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Get Acquainted With Harry Styles's New Love On Tour Openers

63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards – Telecast

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Harry Styles's Love On Tour UK, Europe and South America is on! He announced earlier in the week that the third run of his hit tour will begin in June and take him through December of 2022. The singer also announced four new openers to join him in the run: Arlo Parks, Koffee, Mitski and Wolf Alice.

Now Harry Styles himself is a pretty good reason for wanting to buy a ticket, but the four openers are a pretty big deal as well. All four artists have put out some very highly-regarding music as of late, and it's surprising to see an artist as big as Styles bring such niche artists along. Seeing as I'm a huge fan of all four, I'd like to introduce you to some of their work.

ARLO PARKS

BRITAIN-MUSIC-PARKS

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Arlo is a British songwriter whose latest album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, caught plenty of ears and lots of critical success. You may recognize her from a feature on Glass Animals's latest album or Michelle Obama's playlist. Her genre isn't easy to lock down, but it sits somewhere between indie rock and singer-songwriter. Vocally, 20-year-old Parks is a warm sweater in the sunshine; her melodies are relaxing and her songwriting encapsulating. Parks is also a poet, and her lyrics flex just how gorgeous her writing is. Get wrapped up in Arlo Parks's sweetness on one of my favorite tracks, "Hope."

KOFFEE

US-ENTERTAINMENT-MUSIC-GRAMMY-PRESS ROOM

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Perhaps the most unexpected addition, Koffee is a modern reggae singer with a very natural inclination to hit songwriting. Her work feels good, and it's genuinely hard not to dance along when she sings. She was the youngest person to win a Grammy back in 2020 for her Rapture EP for best reggae album, but her music certainly appeals beyond reggae purists. I love Koffee because her production finds a home with electronic and house fans, and her singing could find the hearts of anyone who enjoys Rihanna or Drake's hip-hop centered nods to reggae. Check out Koffee's contagious track, "West Indies" below.

MITSKI

FYF Fest 2017 - Day 2

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It's likely you've heard of Mitski before, because every time she drops a new song, the internet flocks to Twitter with their tears. Her work is poetic and heartbreaking, and it's damn near impossible to play her in the background without stopping everything to listen. The powerhouse is due for an album on Feb 4th, and the singles leading up to it have fans beyond excited.

The best way I can describe Mitski's music is that she's weird and dramatic but in a way that's still so refined. Her work is truly heartbreaking and passionate, and her production keeps getting more and more impressive while her voice stays pristine. Look up her lyrics if you want to see why she's the heartbreaker of indie-pop. The other thing I love about Mitski? She puts her whole chest into performing and creating, and her live shows sell out fast because of it.

WOLF ALICE

Splendour In The Grass 2019 - Byron Bay - Day 2

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I'm pretty jealous that people get to see Wolf Alice and Harry Styles on one stage. This UK band has quickly become one of my favorites in this past year, and their 2021 album, Blue Weekend was in my top 5 album of the year nods. Their work is grounded in classic rock styles (similar to Styles's), but they bring an insane range into their body of work that takes on moments of great band sound, huge production and absolute versatility from lead singer, Ellie Rowsell.

Their latest album showed that they can do anything, from the pure grit of J-rock to the softness of 80s love rock. If you like Harry Styles's song, "Treat People With Kindness," then I'd highly recommend Wolf Alice's, "Safe From Heartbreak" that has some of the same shine and prettiness. My most recent favorite track of theirs is called "Feeling Myself," and you can check it out below.


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