Harry Styles finally felt the "freedom" to have "fun" and be himself on his second album 'Fine Line'.
Harry Styles
The former One Direction star has admitted that he was nervous about what the boy band's fans would make of his debut solo record after they went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
However, after they welcomed his solo tunes with open arms, the 25-year-old singer says it gave him the confidence to make the kind of music that he enjoys making.
Harry told the latest issue of Music Week magazine: "The fact that the last album wasn't necessarily a radio record, but I could tour it and people came to the shows and enjoyed them, made me feel I had freedom to make what I wanted to, and I wanted to make some fun songs.
"Coming off the road, there was a definite feeling of, 'OK, now I know what it feels like to play a show on my own, what do I want the songs to be like if I'm going to tour again?'
"So I definitely went into this album with a freedom, that I didn't have, or didn't allow myself to have, last time."
The 'Watermelon Sugar' singer also confessed that he was "afraid to make fun music" after being in 1D.
He spilled: "I was a little subconsciously afraid of making fun music having come out of the band.
"I tried to get rid of that a little bit."
Now the 'Sign of the Times' hitmaker - who releases 'Fine Line' on Friday (13.12.19) - is fully aware that: "People just wanted me to be myself and be authentic".
Harry recently compared releasing his new music to childbirth.
The 'Kiwi' singer finds it "bittersweet" letting people hear his work for the first time because it no longer solely belongs to him but it's also "exciting" finding out what others think of it.
He said: "It's a little bittersweet because you live with it for so long and it feels like it's yours. Then you start giving it away. That's the most exciting part, having people hear it for the first time. It's fun. I assume the pain's not the same, but it feels a little like giving birth."
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