SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Harry Stiles - "As It Was" - Hitmaker Chronicles

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Callarogashark Media Summer twenty twenty two. I'm Garrett Fischer, and
after two years of pandemic altered reality, the world was
cautiously returning to something resembling normalcy. Concerts were back, festivals
were happening, and people were gathering in ways that had

(00:24):
felt impossible just months earlier. Into this moment of collective
healing and reflection came Harry Styles with As It Was,
a song that would become the soundtrack to our reemergence,
offering both celebration and melancholy in equal measure. With its
deceptively upbeat melody and introspective lyrics about change and loss,

(00:47):
the track captured the complex emotions of a summer when
nothing quite felt the same as it had before, yet
everything somehow felt possible again. Coming in at number sixteen
on our countdown of the top twenty songs of the
sum as voted by the staff of Calaroga Shark Media,
Harry Styles As It Was represents the perfect intersection of

(01:07):
personal reflection and collective experience that defines the most enduring
summer anthems. Before Harry Styles was crafting sophisticated solo statements
about change in nostalgia. He was, of course, one fifth
of One Direction, the boy band phenomenon that defined early
two thousand's pop culture. Formed on the X Factor in

(01:29):
twenty ten, one D became a global juggernaut, selling over
seventy million records worldwide and inspiring a level of fan
devotion that made headlines and broke the Internet before breaking
the Internet was even really a thing. But even during
One Direction's peak years, Style showed signs of artistic ambition
that extended beyond the boy band template. His interest in

(01:52):
classic rock, his emerging fashion sense that challenged traditional masculinity norms,
and his charismatic stage presence suggested someone for a significant
solo career. When the band announced their hiatus in twenty sixteen,
Styles was perhaps the member with the most question marks.
Would the heart throb with the curls translate to serious

(02:12):
solo artist. His twenty seventeen self titled debut album answered
that question definitively. Working with producer Jeff Pasker, Styles created
a collection of songs that drew from classic rock, folk,
and psychedelic influences rather than contemporary pop trends. Tracks like
Sign of the Times and Kiwi showcased both his evolved

(02:33):
songwriting abilities and his willingness to take creative risks. The
album was both a commercial and critical success, establishing Styles
as a legitimate solo artist rather than a former boy
band member trying to extend his career. Twenty nineteen's Fine
Line continued this artistic evolution, incorporating more diverse influences while

(02:55):
maintaining the core esthetic that had defined his solo work
like Watermelon, Sugar, Adore You and Golden demonstrated his growing
confidence as both a vocalist and a songwriter, while the
album's exploration of themes like heartbreak, self discovery, and sexual
awakening showed an artist coming into his full creative powers.
But it was twenty twenty two's Harry's House, and specifically

(03:19):
its lead single as It Was, that would represent Styles's
full emergence as a major solo artist. The album, recorded
primarily during the pandemic, found Styles reflecting on themes of
home change and personal growth, while expanding his sonic palette
to include elements of synthpop, indie rock, and psychedelic music.

(03:43):
So what makes as It was such an effective summer
anthem for our strange new world? Let's break it down?
Musically as it was, achieves a remarkable balance between accessibility
and sophistication. The track opens with what sounds like a
voicemail child's voice saying come on, Harry, we want to
say good night to you, immediately establishing an intimate personal tone.

(04:08):
This introduction gives way to a gently pulsing synthesizer and
drum machine pattern that creates the song's hypnotic foundation. The production,
handled by Styles along with Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson,
creates a sonic landscape that feels both retro and contemporary.
The synthesizers have a distinctly eighties quality, reminiscent of artists

(04:30):
like Peter Gabriel or Tears for Fears, while the overall
arrangement maintains a contemporary polish that ensures radio friendly appeal.
This balance between nostalgic and modern elements perfectly complements the
song's thematic content about processing, change and loss. What makes
the instrumentation particularly effective is its restraint. Despite the song's

(04:53):
emotional weight, the arrangement never becomes overwhelming or melodramatic. The
gentle pulse of the rhythm section, the sh the shimmering guitars,
and The atmospheric synthesizers create a dream like quality that
allows Styles's vocals to remain the central focus while providing
rich textual support. The production also incorporates subtle details that
reward repeated listening. The way certain elements fade in and

(05:17):
out of the mix, the layered backing vocals that add
depth without cluttering the arrangement, and the careful use of
reverb and delay that creates spatial depth. These elements combine
to create a track that feels both intimate and expansive,
personal and universal. The structure of As It Was follows

(05:38):
a relatively traditional pop format while incorporating several elements that
elevate it beyond typical radio fare. The song begins with
the aforementioned voicemail sample, which immediately creates emotional context and intimacy.
The verses establish the song's melodic and lyrical foundations with
Styles's conversational vocal delivery, while the pre chorus builds tension

(05:59):
through ascending melodies and more prominent instrumentation. The chorus provides
the song's emotional and melodic center with its instantly memorable
hook and styles His most passionate vocal delivery. What distinguishes
this chorus is how it achieves maximum impact through restraint
rather than bombbast The hook is simple but effective, the
melody is memorable without being overly complex, and Styles' vocal

(06:24):
conveys deep emotion without over singing. The bridge section offers
both contrast and escalation, with Styles' vocal becoming more vulnerable
and the instrumentation stripping back to its essential elements. This
creates a moment of intimacy before the final chorus, which
returns with added emotional weight from the journey the song

(06:45):
has taken listeners on. This carefully crafted structure creates a
complete emotional arc that moves from nostalgia through reflection to acceptance,
making the song feel like a complete statement rather than
a simple pop c confection. The pacing ensures that each
section accomplishes its emotional purpose while maintaining forward momentum that

(07:07):
keeps listeners engaged throughout. The lyrics of As It Was
showcase Styles's evolution as a songwriter, addressing themes of change, loss,
and personal growth with both specificity and universality. Without extensively
quoting to respect copyright, I can note that the song
deals with the disorienting experience of returning to familiar places

(07:31):
after significant personal change, the complexity of relationships that have
evolved or ended, and the bittersweet process of accepting that
things can never quite return to how they were. What
elevates the lyrics beyond simple nostalgia is their acknowledgment of
growth and acceptance alongside loss. Rather than simply mourning what's gone,

(07:52):
the song recognizes that change, while painful, is also necessary
for personal development. This mature perspective reflects styles As own
evolution from young pop star to adult artist, while also
resonating with listeners who are processing their own changes during
the pandemic years. The song's central phrase, as it Was
works on multiple levels. It can refer to a specific relationship,

(08:15):
a period in Styles's life, or the broader experience of
emerging from a global crisis into a changed world. This
interpretive flexibility allows listeners to project their own experiences onto
the song, creating personal connections that enhance its emotional impact.
The lyrics also demonstrate Styles's growing confidence as a writer,

(08:37):
using concrete imagery and emotional specificity to create vivid scenes
while maintaining enough ambiguity to allow universal interpretation. This balance
between the personal and the universal has always been the
hallmark of great pop songwriting, and Styles achieves it with
remarkable sophistication. What truly makes As It Was special is

(08:59):
styles vocal performance, which navigates the song's emotional complexity with
impressive subtlety and range. In the verses, he adopts a conversational,
almost vulnerable approach that draws listeners into the narrative. The
pre chorus introduces more urgency and emotional investment, while the
chorus showcases his melodic gifts with its soaring but controlled delivery.

(09:24):
Throughout the track, Styles demonstrates remarkable vocal restraint, choosing emotional
truth over technical showboating. His delivery conveys genuine vulnerability and
reflection without becoming overwrought or self indulgent. This mature approach
to vocal performance reflects his growth as an artist and
creates an authentic emotional connection with listeners. The way Styles

(09:49):
handles the song's dynamic shifts from intimate versus to more
expansive choruses shows his understanding of how vocal performance can
serve the song's emotional narrative. He never over sings or
undermines the lyrics vulnerability instead using his voice as an
instrument to enhance the song's themes of reflection and acceptance

(10:09):
more in a moment. As It Was was released on
April first, twenty twenty two, and became an immediate global phenomenon.
The track debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot
one hundred and remained there for fifteen consecutive weeks, the

(10:32):
longest running number one single of twenty twenty two and
one of the longest running chart toppers of the streaming era.
The song top charts in over thirty countries and became
the most stream song globally on Spotify in twenty twenty two,
cementing Styles's status as a major solo artist. The music video,
directed by Terres Bolas, featured Styles performing the song on

(10:54):
a rotating platform while wearing various colorful outfits, creating a
visual metaph for the song's themes of change and perspective.
The video simple but effective concept allowed the song's emotional
content to remain the focus while providing striking visual imagery
that became iconic in its own right. To fully appreciate

(11:15):
the impact of As It Was, we need to examine
the cultural landscape of summer twenty twenty two a season
marked by both cautious optimism and lingering uncertainty as the
world emerged from the most intense phase of the COVID
nineteen pandemic. The summer movie season was dominated by Top
Gun Maverick, which became a massive box office success and

(11:39):
cultural phenomenon, offering audiences the kind of spectacular, communal theatrical
experience that had been largely absent during the pandemic years.
Other significant films included thor Love and thunder Minions, The
Rise of gru and Elvis, the Baz Lureman biopic that
earned Austin Butler widespread claim. Musically, the charts featured a

(12:03):
diverse array of hits, including Bad Bunnies, Unverano Cinti, which
dominated Latin music and crossed over to mainstream success, Kate
Bush's Running Up That Hill, which experienced a massive resurgence
thanks to Stranger Things, and Lizzo's About Damn Time. The
diversity of successful music reflected both the fragmented nature of

(12:26):
contemporary music consumption and audience's appetite for different types of
emotional experiences. Television continued to provide comfort and escapism, with
shows like Stranger Things season four, The Boys Season three,
and Euphoria season two dominating cultural conversations. The return of

(12:46):
live events, including music festivals and concerts, marked a significant
cultural shift as people sought communal experiences after years of isolation.
Technology played an increasingly important role in music discovery and consumption,
with TikTok becoming a crucial platform for song promotion and
viral moments. The continued dominance of streaming services meant that

(13:07):
songs could achieve massive success without traditional radio support, allowing
for more diverse and niche artists to find large audiences.
This was the landscape in which As It Was achieved
its remarkable success, a period when people were processing collective
trauma while also celebrating their return to more normal activities.

(13:28):
The song's themes of change, reflection, and acceptance resonated perfectly
with audiences who were themselves navigating the complex emotions of
emerging from an unprecedented global experience. For Styles himself, the
success of As It Was represented the full realization of
his transformation from boy band member to major solo artists.

(13:50):
The album Harry's House would go on to win the
Grammy Award for Album of the Year, while Styles's accompanying
world tour became one of the highest grossing tours of
all time. His evolution from teen heartthrob to respected artist
was complete, establishing him as a major force in contemporary music.

(14:10):
The song's influence extends beyond Styles's own career. Its success
demonstrated the continued viability of guitar bassed pop music in
an era increasingly dominated by hip hop and electronic music.
The tracks blend of retro and contemporary elements has influenced
countless artists seeking to create music that feels both nostalgic
and current. More broadly, As It Was exemplifies how the

(14:34):
most effective summer songs can address complex emotions rather than
simply celebrating the season's pleasures. By acknowledging the disorientation and
loss that often accompany growth and change, the song created
a more nuanced and ultimately more satisfying summer anthem than
those that focus solely on escapism and celebration. Looking back

(14:57):
on As It Was today, it remains a remarkable achievement
in contemporary pop songwriting and production. The song's emotional honesty,
musical sophistication, and perfect execution have allowed it to transcend
its specific moment to become a timeless expression of how
we process change and loss while moving forward with our lives.

(15:18):
What makes As it Was the quintessential post pandemic summer
anthem is its recognition that healing and growth often involve
accepting that things can't return to exactly how they were before.
This mature perspective, combined with production that sounds like summer
feels warm, nostalgic, but tinged with melancholy, creates a track

(15:39):
that perfectly captured the complex emotions of twenty twenty two
while speaking to universal experiences of change and acceptance. So,
as we continue our countdown of the top twenty songs
of the summer, at number sixteen, turn up As it
Was and let Harry Styles's sophisticated pop reminds you that
the most memorable summers aren't always about pure joy. They're

(16:03):
often about the moments when we learn to accept change
while holding on to what still matters. Because As It
Was isn't just a song, it's a masterclass in contemporary
pop songwriting, a testament to Styles is remarkable artistic evolution
and a reminder that sometimes the most powerful summer anthems
are the ones that help us process our experiences rather

(16:26):
than simply escape from them. Two years later, it continues
to capture that complex feeling of moving forward while looking back,
which is why it deserves its place in our summer
song's pantheon. This is Garrett Fischer for hit Maker Chronicles,
counting down the top twenty songs of the summer, as
voted by the staff of Calaroga Shark Media. Keep those

(16:48):
vintage vibes flowing and join me next week as we
continue our countdown with number fifteen.

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SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Harry Stiles - "As It Was"

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