Every single Harry Styles song, ranked

We didn’t like it when it came out, and we still don’t. Sorry, Harry. — Courteney Larocca Song highlight: It’s a reference to his personal motto, “treat people with kindness” — which is a good thing to keep in mind if you’re considering harassing a bunch of women on Twitter over a song ranking you disagree with.

Average score: 2. 2/10 It’s not that “Meet Me in the Hallway” is a bad song. It’s just that there are so many brighter highlights from Styles’ debut album, this one feels a little dim.

Ostensibly focusing on the aftermath of a breakup (“Just let me know, I’ll be at the door, at the door / Hoping you’ll come around”) the lyrics quickly get repetitive, and Styles does contemplative heartbreak better on other songs, namely “Two Ghosts” and “Woman. ” — Libby Torres Song highlight: The guitar hook isn’t half bad. Average score: 5.

4/10 I’m flabbergasted that none of my colleagues enjoy this break-out anthem as much as I do. I still believe it’s ranked far too low on this list. From the moment the piano starts up in Styles’ debut single, it’s hard to keep yourself from unconsciously bobbing your head to the rhythm of the song.

When I asked my coworkers why they all ranked what I believe is Styles’ best song so low, they told me it was a compelling debut single, but it’s too long and the lyrics are limited. In truth, “Sign of the Times” is soulful and emotionally heavy, and speaks about learning from our mistakes and persevering even in the bleakest of times. According to Styles, the song was inspired by a young mother who died after childbirth and had five minutes to tell her newborn to “go forth and conquer.

” I will concede that in scoring Styles’ catalog, this song is slightly slower than I remember it being, but it still doesn’t tarnish my love for this triumph. Personally, I think “Sign of the Times” is a classic. (But maybe that’s why I write about movies.

) — Kirsten Acuna Song highlight: The song delivers its strongest moment at the 1:18 mark when the chorus kicks off and Styles unexpectedly lifts up into the sky in the song’s accompanying music video. Average score: 6. 6/10 Although fans speculated that Styles wrote “Ever Since New York” about his ex Taylor Swift (who has a song called “Welcome To New York”), he revealed he wrote its enigmatic lyrics after he received bad news about a family member while staying at a hotel in Brooklyn.

Although the song is a bit slower and more repetitive for some tastes, it’s primed for an impassioned sing-along: “Oh, tell me something I don’t already know,” proved a fan-favorite lyric to scream back at Styles when he would perform the song live. — Callie Ahlgrim Song highlight: “Brooklyn saw me, empty at the news / There’s no water inside this swimming pool” is a brilliant double entendre. Average score: 6.

8/10 The song in which Styles name drops the woman who inspired the track: Townes Adair Jones, a fan who reportedly went on a blind date with the singer in 2016. Aside from containing what might be the most interesting tidbit of Styles song trivia ( Harry Styles goes on blind dates?) the track is uplifting and, as Styles sings, “feels so good. ” It’s so light-hearted and catchy that Rolling Stone even named it the “song of the summer” an entire year after its release.

An evergreen jam. Oh yeah! — C. L.

Song highlight: “How would I tell her that she’s all I think about? / Well, I guess she just found out. ” Average score: 7. 1/10 “Sunflower, Vol.

6″ kicks off with a psychedelic tropical back-beat that keeps the song tethered to its simple roots while the puzzling, simile-loaded lyrics add delightfully confusing layers to the entire track. Is he working up the nerve to talk to someone new while reflecting on what could be? Is he reminiscing on the early stages of a past relationship? Is he just messing with us? It doesn’t even matter what the message is, and that’s the beauty of the song — it’s easy and it’s silly (emphasized by the “doo doo doo” sounds Styles makes at the very end). “Sunflower” is not trying to be a stand-out single.

It’s a breath of fresh air on the album — though that’s perhaps exactly what makes it the kind of song you wouldn’t really play on loop for any particular occasion. — Paige DiFiore Song highlight: It never goes anywhere or hits any high notes, which is oddly comforting. Average score: 7.

52/10 Pitchfork described “Woman” as “laughable” in their 2017 review of Styles’ debut album , which is just so wrong, I don’t know where to begin. Yes, the stomping piano riff and the Elton John-esque “lalalalalalalas” that comprise half of the chorus are slightly ridiculous — but it’s purely intentional. Styles, much like John — whom Styles admires so much that he dressed up as John for a Halloween party — is aware of the campiness that comes with the manufactured pop territory.

He even hosted the Met Gala when the theme was “Camp: Notes on Fashion. ” So it’s fair to assume that, with a highly stylized track like “Woman,” he’s aware of how his musical tendencies can come off. Much of the song sees Styles imploring his former lover to stop torturing him: “I hope you can see, the shape that I’m in / While he’s touching your skin,” he sings in the pre-chorus, perfectly encapsulating the possessive energy that can be sparked by a breakup.

“Woman” definitely lacks the lyrical depth of some of Styles’ other songs but it’s still, undoubtedly, a bop. — L. T.

Song highlight: “Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and then see what we find?” is probably the best opening line I’ve ever heard. Average score: 7. 53/10 “Matilda” is a tender guitar ballad inspired by an unnamed person in Styles’ life, who went through some stuff that he described as “not normal.

” The song does a beautiful job of empathizing with Matilda’s story without centering Styles’ perspective: “It’s none of my business, but it’s just been on my mind,” he admits in the second verse. “This thing is more important than me just making music about myself,” he explained during an interview with Zane Lowe . “Because I think it could mean more to you and a lot more people than another one of these songs could mean to me.

” And while I cherish the idea of this song bringing comfort to someone who’s struggling, without that personal connection and relatability factor, “Matilda” drags. At four minutes and five seconds, it’s the longest track on “Harry’s House” and arguably the most repetitive. Plus, as Kirsten Acuna noted during the scoring process, “I can appreciate what the song’s about, but it’s too sad to want to listen to on repeat, which makes it skippable.

” “Matilda” wasn’t written for us, and that’s OK. — C. A.

Song highlight: “Nothing about the way that you were treated ever seemed especially alarming ’til now. ” Average score: 7. 54/10 In one of his most country-influenced tracks to date, Styles details his weariness with a relationship that seems to have lost its magical spark, all while adopting a slight twang .

It’s slow but familiar, making it hard not to sway along as Styles repetitively reminisces on “what used to be” and how that’s not how things are anymore and how that’s all sort of sad. Spencer Kornhaber for The Atlantic perhaps said it best: This track “is classic country made for a prom’s last dance. ” — P.

D. Song highlight: This song could be about his ex Taylor Swift, which Styles has never confirmed or denied. The pair dated for a few months back in 2012 — and those familiar with the fleeting couple can’t help but melt (or cringe) over the lyrics “same lips red, same eyes blue.

” Average score: 7. 56/10 Respectfully, my colleagues viciously undersold “Canyon Moon” and totally trashed its average score. Perhaps this song seems a bit strange on first listen, but with its lighthearted whistles and folk-country twinge, it’s one of Styles’ finest feel-good bops — perfect for a road trip with friends or a sunny summer afternoon at the beach.

— C. A. Song highlight: It’s Stevie Nicks’ favorite song on the album! Case closed.

Average score: 7. 58/10 On this track, Styles’ vocals are crisp and not weighed down by overproduction. It feels like it’s just him and the piano.

By crooning his sorrows, he simultaneously elevates the track and breaks every listener’s heart each time the chorus hits. As much as I love this song — and initially ranked it within the top three on “Fine Line” — it’s not one I find myself replaying often. I can admit that “Falling” is held back by its overly repetitive chorus and that it toes the line between thoughtful and pandering with constant questions.

But the track is still one of my favorites because Styles saves it with detailed, poignant lines that transport the listener (“And the coffee’s out at the Beachwood Café and it kills me ’cause I know we’ve run out of things we can say”). I just wish there were more of those vivid memories and less of the “I’m falling again, I’m falling again, I’m fallin. ‘” — P.

D. Song highlight: The fact that Styles was “completely naked” when he wrote this song. Average score: 7.

6/10 “Love of My Life” is a sleepy track, but I swear it’s been stuck in my head more than anything else on this list. The chorus drags this one down with cliché, unoriginal lyrics (“Baby, you were the love of my life / Maybe you don’t know it’s lost ’til you find it”). But after journeying through the grooviness, darkness, and lightness of Styles’ psyche for 12 other tracks, I don’t mind.

I appreciate the vague-yet-earnest picture he paints of the relationship through Sunday afternoons and hangouts at Johnny’s place between each chorus. “Love of My Life” is the perfect conclusion to the album. It feels like turning the last page in a book and taking a rest.

And what better way to drift off than to a no-frills track featuring Styles’ smooth voice over a tame backbeat? — P. D. Song highlight: “We don’t really like what’s on the news / But it’s on, all the time.

” Average score: 7. 72/10 In the second single from his debut album, Styles sings of going through a difficult time with a lover while still finding endless comfort in them and their presence. “Sweet Creature” is one of the more folksy tracks on the album with its overly simple, repetitive lyrics and calmingly familiar guitar riffs.

As Jeremy Gordon wrote for Spin , “It foregoes fancy language for naked yearning, hoping to charm you with earnestness. ” And charm it does. The song won’t blow listeners away with deeply personal musings or detailed reflections — it will hit them deep in the heart with how it details the familiar taste of feeling both in love and feeling lost in the simplest words possible.

I want it known that I ranked this in my personal top-three songs out of Styles’ entire discography. — P. D.

Song highlight: The way Styles’ voice sounds incredibly vulnerable, raw, and gentle throughout the entire track. Average score: 7. 73/10 “Boyfriends” is one of Styles’ best vocal performances to date.

His voice is simultaneously silky and worn, tiny cracks betraying hurt and frustration as he chastises men who “think you’re so easy” and “take you for granted. ” It’s a striking moment of vulnerability and empathy in Styles’ catalog, bolstered by the warmth of Ben Harper’s acoustic guitar. — C.

A. Song highlight: As one fan on TikTok pointed out , the song kicks off with the lyric “you’re back at it again” played in reverse. “So when you play the song on a loop, that beginning is you rewinding the tape & thinking maybe it’s different this time, but actually you’re about to experience the exact same outcome,” she wrote.

“The neverending loop of men taking you for granted. ” Average score: 7. 76/10 As I previously summed it up in our “Harry’s House” review , “Late Night Talking” is a sassy little hit.

And sure, this one’s repetitive, but there’s something hypnotic about the way Styles croons his hook, “Now you’re in my life, I can’t get you off my mind. ” This song is a groovy jaunt that invites repeated listens, making it a killer contender for Styles’ next single. — C.

L. Song highlight: “If you’re feelin’ down / I just wanna make you happier, baby / Wish I was around / I just wanna make you happier, baby. ” Average score: 7.

84/10 This song has everything: a moody, minimal guitar riff, heartbreaking lyrics, and even a reference to… masturbation? According to Styles, “From the Dining Table” was one of his more “honest” songs for a while. “I thought I was being so honest, just because there’s one line about having a wank,” he recently told Rolling Stone . Masturbation references aside, “From the Dining Table” is a really poignant song about loss (“We haven’t spoke since you went away / comfortable silence is so overrated”) and the struggles of moving on after the end of a relationship (“Woke up the girl who looked just like you / I almost said your name”), all expressed through achingly vulnerable vocals and the barest of guitar arrangements.

While “Fine Line” is probably a clearer distillation of Styles’ thoughts about breakups, “From the Dining Table” wouldn’t feel out of place on that album. Much like the other things on “Fine Line,” it’s a gorgeously stripped-down ode to a past lover that’s unabashed in its yearnings. — L.

T. Song highlight: ” Why won’t you ever say what you want to say? / Even my phone misses your call, by the way. ” Average score: 7.

9/10 Imagine my shock when my score of the gorgeous “Fine Line” title track (9. 1/10) was combined with those of my esteemed colleagues, and it landed at No. 19 on this list.

The disrespect! The six-minute showpiece may begin a bit slow, but only because Styles packs those six minutes with a kaleidoscopic emotional experience. It needs time to build — and the song eventually blossoms into a choir of horns and drums and spectral harmonies. It’s a worthy send-off for such an intimate album, one that tenderly catalogs all the highs and lows of every experience.

Some listeners remain unmoved, however. In the words of Paige DiFiore : “I just hate that it sounds like he is singing to me from 10 miles away through a cup. ” — C.

A. Song highlight: Exactly four minutes and 38 seconds in, when the music briefly pauses only to return with a triumphant swell. Average score: 7.

98/10 Sampling from The Brothers Johnson’s 1978 track “Ain’t We Funkin’ Now,” which was written by Quincy Jones, the soulful “Daydreaming” feels like an old-school love song as Styles expresses his desire for “something to dream about. ” With John Mayer on guitar, Styles perfectly captures the feelings you get when you’re infatuated with a new love interest and how overwhelmingly intoxicating and blissful it can be to get wrapped up in fantasizing about them. — K.

A. Song highlight: The background singers throughout the song and the horns. Average score: 8.

02/10 “Only Angel,” as Spencer Kornhaber wrote for The Atlantic , “allows Styles’s talents and arrangements to be showcased. It’s hard not to be impressed as he spins fragile webs of emotion and then yowls like a jungle cat, or when the guitar makes you think of, say, Bob Weir. ” The juxtaposition of the soft instrumentals at the front of the song, with the following rock-infused tale of a woman who Styles is so hung up on that it makes him want to “die” almost makes it feel like you’re listening to two different songs.

Somehow, it works. — C. L.

Song highlight: The angelic opener that Styles breaks through with a piercing scream. Average score: 8. 04/10 Sprawling and sensual, “She” tells the story of a man who’s infatuated with a woman from his imagination.

Whether she’s based on a real person or is merely a figment of his desire is unclear, but that doesn’t really matter. This song is an ode to unrequited love and lust, which makes sense considering that Styles said “Fine Line” is “all about having sex and feeling sad. ” The searing guitar solo in the middle of the song calls to mind artists like Prince or Led Zeppelin.

Styles’ lyrics (“She, she lives in daydreams with me / She’s the first one that I see, and I don’t know why”) perfectly capture the frequently disconcerting power total infatuation can have on a person, even if you’re not quite sure who it is that you’re infatuated with. — L. T.

Song highlight: The shimmering, psychedelic guitar solo that comes towards the middle of the song perfectly captures Styles’ classic rock influences — and it’s pretty sexy, too. Average score: 8. 05/10 It’s difficult not to think of Styles’ current partner, actor and director Olivia Wilde, when listening to “Cinema.

” For one, the song’s narrator is in awe of his partner’s “cinema” (perhaps a reference to Wilde’s directorial work on”Booksmart” and the forthcoming thriller, starring Styles, “Don’t Worry Darling”), while noting that he himself “brings the pop to the cinema. ” There’s also the undeniable sexual chemistry between the narrator and his newfound paramour, who seem to be sharing a bed and making each other “wet” quite a lot. Of course, the lyrics are just opaque enough as to leave some room for interpretation ( as Courteney Larocca previously noted , maybe the “cinema” references are merely referring to visual aesthetics, not filmmaking).

But the song’s throbbing bassline, as well as Styles’ softly crooned vocals, make it clear that he’s got something (and someone) dazzling on his mind. — L. T.

Song highlight: The seductive delivery of “I just think you’re cool. ” Average score: 8. 06/10 “Lights Up” was an impeccable choice for the lead single from “Fine Line,” which paints a far more confident and satisfying portrait of Styles than its predecessor.

After using his debut solo album to prove his chops as a legitimate rock star — drawing inspiration from a veritable feast of music legends , from Radiohead and the Rolling Stones to Prince and David Bowie — his second album’s lead single didn’t sound like anything else. “Lights Up” is enchantingly, decidedly a Harry Styles Song. With lyrics that celebrate freedom , self-discovery, and being comfortable in one’s own skin — including some that seem to wink at Styles’ possible queerness, a theory bolstered by its super-gay music video and the song’s release on National Coming Out Day — “Lights Up” is the anthem that a fluid, new-age icon like Styles deserves.

— C. A. Song highlight: “Do you know who you are?” — a refrain so striking and poetically simple that it was used on billboards before the song’s release to tease Styles’ forthcoming music.

Average score: 8. 08/10 “Grapejuice” is my favorite song on “Harry’s House,” perhaps because it recalls some of my existing sonic favorites: the sophisticated melodies of Paul McCartney’s Wings era ; the filtered vocals of Gorillaz’s Damon Albarn; the opening guitar lick from Phantogram’s “When I’m Small. ” But despite all these points of reference, “Grapejuice” maintains an irresistible flavor that’s distinctly Styles.

I can’t imagine anyone else — pop star, rock star, or otherwise — referring to wine-drunk yearning as the “grapejuice blues” without sounding even the least bit corny. Like many of Styles’ best songs, his playful charm and sexy conviction sell it. — C.

A. Song highlight: This brilliant double entendre: “I pay for it more than I did back then. ” He’s buying pricier bottles of wine, but as he ages, he also finds himself dealing with more loneliness and more consequences.

Average score: 8. 09/10 From the moment this song queued up, I was instantly reminded of the bubble-gum charm of No Doubt’s “Running,” in which Gwen Stefani yearns to continue running to the future with the love of her life by her side. “Keep Driving” plays like a much darker version of the 2001 track.

Here, Styles asks if two lovers should continue driving — not because they’re wearing rose-colored glasses and are mad about one another, but as a distraction to ignore the increasingly worsening problems that Styles lists (Riot America, cocaine, toothaches) so they simply don’t have to deal with them. — K. A.

Song highlight: “Tea with cyborgs. ” Average score: 8. 16/10 In a neutral tone that becomes guilty and apologetic on the bridge, Styles walks us through memories of a lost love.

He’s not devastated or desperate. He’s just, well, thinking about them (and acknowledging, lightly, that he probably fucked things up). Styles tosses out details (“a golf swing and a trampoline”) like words he can’t get down on paper quickly enough.

“Little Freak” is writing an apology letter you never send. It’s waking up from a dream about your best friend from grade school and wondering, just for a minute, how they’re doing and if maybe you should’ve (or could’ve) kept in touch. It’s seeing your ex’s favorite ice-cream flavor on the menu and taking a second to miss the feeling of knowing everything about someone.

If this song doesn’t hit you, perhaps you’re better at moving on than the rest of us. — P. D.

Song highlight: When the music drops out for Styles to sadly sing, “You never saw my birthmark. ” Average score: 8. 18/10 Styles told Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield that “Golden” was the first song written for the album, and was always intended to be No.

1 on the tracklist. Sheffield aptly described the track as “a blast of vintage Seventies SoCal soft rock, the kind of Laurel Canyon mellowness that suffused his first album, layered in guitars and harmonies. ” But despite the bright sound, “Golden” still manages to sneakily introduce Styles’ more tortured thoughts that run throughout the rest of the album with the line, “I don’t want to be alone when it ends.

” — C. L. Song highlight: “I know that you’re scared because I’m so open.

” Average score: 8. 4/10 If you’re a One Direction fan, this song is for you. If you’re a Harry Styles fan, this song is for you.

If you experience frisson , this song is for you. If you have ever listened to any music and enjoyed it, this song is for you. “Satellite” invites you in with its slow pacing and warm tones, but just when you think you know what you’re in for, Styles spins into the chorus, pulling us right along with him.

From there, he keeps spiraling until the song reaches its glorious apex on the bridge. Also, I wasn’t kidding about the 1D thing; both thematically and sonically, “Satellite” recalls the band’s “Clouds,” making it a fitting inclusion on a solo album embracing the notion of home. — C.

L. Song highlight: The 2:35 mark when the drums come crashing in as Styles echoes, “be there for ya / be there for ya, for ya. ” Average score: 8.

56/10 This song’s peaceful, tinkling guitar riffs — it was composed by a guitalele, a ukulele with six strings, while Styles was on tour — perfectly capture his remorse and change of heart. In conversation with the raw jealousy of “Cherry,” “To Be So Lonely” sees Styles wear his heart on his sleeve. “Don’t call me ‘baby’ again, you got your reasons / I know that you’re tryna be friends, I know you mean it,” he sings, adding later, “It’s hard for me to go home / to be so lonely.

” It is extremely hard to imagine someone willingly leaving Styles at home and lonely, but according to this song, it happens more than you’d think! “To Be So Lonely” is a reminder that Styles, like all the rest of us, has dealt with his fair share of guilt and heartbreak. — L. T.

Song highlight: “I’m just an arrogant son of a bitch / Who can’t admit when he’s sorry. ” Average score: 8. 68/10 The fifth track on “Harry’s House” follows our narrator, at turns utterly infatuated and quietly wistful, as he lets someone try their hand at ruining his life.

“You ain’t got time for me right now,” Styles sings, while just a few lines later, he compares his alluring crush to a spoon covered in honey. With soft, subdued verses that crescendo into a lush chorus, “Daylight” perfectly captures the journey — equal parts maddening and intoxicating — of giving someone your heart to break. — L.

T. Song highlight: “If I was a bluebird, I would fly to you. ” Average score: 8.

84/10 “She worked her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes/ hard liquor mixed with a bit of intellect,” Styles sings in “Kiwi,” sounding like a more polished version of an “AM”-era Alex Turner. While the song clocks in at just under three minutes, it packs an instant punch and will have you shout-screaming the lyrics at the top of your lungs in no time. Ostensibly a song about a mythic cosmopolitan woman a là the Arctic Monkeys’ “Arabella” or the subject of Cake’s “Short Skirt Long Jacket,” “Kiwi” is a classic, hard-hitting rock song that really sees Styles flex his guitar-playing muscles — and is undeniably fun to listen to.

— L. T. Song highlight: Styles’ describes this mystery woman as having a “Holland Tunnel for a nose, always backed up” which is, firstly, a great reference to New York traffic jams and, secondly, even better considering he included the sound of sniffling.

Average score: 8. 86/10 I would truly walk through fire to get Harry Styles’ attention, so I’m glad to have a song that appears to reciprocate the sentiment. “Adore You” is also one of the more upbeat tracks on “Fine Line,” providing a much-needed dose of pep and a glance into Styles’ more playful side.

A fun bop all around. — C. L.

Song highlight: Imagining Harry Styles walking through fire just so he could adore me. Average score: 9. 2/10 As someone who loves acoustic, guitar-laced ballads and an abundance of lyrics, I should hate “Music for a Sushi Restaurant.

” Loud horns, scatting, and screaming — it’s a recipe for everything I dislike in a song. And yet, this song is nestled just above “Sweet Creature” and below “Cherry” as my second-favorite Styles song of all time. Whatever this chaotic bop lacks in profound lyrics or vivid storytelling, it makes up for with pure magic and I, for one, have fallen under its spell.

It’s the perfect soundtrack for driving on a highway, dancing in the shower, dancing in your towel after the shower, cooking dinner, getting engaged, and so much more. If I am not shaking my booty and playing air drums to “Music for a Sushi Restaurant,” call the morgue, for I have died. — P.

D. Song highlight: Every time the horns go absolutely apeshit in the chorus. (Is it even a chorus? Who cares!) Average score: 9.

24/10 When Styles releases a song with a fruity metaphor, you know you’re in for a delicious treat. “Watermelon Sugar” is the crown jewel of this collection. The No.

1 hit single sounds exactly how the title suggests: refreshing, sweet, and carefree. As a slightly nonsensical summer anthem, it’s perfect. But as a confirmed ode to the female orgasm , it’s somehow even better, epitomizing Styles’ dedication and appeal to the female gaze.

— C. A. Song highlight: The way Styles seductively yelps just before the chorus hits when he performs the song live .

Also, the adorable concept of praising your lover’s belly. Average score: 8. 2/10 It’s almost impossible to resist getting up and dancing to this instant head-bopper, which served as the lead single for Styles’ third album “Harry’s House.

” While the tune itself is upbeat, once the lyrics start, you’re hit with a contrasting sense of sorrow and loneliness. Styles sings about the past and his internal struggle to escape it. Aren’t those all feelings we’ve experienced to some degree during the pandemic that we’ve wanted to break free from? “As It Was” made me dance.

It also made me cry, but it was a beautiful cry. In an interview with Audacy , Styles said the song was about “metamorphosis and embracing change, and former self. ” With “As It Was,” Styles delivers a relatable track for anyone who has experienced pain and wrestles with the difficulties of moving forward.

The song ends on a hopeful note, urging the listener to break out of a funk and get up, embrace life, and live it to the fullest. — K. A.

Song highlight: The bridge, as Styles sings about “light-speed internet,” sold me on this song and made me instantly want to listen again. Average score: 9. 4/10 There’s a tenderness in Styles’ vocals on “Cherry” that, along with the Camille Rowe voice note at the end, helps drive home the beautifully melancholic tone.

With lyrics like, “I, I confess I can tell that you are at your best / I’m selfish so I’m hating it,” and “Does he take you walking ’round his parents’ gallery?” Styles leans into his jealous side, crafting the most powerful moment on “Fine Line” — which only gets more heartbreaking when you realize the voice memo of his ex was taken during an intimate moment from when the couple was still together. “That’s just a voice note of my ex-girlfriend talking. I was playing guitar and she took a phone call — and she was actually speaking in the key of the song,” Styles told Rolling Stone .

This track is near-unanimously beloved by the Insider entertainment team; I gave it an immediate 10/10 after one listen, while Callie Ahlgrim and Paige DiFiore both ignored the 1-10 rule to come up with an 11/10 and a 100/10, respectively. So really, the final score should have been 27. 76.

“Cherry” is one of this century’s best breakup songs and an instant classic that elevated Styles’ artistry to new heights. — C. L.

Song highlight: “I just miss your accent and your friends / Did you know I still talk to them?” Average score: 9. 5/10.