Fine Line Album

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Lore & Background

Much of the album was inspired by Styles' relationship with model Camille Rowe. Following the couple's split, producer and writer Kid Harpoon encouraged Styles to deal with his emotions by writing about them. During the recording Styles was inspired by David Bowie, Van Morrison, Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell. The latter's album Blue (1971) and its use of the dulcimer, particularly influenced the album's musical style. Styles tracked down the woman who built the dulcimer used in Mitchell's album, Joellen Lapidus, and had a musical exchange; she would go on to sell him the Crying Seahorse dulcimer which was used during the album's recording. Styles used "mushrooms" during the recording process.

In Their Own Story

In an interview with Rolling Stone released on 26 August 2019, it was reported that the singer was putting the "final touches" on his album which Styles explained was "all about having sex and feeling sad." The album was also described to contain his "toughest, most soulful songs he's written yet." On the direction of his second album, Styles revealed he wanted to be more fun and adventurous compared to his self-titled debut album. "Watermelon Sugar" was written in 2017, while Styles was in Nashville, Tennessee on a day off during the tour for his debut album. It was named after the post-apocalyptic Richard Brautigan novel In Watermelon Sugar (1968); the book happened to have been on a table in the recording studio.

Reader's Guide

The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart, peaked at number two, and has since been certified triple platinum. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it Styles' second consecutive number-one album in the US. The album had the third-largest sales week of 2019 in the US and broke the record as the biggest debut from a British male artist since Nielsen SoundScan began, earning 478,000 album-equivalent units. It has been certified triple platinum in the US for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over three million units in the country. Supported by seven singles—"Lights Up", "Adore You", "Falling", "Watermelon Sugar", "Golden", "Treat People with Kindness", and the title track—the album received generally positive reviews from music critics, particularly towards its production and stylistic influences. It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards, and for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards. The album received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance and a Brit Award for British Single of the Year for "Watermelon Sugar". In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it at the time, number 491, on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Did You Know?

• Styles tracked down Joellen Lapidus, the woman who built the dulcimer used on Joni Mitchell's Blue (1971), and bought the Crying Seahorse dulcimer from her for the album's recording.
• "Watermelon Sugar" was named after the post-apocalyptic Richard Brautigan novel In Watermelon Sugar (1968), which happened to be on a table in the recording studio.
• Styles was completely naked when he co-wrote "Falling" — Kid Harpoon wrote it on piano while Styles was in the shower.
• The song "She" was composed while Styles was high on psilocybin mushrooms, and was initially forgotten by Styles and his producers until they listened to it again.
• The album broke the record as the biggest debut from a British male artist since Nielsen SoundScan began, earning 478,000 album-equivalent units.