Harry Styles has taken the world by storm and is everywhere – literally.
Styles’ voice, charm, charisma, and even his good looks have propped him up on a pedestal, setting him apart from his former One Direction bandmates.
Because of these traits, Styles was crowned the new “king of pop” in the Rolling Stones U.K. October/November issue of this year, which was published in August. This new title brought a lot of scrutiny to Styles’ name.
Causing controversy isn’t something Styles is shy of – he has been on many magazine covers like Rolling Stone, GQ, and the highly controversial cover of Vogue, which featured him wearing a dress. This fashion choice caused a huge uproar from people all over the world, with arguments that American society needed to bring “manly” men back.
Comparison to Michael Jackson, who was famously dubbed the real “king of pop,” is probably one of the most controversial things an artist can face nowadays. Michael Jackson is seen as untouchable, so a comparison is a big deal, and it’s not commonly agreed upon.
Michael Jackson broke down so many barriers within the music industry and was able to accomplish so much in the short time that he lived. Harry Styles has been around for a while now, but he just started his solo career five years ago. How can such a short-lived career grant him this title that took Michael Jackson decades to claim?
Many Michael Jackson fans jumped to Jackson’s defense, claiming there can never be another “king of pop”.
After auditioning for the X-Factor in 2010, Styles alongside Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson formed one of the biggest boy bands in the world. The band only lasted five years but had an everlasting impact on the music industry and future boy bands to come. Styles came back into the spotlight after releasing his self-titled debut album, which won international awards and acclaim. But his career skyrocketed after the success of his second studio album, “Fine Line,” which not only received many awards, but also opened the doors for him to perform at festivals, like Coachella, and for him to actively pursue his acting career.
With the continuous accolades Styles received from his success, Rolling Stone only thought it was right to crown him the new “king of pop”.
This title caused a lot of uproar from Michael Jackson fans, and even pushback from fans of Styles. Michael Jackson’s nephew, Taj Jackson also said, “There is no new king of pop. You didn’t earn it, my uncle did. Decades of dedication and sacrifice. The title has been retired. No disrespect to @Harry_Styles, he’s mega-talented. Give him his own title.” This sentiment was shared by thousands of Twitter users online who jumped to defend Jackson’s long-standing title.
Twitter user @MissNicole_d_, said “This isn’t about Harry Styles, who I actually think is talented. It’s about the Rolling Stone magazine & their constant disrespect towards Micheal. You can keep trying… but there is only one king of pop & his name is Mr. Michael Joseph Jackson.”
Michael Jackson was first called the “king of pop” in 1989 by Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Heritage award for career achievement at the Soul Train Music Awards. This was 25 years after the start of his career, and the term stuck to his name. It has only been associated with him until the Rolling Stones cover anointed Harry Styles as the new king.
Styles has only been in the music industry for 12 years, it’s not fair to give him a title that took Jackson a quarter of his career to acclaim without acknowledging the privilege Styles has as a white artist.
Giving Styles this title in such a short amount of time almost diminishes the hard work and struggles Jackson had to endure to get any type of recognition in the music industry, especially during the 80s.
As a Black man, acquiring this title and being the biggest entertainer of all time meant something special to the Black community. Styles hasn’t experienced half of the discrimination and racism that Jackson faced, these two artists are very different and have followed different paths to reach the success they have received, so examining them through the same lens will never make a sufficient comparison.
“King of pop” is more than just a title; it upholds the idea that Black people can succeed in an industry that is always against them and where they have to work 10 times harder to reach the same level.