By Maryjane Perez | 28 November 2022
From The Kia Forum, Night 8 - Inglewood, CA (November 9, 2022).
Harry Styles turned The Kia Forum into Harry’s House for his first ever residency tour and it really did feel like home.
Everyone was eager to see Styles back on stage after the postponement of his three previously scheduled shows. It was obvious that Styles was also eager to be back. But before he could prance around the stage and give love to the crowd, we gave a warm welcome to his opening act.
Ben Harper offered the crowd a beautiful and soothing start to the night with songs like “Waiting on an Angel” and his rendition of Styles’ “Boyfriends.” Though I didn’t know much about Harper going into the show, his performance was truly breathtaking and I found myself teary-eyed by the end of his set. It’s safe to say that I am now a fan.
After Harper departed from the stage, Styles’ famous pre-show playlist began to fill the air. We all sang and danced along to songs like “Best Song Ever” by One Direction and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. Excitement and adrenaline zipped through my veins as I waited for him to take the stage. As the last song on the playlist faded away and the lights began to dim, my enthusiasm was through the roof. I was finally home.
Visuals appeared on the screens and notes of “‘Daydreaming”’ began to play as Styles rose from the middle of the stage. The crowd erupted into loud screams of pure excitement – a warm welcome “home” to Styles, who has previously mentioned that being on stage is his favorite place to be.
Styles circled around the stage, waving and blowing kisses to all sections of the crowd before serenading us to the sweet, bubbly sounds of “Daydreaming,” “Golden,” and “Adore You.” There’s no better way to describe the feeling other than unbelievably magical, like a glimpse into heaven.
Styles continued through his set singing some of my personal favorites from ‘Harry’s House,’ such as “Daylight” and “Keep Driving.” Eventually, he got to “Matilda” and nothing felt real. This song is Styles offering reassurance to a friend that, regardless of her past pain, there is still time for her to have a happy and fulfilling life and build her own family. It’s always been hard for me to acknowledge my own hurt, so having Styles show empathy toward someone who has a similar experience as me makes this song feel personal. He softly sang the words, “You can start a family who will always show you love,” and I immediately thought of the friendships I’ve made through being a fan of his. They are my family; they are my comfort.
Music brings people together in a way that few other things can and Styles’ music is the ultimate proof. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have met all of the amazing people that I know now.
Watching Harry Styles perform gives me that same feeling of comfort and hardly anything comes close to belting the lyrics to your favorite songs, surrounded by people who understand how truly significant it is to you.
Throughout the show, Styles made us laugh, cry, and smile. He bounced and twirled around the stage, lighting up the room like the star that he is. Most importantly though, he reminded us that his show was a place where we could be whoever we wanted to be. There’s a strong sense of belonging that flows through you when you hear him say those words; it’s his way of encouraging us to embrace who we are – dancing around with sparkling feather boas and rainbow flags has become a symbol of expressive freedom at his shows.
As the show reached its end, Styles urged us to give it our all. We had no choice but to do exactly that. Out of breath and full of adrenaline, I danced and screamed with the rest of the energy I had in me. It’s a moment I wouldn’t get to experience again, so I wanted to soak it all in.
Then the crowd erupted into a mixture of cheering and booing as he asked us, “Are you ready to go home? Are you ready to take me home?” Styles’ show could have gone on for hours longer and I would have had no complaints.
It was bittersweet, and I was so not ready to go home. As the encore began, flashlights started to light up the room and we all swayed along to “Sign of the Times.” There’s something otherworldly about experiencing this song live. This is one of the few moments during the show when the crowd falls silent and Styles’ voice is the focal point. Along with the flashlights, a disco ball lit up the room. This made everything feel magical, bright light and Styles telling us everything would be alright. We only had a few minutes to collect ourselves from the surreal experience before he ended the show with “As It Was” and “Kiwi.”
With love in our hearts and tears in our eyes, it was a night I’ll cherish forever and most definitely something to dream about. Harry Styles is an artist everyone should see at least once in their life.
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