As It Was

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“As It Was” is a 2022 song by English singer Harry Styles. It was released on April 1, 2022 as the lead single from his third album, Harry’s House. The track was written by Styles along with producers Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson. It runs 2 minutes and 47 seconds and blends synth-pop with new wave.

The song marked a shift in Styles’ sound toward a bright, danceable style. It was the last track written for Harry’s House and was created quickly, with Styles riffing on a Moog synth while the team built the rest of the song around it. The opening includes a child’s voice (Styles’ godchild Ruby) and tubular bells that Styles plays on the recording. Lyrically, it’s about change, growing up, and feeling out of place or lonely.

The music video, directed by Tanu Muino, shows Styles on a turning platform in London, wearing a striking red outfit and performing choreographed moves. The clip was filmed at the Barbican and other London locations and features a playful, energetic vibe that contrasts with the song’s theme of change. A behind-the-scenes video was released later.

“As It Was” was a massive global hit. In the UK, it debuted at number one and stayed there for ten weeks, becoming the year’s longest-running number-one and the best-selling single of 2022 in the country. In the United States, it also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 15 weeks at the top and becoming the longest-running UK solo act’s number-one in US history. The song charted highly around the world, topping 45 countries and contributing to the track’s status as the year’s best-selling global single in 2022 (2.28 billion subscription stream equivalents, per IFPI). It remained a major streaming favorite, highlighted as one of the most-streamed songs of 2022 on Spotify and Apple Music.

Critics praised the song for its catchy production and emotional depth, noting the upbeat music contrasts with themes of loss and longing. It appeared on numerous year-end lists and has been regarded as one of Styles’ defining songs of the era. The track also helped propel Harry’s House to a successful era, showcasing Styles’ ability to blend pop hooks with introspective storytelling.