All the hidden meanings in Harry Styles’ new album: From crying on a Berlin dancefloor to the explanation he determined to maintain THAT moustache… and who’s Carla

Harry Styles is back with his fourth record Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally – KISSCO to his fans – after a three year hiatus out of the spotlight.

Unlike Taylor Swift who is known to fill her songs with Easter Eggs for fans to spot and theorise, Harry’s record is a lot more retrospective, reflecting on his experiences and feelings. 

Ahead of the album’s release, Harry revealed the inspiration behind each track, recalling the moment he burst into tears on a dancefloor in Berlin while feeling ‘unbelievably free’ and explaining why he has decided to no longer shave his moustache. 

With many fans left wondering who Carla in the track Carla’s Song could refer to, Harry confirmed she is just a friend, but said it was her discovery of Paul Simon that triggered ‘the most important part of the record’.  

After three years out the spotlight Harry has been busy embracing his ‘yes era’, travelling to Italy and Berlin, running marathons, lime biking around London and dancing at Glastonbury.

Speaking about how important normality is for him and valuing the human experience the new record explores Harry grappling with his identity as both an ordinary human and a celebrity. 

‘I think the thing that makes someone an artist is letting them watch you be an ordinary person,’ said Harry Styles in his latest interview with Zane Lowe.  

The album’s single Aperture is the opening track, however it was also the last track Harry made for the record. 

Speaking to Zane Lowe in his recent Apple Music interview, Harry explained: ‘Aperture felt like the perfect start for me because it is so about the moment of realising “No I was in the wrong for something.”

‘You can move forward when you acknowledge the things that you don’t know and therefore give yourself the space to let the light come in, that is what that song is about.’

Following Aperture, the track list is as follows: American Girls, Ready, Steady, Go!, Are You Listening Yet?, Taste Back, The Waiting Game, Season 2 Weight Loss; Coming Up Roses, Pop, Dance No More, Paint by Numbers and Carla’s Song.

Crying on the dancefloor 

After being used to being the headline act, Harry has explained he has used his time off to get back on the other side and be in the audience, especially exploring the clubbing scene in Berlin. 

Speaking previously on BBC Radio 2 he said: ‘I think being with people and being on the other side of the audience experience than I’m used to being on has been the most important thing for me. 

‘It’s been a massive reminder of how special it is to be in a crowd experiencing live music, or be in a dark pit with people dancing. 

‘It’s been a really beautiful reminder for me that that you know at shows whether I’m on stage or off the stage, we’re all here for the same thing.’

Dance No More took inspiration from his experience on a dancefloor listening to music after it was inspired by one particular night out in Berlin where the star found himself crying on the dancefloor. 

‘I remember going out for the first time in Berlin and standing in the middle of the dancefloor and feeling so unbelievably free and safe,’ he explained.

‘I just stood with my arms in the air with my eyes closed and I just felt these tears streaming down my face and just feeling so alive.’

Who is Fox? 

At one point in Dance No More he is heard saying ‘Fox’ at the end of a lyric and Harry explained it is in tribute to his producer Kid Harpoon’s son who is called Fox. 

Harry explained: ‘He has always been jealous that we put his mum’s name Jenny in Canyon Moon, so he was playing football and he was like “If I hit the cross bar, will you put my name in the song?”‘

‘And he hit the crossbar so then I was like we have got to put his name in his song.’ 

The moustache is here to stay 

While some fans have joked that Season 2 Weight Loss could be a reference in the rise of Ozempic and Mounjaro users within the celebrity world, Harry explained it is rather a metaphor for his own return, and the return of his moustache. 

While Harry has been snapped out and about with his facial hair, back in the Love On Tour days the singer appeared fresh faced as he donned his range of eye-catching looks.  

Explaining the inspiration behind the song he began: ‘It is like the mission statement of the record in a lot of ways. 

‘It’s like when there is a Netflix show and it blows up and everyone comes back in the second season and everyone has a nutritionist and a trainer and looks amazing – Season 2 Weight Loss.

‘It’s this idea of just returning as the same character but suddenly he has cheekbones, but that is what it was like for me I felt like I was coming back as a stronger version of myself.’

And this stronger version includes his moustache.  

Reflecting on how his own appearance has changed, he continued: ‘Whenever I had a break from touring I would always grow my tash and then when I went back on tour I would shave it off and there would be this feeling of like this isn’t the version of me that people expect. 

‘So I think the idea was less in a facial hair thought but more in the idea that if I go away and grow and change my relationship with this idea of feeling like I have to show up as this version of myself will you take me as that, or are you taking me because I show up as this version of myself that you’ve desired from me in some way.’ 

Who is Carla? 

The final track of the album is Carla’s Song. 

And while fans may have been expecting another Matilda-esque track, Carla’s Song represents something much deeper for Harry and is a nod to the Simon And Garfunkel track Cathy’s Song. 

Musing on the track Harry said: ‘Carla kind of just became the most important part of the record to me. It is a song that answered so many questions.’

Carla is a friend of the singer’s and the song was born after she mentioned she had discovered Paul Simon while they were at a friend’s house waiting to go to an afterparty. 

Harry then played her Bridge Over Troubled Water, with Harry recounting: ‘It felt like I was watching someone see in technicolour or discover magic. 

‘There was something in that moment that reminded me that by making music what you are investing in and it is songs that go beyond our lifetime. 

‘I then played her Cathy’s Song which is my favourite Simon and Garfunkel song and that’s why it’s called Carla’s Song.’ 

Revealing it summed up what the point of making music is he added: ‘The ability to be able to add something and maybe someone hears a song of yours and thinks “this song is going to be in my life forever” that is kind of it and that is enough. I don’t ask for more than that really.’ 

Marriage 

In American Girls, Harry described the song as rather lonely after he watched three oh his closest friends get married last year while he was still single. 

He explained: ‘American Girls is actually about watching them get married and there just is a magic when you find the right person that you want to be with. 

‘Watching them do it and seeing that it doesn’t come without any uncertainty and it doesn’t come without any risk.’

Revealing how it made him have a ‘real, honest conversation’ with himself as to where he saw himself in five years he revealed he wants to get married and start a family – as his relationship with actress Zoë Kravitz, 37, goes from strength to strength.

He said: ‘I stop everything, then I get to decide what I want to bring back in. Like what are really the things that I want in my life?

‘If you’re like touring all the time and you’re doing this all the time and all these things, there’s no space to really choose.

‘I think I had a real honest conversation with myself about, okay, in five years, what do I want my life to look like? And then how do I make changes to aim at that? I don’t want to be the guy who’s on his own but was like, oh, I really did it.

‘I want to be fulfilled and I want to be in great relationships with people. I want to have great friendships with people. 

‘I want a family. I want these things. It just allowed me to go like, okay, what do I have to do to create space to allow these things to happen? I can’t just expect them to just happen to me.’

The Watermelon Sugar hitmaker and Zoe were first spotted holding hands in August 2025

In September last year, Zoe and Harry were pictured out with her dad Lenny, suggesting their relationship was getting serious.

He said of why it’s important to be with the right person: ‘They hold you accountable to the person that they know you want to be. I think accepting flaws and stuff is like, yes, having understanding is wonderful, but you know that I want to be better than that.

‘So when you challenge me on something. It’s a gift to me, actually.’

Being ordinary 

A large part of the record sees Harry grappling with the idea of being known after he took a step back following his mammoth tour.  

Are You Listening Yet is the oldest song on the record, with Zane Lowe describing it as sounding like ‘the musings of a mad man on tour trying to figure out what is going on.’

Harry added: ‘That was kind of at a time, I was doing shows in New York, I was so in it and felt kind of thrashy and that song is kind of a reaction to that.’ 

Meanwhile Paint By Numbers begins: ‘Oh what a gift to be noticed but it’s nothing to do with me’. 

Harry said: ‘Where the record started, I think I was just married to the idea of coming off the last record and coming back and the first thing I say is “Oh what a gift to be noticed but it’s nothing to do with me”. I just loved that.’

During his time off the star attempted to run both the Tokyo and Berlin Marathon incognito and often has shared that his love of running comes from being able to zone out completely and focus on one thing.   

‘Well, the main thing is that you’re always moving. You can turn a corner wherever,’ he said. 

‘I think with people who see me, it’s a bit more “Was that…?” rather than, “Oh look it’s him!” And by that time, you’re already gone,’ he told Runners World.