“Styles makes it clear on “Sign of the Times” that he’s not a pop star playing rocker – he’s been a classic-rock kid hiding in boy band clothes all along, and with this piano-ballad-meets-outer-space anthem, he’s finally arrived as a worthy keeper of the flame.” - Billboard Staff
“And as he said, it was nothing like the song that he was trying to write. What it ended up being was kind of a statement about today without trying to be a capital ’S’ statement about today.” - Cameron Crowe
“It’s very sophisticated. It’s high-brow, but I think that’s what makes it unique. He wrote what was in his heart and what was in his head, and he had a vision. It’s not a dance track, it’s not … 17 songwriters. It’s Harry.” - Lee Leipsner
“If the piano line that plods throughout ‘Sign Of The Times’ sounds like the weighty sense of apocalyptic doom you just couldn’t shake in 2017 (‘They told me that the end is near’), the song’s wonderfully bombastic buildup and soaring final chorus offer a way up and out.” - NPR
“This is one of the more ambitious opening statements in pop this decade, an ostentatious and essentially verse-less stab at something both immediate and timeless.” - Jason Lipshutz
“Piano, string instruments and a backing choir all add to the build of urgency throughout—with Styles’ vocals sounding stronger than ever, while still giving off a gripping air of vulnerability.” - Allison Bowsher
“I was, again, floored by how good this was, how entertaining this was of a song, how relatable, and how emotional, and how human of a song this was.” - Anthony Fantaro
“Styles’ choice to show his hand with “Sign of the Times” demonstrates either an immense confidence in the loyalty of his existing audience, a deep love of his own material, or an absolute lack of fucks to give about what anyone thinks of him. Honestly, it’s probably a combination of all three: that special blend is what has already made Styles stand out thus far as an approachable yet mysterious idol.“ - Natalie Fisher
“[Sign of the Times] is a great example of how music curators and music consumers don’t put boundaries on what a hit record is supposed to sound like… it’s a cultural moment, which is what pop radio is supposed to capture.” - Michael Martin
“Like the best pop music, it’s specific, but it’s also universally applicable to the millions of people Styles hopes will consume it.” - Paul Schrodt
“Styles was the only rock star all year to aim for such a giant sound, with a giant-hearted song to match. A high-risk move for sure – but only this guy could have imagined “Sign of the Times” and then made it real.” - Rolling Stone
“Styles makes it clear on “Sign of the Times” that he’s not a pop star playing rocker – he’s been a classic-rock kid hiding in boy band clothes all along, and with this piano-ballad-meets-outer-space anthem, he’s finally arrived as a worthy keeper of the flame.” - Joe Lynch
“…an emotional glam rock anthem making good use of Styles’ boyish falsetto and stadium-sized ambition, while still offering something moody and new.” - Raisa Bruner
‘Sign of the Times’ for me is kind of about several things. I feel like I listen to it in different ways every time. But I think it’s just about not getting too bogged down in bad stuff. I think life in general… I think there’s a lot of bad stuff that happens. I think it’s important to remember that there’s also a lot of amazing people doing amazing things as well.” - Harry Styles
Happy one year anniversary, ‘Sign of the Times’ 🌹
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