Can Harry Styles Save Rock & Roll?

If you’re a One Direction fan or say, under the age of 18, you’ve probably listened to Harry Styles debut album at least a couple hundred times since it dropped on Friday. For three full days, you’ve been able to sit with a record of tunes defining what our fave Directioner is all about outside of the pop machine. As it turns out, Harry Styles is just as cool as you’d thought he’d be!

His album is all the things we need. And by we, I don’t just mean teens and pop fans. Harry has done something brave and perhaps even unprecedented. He’s transitioned from boy band pop star to rock & roll frontman. His solo effort, which could have easily been written by pop heavy hitters and laden with synth sounds and dubstep breakdowns, was produced by Jeff Bhasker and composed with real live instruments and real musicians killing it.

The result of working with Bhasker, who earned a Grammy for his efforts on fun.‘s hit “We Are Young,” is a cool ass record that is truly legit. By legit I mean, music snobs give it a spin! Boyfriends that used to roll their eyes at 1D tunes, just try it out! And don’t forget to share it with your parents because if they long for the good old days when The Rolling Stones and Bowie reigned supreme, this might be right up their alley.

And there’s the rub, people. Is this album a smasher? Is it iconic? Maybe not yet. But it’s so solid and it represents what Harry is all about. On a higher level, he’s introducing a new generation to rock & roll. Before you start some takedown campaign for that declaration, think about it. Styles has the ears and hearts of millions of young girls and he ditches the long tees, sneakers, and EDM hooks. He goes classic and starts performing in wild suits that are one part Jagger, one part Elton John.

Best of all, you know this kid is just going to get better. Keep in mind, he’s only 23! He can’t even rent a car without crazy fees and he’s already this bold, this talented, this magnetic, and this clever and honest lyrically. After another album or two, our boy Harry has the potential to be a music legend. Oh yes, you heard it here first.

What’s your favorite track? Tell us in the comments below!