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Sign of the Times came out 5 years ago, and we’re still running from the bullet

On April 1st 2022, Harry Styles’ new single “As It Was” was released, making Apple Music history by breaking the record for the highest streaming first-day release of 2022.

But today is not about Styles’ newest single.

Today, we celebrate his very first single as a solo artist — one that propelled him to solo stardom, a year after One Direction went into hiatus.

Just stop your crying
It’s a sign of the times
Welcome to the final show
Hope you’re wearing your best clothes

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Styles admitted the song deals with a young mother, dying at childbirth, with only five minutes to live — which is the duration of the song.

“‘Sign of the Times’ came from ‘This isn’t the first time we’ve been in a hard time, and it’s not going to be the last time,” he told Rolling Stone. “The song is written from a point of view as if a mother was giving birth to a child and there’s a complication. The mother is told, ‘The child is fine, but you’re not going to make it.’ The mother has five minutes to tell the child, ‘Go forth and conquer.’”

You play “Sign of the Times” to a group of people, and much like most of Styles’ works, people are surprised to learn this is sung by a former boyband member. (As if being part of a boyband immediately cancels out one’s talent — but that’s a story for another time).

Heartfelt lyrics conveying sadness and frustration, but also hopeful words of encouragement, “Sign of the Times” set the tone for most of Styles’ works. It made its mark on new audiences who did not follow his progress in One Direction, and set him apart as a power-house of vocals and lyrical talent for those who have been there since his boyband days.

The song had such an impact, that almost five years after its initial release, it was used in the critically acclaimed drama Bridgerton in its newly released season.

A cover by Steve Horner, the melody was used in a climactic scene in the second season of the series.

The music supervisor for Bridgerton Justin Kamps spoke about it in an article with Variety: “It’s really a dazzling arrangement. Harry Styles’ original song immediately hooked me. Hearing the way we use it in the show, that moment went through a lot of permutations, and I’m happy they landed on this one. It ended up being a perfect song for the moment that it is in,” Justin said.

Although the studio version is as emotional as can be, Styles’ live performances of the song is where it’s at its most poignant.

In my opinion, one of his best performances, although the artist might disagree with me, would have to be the 2017 SNL (Saturday Night Live) one:

Clad in a checkered suit, hair in a quiff in front of a stand-up mic, Styles’ raspy voice and note changes further accentuates the intensity of the lyrics, and beautifully accompanies the melody. In spite of not hitting the notes in the same way as he did in the studio version, Styles recovers and performs the song with just as much fervor while sticking to a raspier tone — showcasing himself as a truly adaptable, and talented musician.

“Sign of the Times” turns 5 years old today, and Styles only seems to be gaining more popularity, confidence, and talent as the years progress.