This past Saturday, Harry Styles (former member of boyband One Direction which is currently on an indefinite hiatus) performed two songs live on Saturday Night Live after eighteen months away from the stage. NBC aired the show in real-time, coast-to-coast for the first time ever in order to showcase Styles’s performance of his first solo single, “Sign of the Times” which dropped on April 10th. The single reached number one in the charts in a record breaking nineteen minutes, so it’s no surprise he received such an important night of the show.

The performance of the lead single off his self-titled solo album was a hit, although it is up in the air of Styles himself would agree. Considering the bridge is a high falsetto (uncharacteristic for Styles, who left the falsettos to his bandmates during his One Direction days) and Styles’s performed several note changes during the performance, it seems he pushed those rusty vocal chords too hard. During the repeated “we got to get away” lines of the piano ballad’s outro, Styles’s voice cut out. He showed obvious unhappiness with this occurrence, but he should not worry. I’m sure his overwhelmingly large fanbase can be assumed to still adore him from curly-haired head to YSL-booted toes.

Despite only having released one single from the album, Styles performed a second song during the night. “Ever Since New York” was a wild card, as the name of the song was not even released prior to the performance. Contrary to the tone of “Sign of the Times,” this song can easily be pictured playing off a vinyl in the sideboard of an 80’s home or while driving down the California coast. Short but impactful, the a capella element of the final bridge and honest lyrics of “Ever Since New York” is sure to make it a hit.

Outside of the musical performances, Styles also appeared in the opening skit with NBC’s Jimmy Fallon, the host for the night. Here, he showcased his personality as he danced in and out of frame as Fallon sang the oldie but goodie, “Let’s Dance.” Styles also appeared in Family Feud: Time Travel Edition where he appeared as the unforgettable Mick Jagger, a celebrity he has long been compared to. Later in the night, he acted as a soldier in a small skit that was perhaps a nod to Styles’s acting debut: the singer landed a part as a World War II soldier in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, scheduled for release in theaters this June.

The self titled album, due May 12th, can be preordered on Styles’s official website. Styles’s performances on Saturday Night Live can be watched below. Tell us what you think of Styles’s solo work!

“Sign of the Times”

“Ever Since New York”