Harry Styles is opening up more about his sexuality and says he’s shared as much as he can. He just simply doesn’t think of it any more than what he’s already explained.
Specifically, the British singer is talking about his life and career while promoting his album Fine Line, which dropped on December 13. In his interview with The Guardian, the 25-year-old first expressed his attraction to dressing as fluidly as possible. He tries not to be barred off from feminine fashion styles due to societal expectations.
“What women wear. What men wear. For me it’s not a question of that. If I see a nice shirt and get told, ‘But it’s for ladies.’ I think: ‘Okaaaay? Doesn’t make me want to wear it less though,” he said. “I think the moment you feel more comfortable with yourself, it all becomes a lot easier.”
The singer then said that the evolution of his fashion sense came with the evolution of his own self-love and acceptance.
“A part of it was having, like, a big moment of self-reflection. And self-acceptance…,” he shared. “I think it’s a very free, and freeing, time.”
“I think people are asking, ‘Why not?’ a lot more. Which excites me. It’s not just clothes where lines have been blurred, it’s going across so many things. I think you can relate it to music, and how genres are blurring…,” Styles added.
It’s this fashion sense that has gained Styles both praise and complaints. For instance, Styles was one of the few men not ridiculed for dressing conservatively at the 2019 Met Gala. Styles’ lace blouse and pearl earring earned him a pass from internet users and fashion critics on the camp-themed night.
That said, he has also been mocked for his clothing from both strangers and those near him. Fellow One Direction member Liam Payne once infamously said that he wouldn’t allow Styles to babysit his child due to Styles’ clothing. (A line that later came to bite him in the butt when #LiamPayneIsOverParty started trending on Twitter).
“I couldn’t rely on Harry ’cause I feel like my child would come out dressed in something that I just wouldn’t understand,” said Payne.
Styles’ conversation with the Guardian then transitioned to talking about the singers’ sexuality, which has always been hotly discussed by media sources. Styles himself has openly expressed interest in men and women through his singing and also released a music video many considered to have “bisexual energy.”
As for the interview, the singer replied with a simple “yep” when asked if his sexuality also applies to the blurred lines he enjoys playing with. But he wants people to know that he’s not queerbaiting anyone. He’s simply living his truth, and expressing it in his art, without feeling the need to map out his sexuality to the general public.
“Am I sprinkling in nuggets of sexual ambiguity to try and be more interesting? No,” he shared. “In terms of how I wanna dress, and what the album sleeve’s gonna be, I tend to make decisions in terms of collaborators I want to work with. I want things to look a certain way. Not because it makes me look gay, or it makes me look straight, or it makes me look bisexual, but because I think it looks cool.”
He added, “And more than that, I dunno, I just think sexuality’s something that’s fun. Honestly? I can’t say I’ve given it any more thought than that.”
Despite his sexuality being a talking point for years, Styles says he’s still surprised that people care. He states that his disinterest in talking about the issue isn’t because he’s hiding anything, but simply because he doesn’t think it’s worth discussing.
“Yeah, I think I do mean that. It’s not like I’m sitting on an answer, and protecting it, and holding it back,” he said of his sexuality. “It’s not a case of: I’m not telling you cos I don’t want to tell you. It’s not: ooh this is mine and it’s not yours.”
“It’s: who cares? Does that make sense,” he continued. “It’s just: who cares?”
But despite his bewilderment that people seem to care, he also gets that this constant talk about his sexuality comes with the job description of being an artist.
“What I would say, about the whole being-asked-about-my-sexuality thing – this is a job where you might get asked. And to complain about it, to say you hate it, and still do the job, that’s just silly,” he said. “You respect that someone’s gonna ask. And you hope that they respect they might not get an answer.”
Sources: The Guardian, E News
I have never understood why people are so interested in what happens in someone’s bedroom. As long as there are consenting adults involved, what makes it a topic of discussion? Maybe it’s because of a lack of action in their own bedrooms.