When Simon Cowell first championed One Direction during the 2010 season of The X Factor, he would have laughed to hear that Harry Styles, the group's breakout member, would be in a recording studio in L.A. doing shrooms almost ten years later.
While Styles' trajectory may betray the wholesome boy-band image that launched him, it's right in line with what we expect from a burgeoning music idol. His latest interview with Rolling Stone reveals that he doesn't fit in any one category, however. His values are progressive, his sexuality fluid, and his new album? It is very sad.
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Specifically, Styles told the outlet that his sophomore project is all about "having sex and feeling sad," and the whole thing was pretty much entirely made while on shrooms.
“We’d do mushrooms, lie down on the grass, and listen to Paul McCartney’s Ram in the sunshine,” Styles said of the process behind creating the album. It apparently also involved hunkering down in the Malibu studio for six weeks without ever going into the city. Naturally, this led to a lot of good stories.
“This is where I was standing when we were doing mushrooms and I bit off the tip of my tongue," he told Rolling Stone while giving a tour of the studio. "So I was trying to sing with all this blood gushing out of my mouth. So many fond memories, this place."
As for the sadness, Styles doesn't get into detail in the profile. But his best friend and collaborator, Tom Hull, says Styles had a difficult time coping with his breakup from French model Camille Rowe.
"He had a whole emotional journey about her, this whole relationship," Hull explained. "But I kept saying, ‘The best way of dealing with it is to put it in these songs you’re writing.’”
Music is the only outlet where Styles says he feels comfortable opening up about his relationships. Being on shrooms probably helps too.
Read the full interview here.
If you are struggling with substance abuse, please call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information.