Harry Styles: I wanted my music "to be honest"
Pop music superstar Harry Styles has been in the spotlight for years, first as part of the hit group One Direction, and now in his solo career. And yet he admits he still has a lot to learn, in a revealing interview with Tony Dokoupil for CBS' "Sunday Morning," to be broadcast October 15.
Styles was just 17 years old when he and his bandmates in One Direction hit it big. Their debut album, "Up All Night," opened atop the Billboard charts, something even The Beatles didn't do. And One Direction's concert tours rank among the highest-grossing ever.
Now, Styles is earning critical raves for his solo work as well. Along the way he's become gossip column fodder for whom he's dating or not, and whether he's the inspiration for other artists' songs.
Despite the hit-making and pop culture experience, Styles tells Dokoupil he's still growing. "I don't know the answers," Styles said. "And, you know, I'm 23 and I very much feel like I'm still learning so much. I'm just kind of figuring it out."
Dokoupil catches up with Styles in Los Angeles where they talk about his childhood; how he landed on the British reality TV series that led to One Direction; his musical influences; and his new eponymous CD.
The new music, he tells Dokoupil, has a different sound than what One Direction fans have come to expect.
"I wanted it to be honest. And I wanted to love it every time that I played it," Styles says, adding he wasn't afraid of going in a new direction. "It didn't feel scary to me. I think the idea of making something that I wasn't 100% behind is much scarier to me."
To hear Harry Styles perform "Two Ghosts" from his new album, click on the video player below.
The Emmy Award-winning "CBS Sunday Morning," hosted by Jane Pauley, is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison.
Be sure to follow the program on Twitter (@CBSSunday), Facebook, Instagram (#CBSSundayMorning) and at cbssundaymorning.com. "Sunday Morning" also streams on CBSN beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET, and is available on cbs.com, CBS All Access, and On Demand. You can also listen to "Sunday Morning" audio podcasts at Play.it.
For more info:
- hstyles.co.uk (Official site)
- "Harry Styles" by Harry Styles (Sony Music), available in CD (Amazon and Barnes & Noble), Vinyl (Amazon and Barnes & Noble), Digital Download (Amazon, Google Play and iTunes), and Streaming (Amazon, Apple Music and Spotify) formats
- The documentary "Harry Styles: Behind the Album" is available via Apple Music
