Despite his absolutely rubbish audition on X Idol or Pop Factor or whichever one it was, Harry Styles has, in a relatively short career, metamorphosed into the most recognised star on the planet, reaching galactic proportions and still rising. His fanbase is pretty much everyone, and the hordes of cowboy hat and feather boa-wearing fans clogging up the entirety of Cardiff for the second of two Principality Stadium Love On Tour dates is a testament to Harry Styles’ power and pull.
I can only compare this to what it must have been like when the Beatles were at the height of their fame and literally chased everywhere, attracting the same response from their adoring fans – as did Bowie (who Styles constantly references) and the Rolling Stones.
I’ll refrain from running through the evening’s setlist: suffice to say it was the expected hits, and they were all there. Did he live up to the hype, is he actually any good live, did he win over the entire stadium, did he pull out the stops – and, most importantly, what did he wear? Yes, yes, yes, yes and a red trousers/T-shirt combo: Harry Styles’ torso is one of the few areas inside the Principality stadium without a feather boa in sight…
A knockout set drew the expected response from his acolytes – screaming, dancing, chucking flowers and brandishing placards with varying sexual requests and life questions. “Should I give up my job as a nurse?” asks one fan, which Styles diplomatically sidestepped and batted right back at her. He worked this national stadium-sized room, swaggered effortlessly from the stage, sashayed down the runway and gyrated along to his songs. The Harry Styles band is incredible, too – fun, sassy and consisting mainly of young women, they delivered a perfect set.
Styles’ persona of singer/actor/musician/style icon all comes to fruition in his current live show, and has cemented his reputation as a chameleon performer, one in it for the long game. The entire Principality stadium, even security, were smiling from beginning to end. It was warm, cuddly and – as he kept checking throughout the night – a safe environment, ensuring fans are adequately hydrated and all. Well done Harry, your mother is so proud of you, even if you do still walk into her house and raid the fridge.
Harry Styles, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wed 21 June
words EMMA CLARK photos LLOYD WAKEFIELD / EMMA CLARK
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