Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He first became widely known as a member of the boy band One Direction, alongside Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik.

Early life and first bands

Styles grew up in Holmes Chapel, in Cheshire. As a teenager he sang with a local group called White Eskimo and performed at community events before auditioning alone for the television talent show The X Factor in 2010. After his solo audition, the show's producers placed him together with four other contestants to form a group that went on to compete as One Direction.

One Direction

One Direction finished third on The X Factor but quickly achieved international success. With the group Styles recorded five studio albums: Up All Night (2011), Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013), Four (2014) and Made in the A.M. (2015). The band toured globally, were the subject of the concert film One Direction: This Is Us, and collected numerous awards, including multiple Brit Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.

Solo music career

After One Direction went on hiatus, Styles released his self-titled solo debut in 2017 and followed it with Fine Line in 2019. Fine Line brought him further commercial success and featured popular singles such as "Watermelon Sugar" and "Adore You". The album drew strong critical attention and was discussed in the context of major music publications, including Rolling Stone. He continued his solo work with the 2022 album Harry's House, which included the hit single "As It Was".

Acting and television work

Styles made his feature film debut in 2017, playing a British soldier nicknamed Alex in Christopher Nolan's war film Dunkirk; Nolan is credited as the film's director and writer (Christopher Nolan). Beyond film acting, Styles has worked as an executive producer on television projects, including the series Happy Together, which he helped develop with producer Ben Winston.

Business ventures and collaborations

Styles has pursued a range of creative and commercial projects outside music. He has collaborated with other musicians, including a musical association with drummer Mick Fleetwood, and in 2021 launched the lifestyle and beauty label Pleasing. The brand began with nail polish and later expanded into skincare and loungewear, with an emphasis on sustainable packaging and formulations.

Selected discography

  • Harry Styles (2017)
  • Fine Line (2019)
  • Harry's House (2022)

Awards and recognition

Across his career—both with One Direction and as a solo artist—Styles has received many industry honours and chart achievements, reflecting his commercial popularity and influence in contemporary pop music.