Harry Styles has his eye on the prize: a solo career launch during the One Direction hiatus. His absence at the Brits notwithstanding, the curly-haired One Direction star has given plenty of signals that his music is his top priority, and he even has a vision for his post-One Direction direction, as reported by Australia Network News.
“Harry has been very busy putting the finishing touches to his solo career, recording new material in London and just trying out new things. It’s a new chapter in his life, and he wants to make sure that everything is right as he makes his next step…Harry is already recording in London, and he has said that he aims to shock and surprise with his new material, which will be edgy and rock-influenced.
Harry even has an inspiration for his next solo move: his muse is Take That breakout star Robbie Williams.
“He’s working with the best songwriters and producers, aiming for a more rockier sound that’ll be a lot different than what fans expect.”
So what could Harry be planning? ASX reflects that Robbie made deliberate attempts “to eschew fame,” which definitely parallels Harry’s reported disdain for fame and its trappings, reported by Sugarscape .
Williams often seems to take actions deliberately intended to eschew fame, including recording an album of big band music and living out of the public eye as much as possible. He lives in Los Angeles, where he is far less recognizable than he would be in his native England
Remember when Ben Winston’s dad revealed that Harry thinks celebrity is pointless and does not value it?
“Harry recognises that celebrity is completely pointless…He knows [it’s] all transparent. At the end of the day, his family is much more important…He is lonely and pops round quite often just for my wife’s chicken stew.”
Robbie Williams was reportedly embroiled in some jealous disputes with ex-bandmate Gary Barlow, but did not allow it to throw him off course.
Rumors have been widely circled insinuating that Williams and former Take That bandmate Gary Barlow engage in a cycle of jealous quarrels, mostly because Barlow was generally considered to be the breakout star of the group and Williams has eclipsed Barlow’s fame exponentially.
Could Harry feel the same way? Perhaps there is truth in that infamous Sun article that Harry is involved in a similarly spirited battle with his ambitious bandmate Louis Tomlinson. Or maybe the Hollywood Life speculation about “competitiveness” between Zayn Malik and Harry is more what this source had in mind.
“Despite Zayn’s unbelievable success with his debut single, Harry is quietly confident that his first single will do better. Like Zayn, Harry wants to distance himself musically from 1D for a bit, and his single will be far edgier, a lot cooler and have a tinge of rock and roll about it. He thinks he will blow Zayn’s solo career out the water, and Harry has the right people behind him who want him to be more successful outside of the band.”
Speaking of the right people, Harry and new manager and pal Jeff Azoff are polishing up a shiny new contract with Jeff’s brand new company, according to Sugarscape , who reported this week that it’s “all systems go with Harry’s solo career.”
As you’re probably aware our Hazlan recently hired his friend Jeff to see over his solo stuff; and now he’s leaving old company CAA it’s expected Harreh will be joining him on Full Stop’s roster going forward…Harry’s looking likely to appear on the books of Jeffrey and fellow former CAA agent Tommy Bruce; who’s worked on the likes of Meghan Trainor and Lukas Graham. No biggie…This all comes after it was reported Harreh’s going for a ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ vibe with his solo stuff”
It is not known why Jeff suddenly chose to break away from CAA, which was founded by Jeff’s father Irving Azoff, and which the younger Azoff joined in 2012, according to Hollywood Reporter. It seems likely that this has something to do with Harry Styles, who is Jeff’s biggest client and most exciting new charge.
Are the friends fighting to have total control over Harry’s career direction? Was the break from CAA and Jeff’s dad Irving done to give Harry and Jeff more control, to allow the friends to pull business and creative levers independently?
One more detail of the Robbie Williams breakout seems significant, and possibly a source of inspiration to Harry Styles as he spreads his solo wings.
Robbie apparently dabbled in acting!
[Robbie Williams is] not quite the dancer that Justin Timberlake is, but he has also tried his hand at acting.
So exciting! If Harry ends up on the big screen, emoting with his big bluish-green eyes and delivering lines using that deep, morbid-sounding voice Harry girls love, the hiatus will be an exciting time indeed.
Solo material from several of them, and Harry in the movies? That actually sounds better than a piddling one One Direction album per year.
Will Harry Styles end up in the movies after all? Will Harry launch a Robbie Williams-esque solo career?
(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)