British pop star sensation Harry Styles brought his fabulous “Love on Tour” to a sold out Kia Forum on Nov. 12 in Inglewood, Calif. for night ten of his Los Angeles residency shows.
This performance marked the second to last showing of the year, after following residency stays in New York City for fifteen dates, Austin and Chicago for six dates each, and two dates in Toronto. With unforgettable performances for the last couple of months, it’s safe to say that Harry has claimed this year as his own.
After One Direction’s indefinite hiatus in 2016, Styles created three solo studio albums, with “Harry’s House” becoming arguably one of the biggest hits of 2022, now with seven Grammy nominations. His music and songwriting only continues to grow as he explores with sounds moving through bubbly funk, traditional pop-rock, and indie flare.
The Kia Forum was doused in all things Harry Styles. Giant letters which spelled out “Harry’s House” sat perfectly on top of the venue, with larger than life posters of Styles from his iconic shows in the past.
For night ten, the forum was lit with soft green lights and almost every surface was covered with lyrics from his songs, such as “life hacks going viral in the bathroom” from his song “Keep Driving” placed flawlessly on the bathroom mirror.
There really was not a single part of the venue that the pop star hadn’t touched. This also made for fantastic and limitless photo opportunities, especially for the fans who were impeccably dressed in sequins, feathers, and jewels. The ambiance was of innocent joy that was more than ready to be shared.
Riley McCormack, a sophomore marketing major at San Diego State University attended the “Love on Tour.”
“I love Harry’s music and it was so exciting getting to see him on Love on Tour with one of my best friends,” McCormack said. “Harry creates such a fun atmosphere at his shows and hearing this album in person was unreal.”
Styles’ beloved band took their positions on stage in matching red jumpsuits as the opening beats of “Daydreaming” from his third album poured into the arena. Moments later, Styles arose from the centerstage cutout and the ear splitting screams began causing utter chaos in the best way. He made his way around every inch of the stage he could, embracing the audience and welcoming all fans into Harry’s House.
Looking impossibly cool in his wide-leg purple, yellow, red and white striped jumpsuit, Styles followed with fan favorites, “Golden” and “Adore You,” from his second album “Fine Line.” This set the tone for the night: loud, passionate word for word singing as a result of Styles’ every move.
“How are we feeling this evening? By way of a show of hands, who is feeling emotionally stable? About a quarter of emotionally stable people,” he said, giving a big thumbs up and grin to the crowd. “You’re in good hands this evening.”
He grabbed his guitar and continued by telling his fans, “our job this evening is to entertain you. I promise we’ll do our absolute best.” Before picking back up with energetic performances of “Daylight” and “Keep Driving” he encouraged fans to “be whoever and whatever it is (they’ve) always wanted to be tonight.”
As Styles settled into his set, he showcased his true talent as singer delivering emotional, teary-eyed ballads like “Matilda” and “Little Freak,” then transitioning right into his perfect pitch and harmony bops like “Satellite,” “Cinema,” “Music for a Sushi Restaurant,” and “Treat People With Kindness.”
The atmosphere was nothing less than pure bliss. Even as Styles stood on stage surrounded by thousands of people, he seemed genuine and human. He was constantly connecting with his fans whether that be through blowing kisses, comforting fans who have been cheated on, gender reveals, or even helping others come out in a ceremony under a rainbow pride flag.
There was no reservation for Styles as he proudly paid recognition to One Direction by performing the boybands unforgettable hit “What Makes You Beautiful.” Even with his own modern twist, the room shook with a contagious amount of energy. After his flirtatious “Late Night Talking” and falling to his knees during “Love Of My Life,” it was time for the encore.
Before raising up his microphone for the crowd to sing his number one single “As It Was” or belting “Sign of the Times” or baptizing the crowd with water in his 2017 rock song “Kiwi,” the British pop star made sure to graciously thank everyone who played a part in his success.
He thanked each individual band member, his opener Ben Harper who sang the perfect cover of Styles’ song “Boyfriends,” the crew, and all his collaborators with unanimous cheers and barking from the crowd.
After Harry spit his water into the air as his signature show closer, the audience was left in shambles. Nothing but feathers coated the arena, and Harry’s House was officially closed.
