Treat People with Kindness
A gospel-influenced pop single promoting kindness and charity.
"Treat People with Kindness" is a song by Harry Styles, recorded for his second album, Fine Line (2019). It was released on the album on 13 December 2019 by Columbia and Erskine Records and later serviced to adult contemporary radio formats in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2021 as the album's sixth single. The song features background vocals from the New York indie-pop band Lucius and was inspired by a David Bowie interview, which Styles described as a "tribute."
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Harry Styles
- Album
- Fine Line
- Released
- 9 January 2021
- Recorded
- 2019
- Genre
- Gospel
- pop
- rock and roll
- retro-soul
- Length
- 3:17
- Label
- Erskine; Columbia
- Writer
- Harry Styles
- Jeff Bhasker
- Ilsey Juber
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Styles adopted the phrase "Treat People with Kindness" as the slogan for his 2018 tour after first being spotted with a badge bearing the phrase on his guitar strap in 2017. The song was written near the end of the Fine Line recording sessions with producer Jeff Bhasker and songwriter Ilsey Juber. The instrumental features Bhasker on keys, Ilsey's father Laurence Juber on guitar, Elizabeth Pupo-Walker on congas, and Nick Movshon and Homer Steinweiss on electric bass and drums, respectively; the latter three are associated with New York City's contemporary soul and funk scene and Daptone Records. Some recording took place at Movshon and Steinweiss' studio The Diamond Mine, while the track was also recorded at EastWest Studio in Los Angeles with a string quartet arranged by Bhasker and members of the Sunday Service Choir.
Lucius frontwomen Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig were invited to the studio to work on a different song; during their sessions, Styles asked them to sing on the instrumental recording. Styles later recorded his vocals. The duo stated in a 2022 interview that they had asked Styles to be credited as a featured artist after learning how prominently they featured in the song. The music video, directed by Gabe and Ben Turner and released on 1 January 2021, features actress and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The choreography, by Paul Roberts, was inspired by a 1940s Nicholas Brothers dance scene from Stormy Weather, as well as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.
Reader's Guide
"Treat People with Kindness" holds significance as both a commercial single and a philanthropic vehicle. The phrase became a central mantra for Styles, leading to merchandise releases that raised funds for charitable organizations. In June 2018, Styles collaborated with the US organization GLSEN, releasing t-shirts, hats, and hoodies with the slogan, with all profits donated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Styles released a t-shirt reading "Stay home. Stay safe. Protect each other" and "This T-shirt fights COVID-19 treat people with kindness," with profits going to the World Health Organization's Solidarity Response Fund. In October 2020, limited-edition "Treat People with Kindness" socks were sold for 24 hours, with a portion of proceeds donated to Choose Love, a charity supporting refugees.
Critical reception was mixed. Some reviewers called it "feel-good" but obligatory and guilty of virtue signaling, while others accused Styles of "sleepwalking" and leaving the "heavy-lifting to the gospel singers." One critic described it as "an awful chimera of Jesus Christ Superstar and Edgar Winter Group's 'Free Ride'" that "confuses hand-claps with happiness." More positive reviews called it "another banging pop tune" and a "wonderfully kitsch '70s Motown stomp." The song's legacy is tied to its charitable impact and its role in solidifying the "Treat People with Kindness" slogan as a recognizable brand associated with Styles.
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