Harry Styles, Watermelon Sugar | Track Review 🎵

Harry Styles shines once again on “Watermelon Sugar,” his second single released in advance of his sophomore album, Fine Line.

“Tastes like strawberries on a summer evenin’ / And it sounds just like a song.”  If you say so Harry Styles, if you say so!  Apparently, the British pop singer enjoys fruit, as “Watermelon Sugar” marks his second fruit-oriented song. The first? That would be “Kiwi” from his 2017 self-titled debut, which The Musical Hype featured on the fruit-centric list, 15 Nutritious Songs About Fruit.  “Watermelon Sugar” marks the second single (following “Lights Up”) from Styles’ highly anticipated sophomore album, Fine Line (December 13, 2019).

“Watermelon Sugar” is filled with selling points.  First and foremost, Harry Styles sounds superb in the vocal department.  His tone has always been noteworthy, and nothing is changed on this particular record. The huskiness and assertiveness of his vocal performance is awesome.  Moving on to the sound, vibe, and production of the record, Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson definitely give Styles a top-notch backdrop to work with.  There are elements of rock, which always looks nice on Styles, as well as pop, as well as a dash of retro and vintage.  In addition to the vocals, some of the ear candy that the listener is spoiled with includes acoustic and electric guitars, piano, keyboard, and most distinctly, horns.

With great vocals and excellent production, that leaves only one more box to check off – songwriting.  “Watermelon Sugar” isn’t a deep, transcendently penned song in the least, but it is definitely enjoyable and entertaining to the nth degree.  That begins with the verses, which are love-centric, summery, and, for lack of a better word, fruity – literally! It continues on the pre-chorus and is capped off by the repetitive but vibe-filled chorus, which highlights the titular lyric: “Watermelon sugar high.”

Final Thoughts

Personally, I found “Lights Up” to be a fantastic promo single, so following it up is no easy task in my eyes.  That said, “Watermelon Sugar” continues to set up Harry Styles for what should be quite an intriguing sophomore album in Fine Line.  All boxes are checked off: singing, production, and songwriting.  Again, the songwriting isn’t deep, but it’s definitely alluring.

Harry Styles • Fine Line • Columbia • Release: 12.13.19

Photo Credit: Columbia