Harry Styles crowns himself one of the modern kings of pop in Barcelona concert

Harry Styles has come a long way since his days as a teen idol in pop meg group One Direction.

In a packed Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc, the British star had tens of thousands of people hanging on his every movement and word in a triumphant night that showed off his vibrant soul, refined sound, and songwriting ability that’s at times tremendously tender, other times ecstatically energetic.

Barcelona city center was a sea of bright pink and fluffy and sparkly garments and accessories in the leadup to the concert. Beneath this, though, a nervous tension was building among a crowd that had waited up to a year for this night since buying their tickets. A gentle musical prelude to Harry Styles’ entrance to the stage only served to add to that tension, as the soft piano was drowned out by impatient cheers of ‘Harry! Harry!’ from the fans.

Styles put on a varied show that touched many different timbres and emotions, all brought together with unique personality that certified his place among the modern kings of pop music.

From piano-driven ballads, rocky guitar riffs with heavy feedback, soft vocals, and groovy disco brass sections, Styles’ performance did more than just enthrall the thousands of adoring fans, it showed off his growth as an artist with an ever-evolving sound.

There was barely a body in the stadium that could resist the groove of Late Night Talking. What Makes You Beautiful, one of the biggest hits of his former band One Direction, was played around half way through the night but had the energy of a curtain-closer. The screams and singing from the crowd during As It Was almost overpowered the sound of the band, although the musicians responded in kind with an emphatic crescendo of noise to close the track.

Styles opened the night with plenty of stage energy singing Daydreaming, greeting fans either side of his set. During Adore You, the third song of the night, Styles paid adoration to fans by taking the first lap of the night around the extended part of the stage that jutted into the crowd, from where he waved and blew kisses to the hearts that melted.

He showed off his songwriting talents in She, a modern ballad that still contained plenty of jazzy movement, as well as Matilda, a gentle poem delivered over beautifully strummed acoustic guitars, accompanied by a chorus of thousands in the stands. Fine Line was another stripped-down acoustic hit played in a steely emotional silence, while the crowd held lights in the air that formed a rainbow through the whole stadium.

Funky fisheye camerawork showing the band on the big screens was a nice nod to the visual aesthetics of the British singer’s second album, Fine Line.

Through the evening, Styles rather enjoyed pronouncing the name of the Catalan capital with an over-exaggerated lisp on the soft ‘c’, jokingly referencing “an American tourist who’s been here once.” His interludes also featured many references to the severe heat, and by his own admission the leather pants made for an uncomfortable sartorial choice.

There was a moment for comedic interaction too. Looking for crowd signs, Styles eventually picked out that of Paula from Bilbao, dressed as a strawberry, who asked the popstar to read out her university entrance exam results to see if she passed. “It doesn’t look like an official paper, it’s in your handwriting,” he laughed. Having first to establish what mark was needed to pass, Harry then gave the big reveal – “we needed a five… and what we got was a 6.324! We’re all so proud of you Paula.”