It's a Sign of the Times: Breaking the Barriers of Toxic Masculinity
I am sure most all of you have heard the name Harry Styles before, whether through One Direction or his solo career. I will admit that I have had and still do have a huge crush on Harry Styles, but that is not the sole reason I am writing about him. It seems like Styles has been the IT male celebrity for nearly a decade and continues to create an ever growing fanbase. In his career as a musical artist and celebrity, Styles has pushed many boundaries, broken many records, and has become a musical icon like no other.
Harry Styles was born in Worcestershire, England in 1994. He first rose to fame as a competitor on the seventh season of the British version of The X Factor. At the young age of 16, Styles and the other four members of One Direction stole the hearts of millions of girls worldwide as they took third place on The X Factor and quickly became a boyband sensation. However, being shoved into the spotlight at such a young age definitely posed some challenges for Styles as he continued to grow and mature in the very public eye.
In a Rolling Stones interview, Styles revealed that he suffered from anxiety while performing and touring with One Direction. He said, “I was constantly scared I might sing the wrong note. I felt so much weight in terms of not getting things wrong.” He has also admitted to having stage fright during his early performances with One Direction. While Styles has said he still very much enjoyed his time with One Direction, this pressure of getting things wrong and letting his group down may have contributed to the band taking a hiatus in 2015. Since then, Styles has gained much more confidence as a solo artist which has helped him to develop into the influential artist he is today. Since becoming a solo artist, Styles has also taken a much more directive role in his music as he has written all the tracks on his two solo albums. These two albums showcase a much more vulnerable side of Styles. He isn’t afraid to pour his inner feelings and thoughts into his songs, and this is evident by the raw emotion present throughout his albums.
When it comes to the culture of the music industry and society as a whole, Styles has done many things to break from traditional gender norms by his androgynous clothing choices and his refusal to speak about his sexuality. In November 2020, Harry Styles has become the first man ever to appear on the cover of Vogue by himself. However, it’s what Styles chose to wear on the cover that makes the biggest statement. Styles chose to model a Gucci dress for the photoshoot and when asked about it, he responded that “[he] doesn’t feel confined to strict gender norms when it comes to fashion and life.” He rejected the idea that certain clothes should only exist for men or women He is seen as breaking down the barriers of toxic masculinity.
As this idea of stereotypical gender norms is slowly becoming outdated in this new generation, Styles is one of the people leading the way in breaking barriers that previous celebrities and people in general have been confined to. With his fashion choices and lifestyle, Styles is exemplifying western culture as he breaks from tradition and creates his own idea of life. He isn’t afraid of the criticism or backlash he may receive from his fashion choices. Styles can be seen as exhibiting a lack of conventionality according to Sternberg’s personality traits. He is very free spirited and happily lives life in a way that’s fun and exciting. Styles wants to spread kindness and isn’t constrained by judgements or stereotypes. He has continued to let go of his fear and fully explore his joy and freedom, and I am excited to continue to see his growth as an artist and a human.
Sources:
https://www.insider.com/harry-styles-one-direction-anxiety-2019-8
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/harry-styles-cover-interview-album-871568/
https://sports.yahoo.com/harry-styles-vogue-dress-203241661.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAI509EmOp6Yu3vF4T5nzTAnnX7pxAe2MPBO3scwHvFw9XcIiSaUXDBa7tOPvQxxwZWLdBbqdwcNS-u4RB4uOh9TSCSEB13v4KCltE54HDE9-NNGrIKNxzdiuUL9kRxhJU3aogz3c2_24lCclnlHDAAgjEeI029AYwtf1x3XBNA26
While LOVE Harry and I do agree that he is super influential in challenging norms through how he dresses and presents himself now, I think it is super important to note some of the people that came before him! Such as Prince, David Bowie, and more recently Jaden Smith.
I absolutely love Harry Styles and everything he does. I have followed him since I became a fan of One Directions way back in 2011 all the way through his solo career now. He does so much in challenging gender norms and he is such an inspiring and creative person. I was so excited and proud of his Vogue cover, and I absolutely cannot wait to see how he continues from here. Such an inspiration.
I loosely followed One Direction in middle school, but I’ve only recently been paying attention to Harry Styles’ solo career, mainly because of the things you mention in this post. Everything that I have seen and read about him is positive, and I think it is especially cool that he doesn’t conform to typical gender norms! Obviously, he is not the first man to wear a dress, but his Vogue cover is the first time I have seen it so widespread. I hate that clothing is such a gendered thing, and I am glad that someone with such a large platform is talking about it. I will definitely be keeping up with Harry Styles more now, and I enjoyed reading this article!
I think Harry Styles might be one of the most talented artists of our generation. His solo albums are beautifully written and. express real, raw emotion. His refusal to discuss his sexuality and abide to traditional gender norms makes him even more inspirational. As others have mentioned, he certainly isn't the first one to do this, but I think his start in a pop boy band makes this growth even more impressive and influential. The initial fan base he gained through the band tended to (though not exclusive to) young impressionable people, and he's now showing that population and others that the norms that have defined our lives thus far might not be as concrete as we thought.
I think this is so interesting because not only is he creative in performance arts but he is breaking the barriers of fashion and gender stereotypes. I think examples like him give confidence to other creatives and encourage others to embrace themselves and their creativity rather than try to conform to traditional standards and ideas of creativity. In a world where everyone has an opinion and is quick to judge, I think it is important for people to use their platforms to break stereotypes.
I.... love Harry Styles. But while I do agree with you that he is creative in both his music as well as breaking barriers of gender norms, I also have to acknowledge that he is not the first man to do so. However, that does not mean I don't think he should be considered as not creative for pushing boundaries. I've loved seeing his progression and he is one artist that you can truly see him grow and see how he is finally becoming comfortable in his own image and breaking out of that "X-factor, boy-band" stigma. so happy to see this post (:
I agree with some of the other comments on this one! I also believe that Harry Styles represents one of the most talented, young music artists of our age. Like others have said, it is important to acknowledge those who came before Harry when challenging gender stereotypes. Though Harry was the first male-identifying individual appearing on Vogue, influential artists like Prince and David Bowie challenged gender stereotypes throughout their careers. They even incorporated androgynous style as part of their character, as Bowie embraced gender fluidity when assuming different personas. It created such an impact on current society since I don't think many had expected Harry to present himself in such a way on the cover of Vogue. This is especially shocking when considering the (one could argue) heteronormative stereotype of a boy-band celebrity. This was an important step that Harry had to take!
There was so much to love about watching conservatives melt down at Harry Styles wearing a skirt. I think he is doing a fantastic job of carrying the torch of the non-stereotypical men before him (who have been mentioned in previous comments). Watching him come out of his shell from being a clear-cut teen heartthrob to being his own person, who expresses himself in this way, has been wonderful.
While LOVE Harry and I do agree that he is super influential in challenging norms through how he dresses and presents himself now, I think it is super important to note some of the people that came before him! Such as Prince, David Bowie, and more recently Jaden Smith.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good point! Thank you for bringing that up.
DeleteI absolutely love Harry Styles and everything he does. I have followed him since I became a fan of One Directions way back in 2011 all the way through his solo career now. He does so much in challenging gender norms and he is such an inspiring and creative person. I was so excited and proud of his Vogue cover, and I absolutely cannot wait to see how he continues from here. Such an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI loosely followed One Direction in middle school, but I’ve only recently been paying attention to Harry Styles’ solo career, mainly because of the things you mention in this post. Everything that I have seen and read about him is positive, and I think it is especially cool that he doesn’t conform to typical gender norms! Obviously, he is not the first man to wear a dress, but his Vogue cover is the first time I have seen it so widespread. I hate that clothing is such a gendered thing, and I am glad that someone with such a large platform is talking about it. I will definitely be keeping up with Harry Styles more now, and I enjoyed reading this article!
ReplyDeleteI think Harry Styles might be one of the most talented artists of our generation. His solo albums are beautifully written and. express real, raw emotion. His refusal to discuss his sexuality and abide to traditional gender norms makes him even more inspirational. As others have mentioned, he certainly isn't the first one to do this, but I think his start in a pop boy band makes this growth even more impressive and influential. The initial fan base he gained through the band tended to (though not exclusive to) young impressionable people, and he's now showing that population and others that the norms that have defined our lives thus far might not be as concrete as we thought.
ReplyDeleteI think this is so interesting because not only is he creative in performance arts but he is breaking the barriers of fashion and gender stereotypes. I think examples like him give confidence to other creatives and encourage others to embrace themselves and their creativity rather than try to conform to traditional standards and ideas of creativity. In a world where everyone has an opinion and is quick to judge, I think it is important for people to use their platforms to break stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteI.... love Harry Styles. But while I do agree with you that he is creative in both his music as well as breaking barriers of gender norms, I also have to acknowledge that he is not the first man to do so. However, that does not mean I don't think he should be considered as not creative for pushing boundaries. I've loved seeing his progression and he is one artist that you can truly see him grow and see how he is finally becoming comfortable in his own image and breaking out of that "X-factor, boy-band" stigma. so happy to see this post (:
ReplyDeleteI agree with some of the other comments on this one! I also believe that Harry Styles represents one of the most talented, young music artists of our age. Like others have said, it is important to acknowledge those who came before Harry when challenging gender stereotypes. Though Harry was the first male-identifying individual appearing on Vogue, influential artists like Prince and David Bowie challenged gender stereotypes throughout their careers. They even incorporated androgynous style as part of their character, as Bowie embraced gender fluidity when assuming different personas. It created such an impact on current society since I don't think many had expected Harry to present himself in such a way on the cover of Vogue. This is especially shocking when considering the (one could argue) heteronormative stereotype of a boy-band celebrity. This was an important step that Harry had to take!
ReplyDeleteThere was so much to love about watching conservatives melt down at Harry Styles wearing a skirt. I think he is doing a fantastic job of carrying the torch of the non-stereotypical men before him (who have been mentioned in previous comments). Watching him come out of his shell from being a clear-cut teen heartthrob to being his own person, who expresses himself in this way, has been wonderful.
ReplyDelete