Song: “Sign of the Times”
A former boy band member broke his solo career open with this heavy song
First tasting fame as a member of One Direction, the boy band confection assembled by Simon Cowell from contestants on The X Factor after each member was eliminated as a solo competitor, Harry Styles took some time off after this mega-band went on “indefinite hiatus” in 2016.
In 2017, he released his self-titled solo album, choosing to make the first song he released — “Sign of the Times” — a six minute classic-rock epic, a major departure from the pop that made him famous.
To add to his departure from the upbeat heartthrob lyrics of One Direction, the song’s lyrics were written from the perspective of a mother who had just given birth and had five minutes before her own death to give her child the messages needed to thrive in life.
Heavy stuff.
Released nearly 30 years to the day after Prince’s album Sign O’ the Times, the song became an instant hit (#1 in the UK, #4 in the US) and has been embraced as a modern classic.
Enjoy!
