It’s time for another installment of ‘What the Kids are Listening To,’ wherein I feature the songs currently topping Billboard’s Hot 100. It’s been a few months since my last foray into the charts, so I hope to discover some new tracks.
In the #1 spot for the third straight week is ‘As It Was,’ the lead single from Harry Styles’ third album, Harry’s House. ‘As It Was’ has spent 10 weeks in total at #1, reclaiming the top spot three more times after debuting there in April. This is Styles’ second #1 hit, following ‘Watermelon Sugar.’
When this song debuted at #1, it made One Direction the only band in history to have two members debut a solo track at #1. Zayn Malik previously pulled it off with ‘Pillowtalk’ in 2016.
Like so many songs these days, ‘As It Was’ owes much of its success to TikTok, where its melancholy vibe has scored many a nostalgic video.
It’s a great first taste of an album that further cements Styles as a special artist who should be delivering hits for a long, long time.
Come on, Harry, we wanna say goodnight to you
[Verse 1]
Holdin’ me back
Gravity’s holdin’ me back
I want you to hold out the palm of your hand
Why don’t we leave it at that?
Nothin’ to say
When everything gets in the way
Seems you cannot be replaced
And I’m the one who will stay, oh-oh-oh
[Chorus]
In this world, it’s just us
You know it’s not the same as it was
In this world, it’s just us
You know it’s not the same as it was
As it was, as it was
You know it’s not the same
[Verse 2]
Answer the phone
“Harry, you’re no good alone
Why are you sitting at home on the floor?
What kind of pills are you on?”
Ringin’ the bell
And nobody’s coming to help
Your daddy lives by himself
He just wants to know that you’re well, oh-oh-oh
[Chorus]
In this world, it’s just us
You know it’s not the same as it was
In this world, it’s just us
You know it’s not the same as it was
As it was, as it was
You know it’s not the same
[Bridge]
Go home, get ahead, light-speed internet
I don’t wanna talk about the way that it was
Leave America, two kids follow her
I don’t wanna talk about who’s doin’ it first
[Outro]
(Hey)
As it was
You know it’s not the same as it was
As it was, as it was
Meet Me In Montauk 
Cool 80s vibe to this song, complete with a musical homage to A-ha’s “Take on Me.”
Like this song a lot!