Harry Styles opens up about music hiatus which became 'life-changing'

Harry Styles decidedly stepped away from the spotlight at the height of fame, and it proved to be a life-altering decision for the singer, sparking a new inspiration in him to continue making music.

The 32-year-old musician disappeared from the surface after concluding his Love on Tour, and although the idea felt “insane” to him at the time, it turned out to be the best decision for him.

The Fine Line hitmaker shared his experience of the long break in a new interview, saying, “At the end of the tour, the idea of taking time out felt insane. I didn’t know if I could do it, but it was the right time for me. We’d finished the tour in July and I was turning 30 in February. It was time for me to stop for a bit and pay some attention to other parts of my life.”

Styles, who was often spotted in Italy during his hiatus, spoke about the destination and how it became special for him, “Italy has become really special to me over the past few years. I drove from London to Rome during COVID, in that time when you could travel.” in conversation with The Sunday Times.

The One Direction alum only realised that he had never truly enjoyed a moment slowly without moving on to the next, when he went to Rome. He noted, “the city just taught me how to slow down.”

The Grammy winner continued, “I was suddenly learning, through my friends, that eating a meal is more than just sitting down and refueling. I realised the pleasure in just being in the moment of what you’re doing. The Romans are the best at that — that’s their speciality. The pace they’ve taught me has been so special.”

The new lessons learnt during his hiatus inspired him to create his upcoming album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Now that Styles is back into the spotlight, he shared that he has brought those small changes with him, “like not having Instagram on my phone anymore. I feel so much healthier in my relationship with this world that I’m stepping back into.”

The new record after his years-long hiatus will be released on March 6.