The Story Behind Harry Styles’ Japanese Inspiration!

We’re unwrapping the mystery of the 50-year-old Japanese pop record that Harry’s House owes its style to.

Harry Styles’ last record, Harry’s House from 2022, was awarded plenty of acclaim, even winning the Album of the Year at the Grammys. But few realize that Styles took his inspiration from a fairly obscure Japanese pop album from five decades ago.

Unorthodox song titles like “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” hint at Style’s subtly avant-garde ambitions with this project. Digging deeper reveals even more – the title is a play on the album Hosono House by Japanese musician Haruomi Hosono.

Released in 1973, nearly half a century before the Styles record hit the scene, it’s a shining example of folk rock. The Styles record obviously isn’t, but Harry’s House has some influence from a Japanese genre known as city pop.

The whole album is a sly nod to days gone by, similar to the John Mayer record Sob Rock – Mayer plays on “Cinema” and “Daydreaming.”

‘70s pop icon Joni Mitchell even had a song named “Harry’s House/Centerpiece” – furthering the cozy, nostalgic nature of Styles’ latest.

Next time you crave some intimate vibes on your headphones, Harry’s House is a great choice. That said, consider queuing up what inspired it to play next.