Harry Styles Talks Self-Titled Debut Album

(Radio.com) Harry Styles' debut solo album will be released this Friday (5/12) and his reintroduction to the public has gone off without a hitch. Lead single "Sign of the Times" has climbed the Billboard charts and Harry is everywhere, from the cover of Rolling Stone to the Today Show plaza and James Corden's couch. He even has an acting debut in the can--Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk premieres this year and will test his crossover success even further. For now, all eyes are on Harry's 10-track, self-titled album.

The One Direction alumnus with the good hair spent more than a year fine-tuning his solo debut--inspired by classic rock icons and a more authentic, personal perspective.

"I didn't want to write 'stories,'" Styles told Rolling Stone about his new album. "I wanted to write my stories, things that happened to me. The number-one thing was I wanted to be honest. I hadn't done that before."

As a result, Harry looks poised to make good on the Mick Jagger comparisons that have followed him around since One Direction. His appeal to 1D devotees is undiminished but "Sign of the Times," his self-titled solo album's lead single, has already earned him new fans. The song's stunning music video encapsulates the next chapter of Harry's career: imaginative, offbeat and refined in all the right places.

"I wanted to step up," he said. "There were songs I wanted to write and record, and not just have it be 'Here's a demo I wrote.' Every decision I've made since I was 16 was made in a democracy. I felt like it was time to make a decision about the future and maybe I shouldn't rely on others." Read more here.