Harry Styles‘s second solo album “Fine Line” dropped on December 13, too late to compete at the 2020 Grammys but certainly with a shot at the 2021 awards. It earned strong reviews and had the third biggest debut of the year on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Might he be setting the stage to be the first One Direction member to be awarded by the recording academy?
“Fine Line” scored 76 on MetaCritic, a step up from the 68 he got for his self-titled solo debut in 2017. Reviewers have said that he has “grown as an artist” with “much improved” songwriting and “vocal nuance.” He “has chosen to use his superpowers for good and not evil.” And his throwback to an era of classic rock may be more palatable to the older and more conservative recording academy than his boy band pop of yore.
And then he ruled the Billboard charts with 478,000 album units in its first week (calculated by combining traditional sales, individual track sales, and online streams). That’s behind only Taylor Swift‘s “Lover” and Post Malone‘s “Hollywood’s Bleeding” this year. So he’s becoming a hit with critics and audiences alike as a solo artist.
That could make him the next in the tradition of male pop stars who strike out on their own and strike gold at the Grammys. George Michael won his Grammys — including Album of the Year for “Faith” — after he left the duo Wham! Michael Jackson won all his awards after The Jackson 5. And Justin Timberlake won all his awards after NSYNC broke up. Also, while Justin Bieber was always a solo artist, he finally won after graduating from the bubblegum sound that initially made him a star.
The question is whether “Fine Line” will be remembered in almost a year’s time when Grammy voters pick their nominees for 2021. It’s too early to tell if it’ll hold up or be eclipsed by later releases. What do you think? Will he be One Direction’s first Grammy winner? Vote in our poll below to let us know.
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