All art is at once surface and symbol.
Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.
Those who read the symbol do so at their peril.
It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.
By Madison Grover
Harry Styles is a public figure/musician who has been known to be pretty vague on the exact meanings of the music he writes. He never tells exactly what his songs mean and lets the interpreter gather their own story or develop their own opinions on what they think the song is about. For example, Two Ghosts by Harry Styles is thought to be written about Taylor Swift, he mentions “same lips red, same eyes blue”, many fans think he wrote this about his ex-girlfriend, Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift has blue eyes and tends to wear red lipstick. The two were a phenomenon in late 2012 to early 2013. This is a surface-level analysis made by many fans. He has never addressed the true meaning of the song or if he wrote it about her.
Many fans obsess over the two artists which can lead them to compare little details about them. They aren’t forced to do so but do it because it brings some sort of joy or entertainment to them. Another example related to Harry is his song “Sweet Creature”. Many fans suspect the song to be about a specific person but he does not reveal who it is about. He likes for fans to develop their own meanings. He also does not like to mention who his songs are about so the listeners don’t have a tainted point of view while listening. His creation of these songs without exact meanings helps fans stay focused and maintain interest in his music. Fans going beneath the surface to find meanings to songs can be a great thing. They allow the artist to maintain fame and earn music streams in the process. As long as fans keep their viewpoints respectful, creating meaning in artists’ songs should be seen as okay. Having an ominous vibe to his music keeps things interesting. An example that is close to me is the song called “Cherry” by Harry Styles. I don’t relate to every lyric in the song but it spoke to me during its release. When I listen to it, it reminds me of my life and the way I was when it was my favorite song. I made the title of the song a part of my fashion. I would buy cherry-designed socks, pencil cases, earrings, etc. I wanted it to be known that cherries were my thing and “Cherry” was my song. Granted, I was around 15-16. I don’t think about who he wrote it for or what it meant to him. I think about how it made me feel in the moment and all the memories surrounding the song. This sort of matches “it is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors”. I do believe that art can mirror life as well. Many portraits/paintings can be of people, landscapes, buildings, etc. Those are all a part of life and mirror peoples day to day lives. The quote is a double-entendre. Art can mirror the spectator but art can also mirror life as well.