Sign of the Times (Harry Styles song)

Lore & Background

Rumours about Styles embarking on a solo career sparked in 2015, when it was reported that Sony Music wanted Styles to release a solo album during One Direction's hiatus. By the end of 2015, four new songs written and performed by Styles were registered on the ASCAP online database. Shortly after, Styles signed with American agent Jeffrey Azoff and inked a record contract with Columbia Records. In February 2017, the CEO of Columbia Records, Rob Stringer, revealed that the album was close to being finished and called it 'authentic'. A month later, it was reported that the album sounded like David Bowie and Queen, and was later revealed to have been executively produced by Grammy award-winning producer Jeff Bhasker. The same report also hinted that the lead single would be released in late April or early May. On 31 March, the singer revealed through social media that his single is titled 'Sign of the Times'. On 7 April, the song premiered during Nick Grimshaw's breakfast show on BBC Radio 1.

The song is a pop rock, soft rock, piano ballad, with glam rock influences. According to Billboard, it 'folds in psychedelic soul, indie rock and spacey pop'. The 'apocalyptic' power ballad shows influences from '70s British rock. The idea of the song was conceived by Styles while playing chords on the piano in Jamaica. Styles explained to Rolling Stone that 'The song is written from a point of view as if a mother was giving birth to a child and there's a complication. The mother is told, "The child is fine, but you're not going to make it." The mother has five minutes to tell the child, "Go forth and conquer."' The entire song was cut in three hours according to Bhasker, who called it 'an instant classic-sounding record from conception to completion'.

Directed by Yoann Lemoine, the song's music video was released on YouTube on 8 May 2017. It features Styles singing in a meadow, flying in the skies, and walking on water. It was filmed on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The video's stunt pilot, Will Banks, stated that Styles flew more than 1,550 feet high (470 meters) during the shoot. Banks also claimed that no green screen or CGI effects were employed during filming.

Reader's Guide

Sign of the Times marked Harry Styles' transition from boy band member to solo artist, receiving critical acclaim. Critics compared the song to the music of Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Queen, and other classic rock acts. Billboards Gil Kaufman wrote that Styles 'appears to be both showing his range and making a clear effort to step boldly away from the manufactured, plastic pop of his past'. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. It sold 142,000 copies in its first week in the United States and topped the Digital Songs chart. The song was certified platinum in the US, making it the top certified rock song of 2017 according to RIAA. In 2018, the single won a BMI Pop Award, and the video won a Brit Award for British Artist Video of the Year. In 2021, Rolling Stone placed it at number 428 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song's legacy includes covers by Kygo and Ellie Goulding, Hanson, Paul Cardall, Alex Boyé, Sabrina Carpenter with Jasmine Thompson, and LANY. It was used in a Google commercial ad in December 2017, in early Olympics Brand Synchs for 2018, and in the 2024 superhero film Kraven the Hunter. A version of the song was used in the 2026 feature film Project Hail Mary.

Did You Know?

• The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, ending Ed Sheeran's 13-week run at the top with 'Shape of You'.
• The song hit number one on US iTunes in 19 minutes, beating Adele's previous record of 50 minutes.
• Rolling Stone ranked it as the best song released in 2017.