocalist appeared on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show and disclosed a few crucial details regarding "As It Was," including how it came to be and what it's all about.

"It was the last song that was written for the album. It was written in the countryside in England," Harry revealed to host Greg James. "It's about embracing change, losing oneself, finding oneself, a shift in perspective — lots of different things."

He later joined Jordan-Lee on Hits Radio and explained that "As It Was" didn't initially have the beloved '80s sound, stating, "It started off much slower as it was being written ... The piano line was being played on a piano and then turned into that synth, and it kind of took on a new life. I'm a fan of it, it's one of my favorite songs on the album."

Speaking of the upcoming album, it seems "As It Was" encapsulates the overall message of "Harry's House." He told Hits Radio that the concept was an idea he had for a long time, revealing that he did have "a specific house, and geographical thing" in mind at the start. But, things started to shift while producing the record.

"During the process of the album, it became much more of an internal journey of finding home and peace with one's self. It kind of went through a lot of different meanings," the "Golden" singer confessed in the interview. "This is definitely my favorite stuff that I've made, and I'm really, really proud of it, and I'm excited to finally be able to share it with people."

What about you? Are you excited to hear "Harry's House" on May 20, 2022? We know we are!