Harry Styles concert leaves thousands of fans in awe

Courtesy Harry Styles on Instagram

Assistant News Editor Sophia Murray writes that Harry Styles’s performance at TD Garden on Oct. 25 was exhilarating.

Sophia Murray, Assistant News Editor
November 19, 2021

As part of his 2021 National Tour across the U.S, Harry Styles performed on Monday, Oct. 25 at TD Garden for thousands of excited fans. 

After releasing the album “Fine Line,” Styles scheduled an international tour, “Love on Tour,” for April 2020, but postponed it due to the pandemic. In July of 2021, Styles and his team announced the official dates for the tour, starting in September, and cancelled all locations outside of the U.S. 

Due to COVID-19, audience members were required to wear a mask and to have one of the following: proof of vaccination for COVID or a negative COVID test 72 hours or less before the show. 

Once fans made it inside the venue, they were greeted by performing artist, Jenny Lewis, who opened for most of the shows on the tour. Lewis performed nine songs, including fan favorites “Joy’all,” “Puppy and a Truck” and “Head Underwater.” Her fun and lively spirit, coupled with her beautiful vocals and talented band made for an exciting opening that set the stage for the coming performance. 

After Lewis left the stage, fans in the audience screamed excitedly as they watched Styles being rolled underneath the stage in a life sized box. He then rose from underneath the stage to the lively tune of his hit song “Golden.” The sheer excitement of seeing him for the first time has become a memory I will cherish for a very long time.

Styles then went on to sing 18 songs from both “Fine Line” and from his first, self-titled album, “Harry Styles.” Some of the most memorable and popular songs performed were “Cherry,” “Kiwi” and “Fine Line,” but most of the songs seemed to invoke intense emotions on fans in the audience, whether that meant screaming, dancing or even crying. Seeing the songs I have listened to for almost two years on repeat being performed live in front of me was an unforgettable and surreal experience. 

Throughout the night, Styles exuded a fun and exciting energy. At one point, the stadium erupted into laughter and dancing as everyone, including the members of the band onstage, participated in a 15-minute dance party, featuring conga lines, pride flags, and upbeat songs like “Treat People With Kindness” and “Canyon Moon.” I found it to be a wonderful escape from the harsh realities of normal life.

Some of the members of Styles’ band also got their moment in the spotlight during the show, such as  Mitchell Rowland, who had fans screaming at the top of their lungs after a five minute guitar solo at the end of the song “She.” 

Although the concert was an amazing experience, I, among many others, was upset to see that Styles did not perform fan favorite “To Be So Lonely.” However, he did surprise the crowd by performing songs like “What Makes You Beautiful” from his former band, One Direction, which I thought was a fun and exciting addition to the setlist.

Before playing arguably the saddest song on the new album, “Fine Line,” Styles said his goodbyes, thanking all of his band members, the crew, and of course, the audience for making time to see him live. The stadium was completely silent as he belted out the beautiful and heartbreaking melody while thousands of flashlights waved throughout the stands. The stadium went dark, and Styles disappeared from the stage. 

After a few minutes of people shouting “Harry! Harry! Harry!,” Styles reappeared to the stage, this time, to the tune of his most popular song to date, “Sign of the Times.” He went on to perform two more songs as a part of the encore, before ending the show for real by running off of the stage. Although a bittersweet moment, I walked out of the concert feeling overjoyed and exhilarated. 

This concert brought hope and enjoyment to so many people, allowing them to escape reality for a few hours and get lost in the emotions that were conveyed through the music. There was laughter, there were tears, but most importantly, it was a celebration of not only Styles and his band, but everyone who made it through difficult times.

The show was a uniting experience for many, as everyone was welcomed, regardless of their background. Styles did his best to make the show feel inclusive and fun, and in my opinion, he did succeed in doing that. For many of the audience members, including myself, this was their first time going to a concert of this magnitude since the pandemic started, and the performance by Styles and his band did not disappoint.