June 22, 2025

SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Harry Stiles - "As It Was"

Show Notes
Transcript

Welcome back to Hitmaker Chronicles' countdown of the Top 20 Songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Caloroga Shark Media! I'm your host, Garrett Fisher. Coming in at number 16, we're diving into Harry Styles' melancholic masterpiece "As It Was" — a track that dominated 2022's summer with its deceptively upbeat melody wrapped around themes of change and loss. We'll trace how Styles evolved from One Direction heartthrob to sophisticated solo artist, creating a song that soundtracked our collective emergence from the pandemic while "Top Gun: Maverick" ruled theaters and the world processed two years of unprecedented change. Grab your vintage band tees — we're going psychedelic.

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Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!

Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!

We now have Merch! FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there’s free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.com

Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com

WEBVTT

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Callarogashark Media Summer twenty twenty two. I'm Garrett Fischer, and

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after two years of pandemic altered reality, the world was

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cautiously returning to something resembling normalcy. Concerts were back, festivals

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were happening, and people were gathering in ways that had

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felt impossible just months earlier. Into this moment of collective

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healing and reflection came Harry Styles with As It Was,

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a song that would become the soundtrack to our reemergence,

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offering both celebration and melancholy in equal measure. With its

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deceptively upbeat melody and introspective lyrics about change and loss,

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the track captured the complex emotions of a summer when

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nothing quite felt the same as it had before, yet

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everything somehow felt possible again. Coming in at number sixteen

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on our countdown of the top twenty songs of the

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sum as voted by the staff of Calaroga Shark Media,

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Harry Styles As It Was represents the perfect intersection of

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personal reflection and collective experience that defines the most enduring

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summer anthems. Before Harry Styles was crafting sophisticated solo statements

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about change in nostalgia. He was, of course, one fifth

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of One Direction, the boy band phenomenon that defined early

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two thousand's pop culture. Formed on the X Factor in

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twenty ten, one D became a global juggernaut, selling over

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seventy million records worldwide and inspiring a level of fan

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devotion that made headlines and broke the Internet before breaking

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the Internet was even really a thing. But even during

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One Direction's peak years, Style showed signs of artistic ambition

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that extended beyond the boy band template. His interest in

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classic rock, his emerging fashion sense that challenged traditional masculinity norms,

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and his charismatic stage presence suggested someone for a significant

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solo career. When the band announced their hiatus in twenty sixteen,

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Styles was perhaps the member with the most question marks.

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Would the heart throb with the curls translate to serious

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solo artist. His twenty seventeen self titled debut album answered

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that question definitively. Working with producer Jeff Pasker, Styles created

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a collection of songs that drew from classic rock, folk,

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and psychedelic influences rather than contemporary pop trends. Tracks like

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Sign of the Times and Kiwi showcased both his evolved

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songwriting abilities and his willingness to take creative risks. The

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album was both a commercial and critical success, establishing Styles

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as a legitimate solo artist rather than a former boy

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band member trying to extend his career. Twenty nineteen's Fine

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Line continued this artistic evolution, incorporating more diverse influences while

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maintaining the core esthetic that had defined his solo work

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like Watermelon, Sugar, Adore You and Golden demonstrated his growing

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confidence as both a vocalist and a songwriter, while the

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album's exploration of themes like heartbreak, self discovery, and sexual

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awakening showed an artist coming into his full creative powers.

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But it was twenty twenty two's Harry's House, and specifically

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its lead single as It Was, that would represent Styles's

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full emergence as a major solo artist. The album, recorded

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primarily during the pandemic, found Styles reflecting on themes of

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home change and personal growth, while expanding his sonic palette

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to include elements of synthpop, indie rock, and psychedelic music.

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So what makes as It was such an effective summer

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anthem for our strange new world? Let's break it down?

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Musically as it was, achieves a remarkable balance between accessibility

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and sophistication. The track opens with what sounds like a

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voicemail child's voice saying come on, Harry, we want to

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say good night to you, immediately establishing an intimate personal tone.

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This introduction gives way to a gently pulsing synthesizer and

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drum machine pattern that creates the song's hypnotic foundation. The production,

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handled by Styles along with Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson,

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creates a sonic landscape that feels both retro and contemporary.

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The synthesizers have a distinctly eighties quality, reminiscent of artists

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like Peter Gabriel or Tears for Fears, while the overall

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arrangement maintains a contemporary polish that ensures radio friendly appeal.

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This balance between nostalgic and modern elements perfectly complements the

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song's thematic content about processing, change and loss. What makes

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the instrumentation particularly effective is its restraint. Despite the song's

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emotional weight, the arrangement never becomes overwhelming or melodramatic. The

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gentle pulse of the rhythm section, the sh the shimmering guitars,

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and The atmospheric synthesizers create a dream like quality that

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allows Styles's vocals to remain the central focus while providing

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rich textual support. The production also incorporates subtle details that

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reward repeated listening. The way certain elements fade in and

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out of the mix, the layered backing vocals that add

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depth without cluttering the arrangement, and the careful use of

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reverb and delay that creates spatial depth. These elements combine

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to create a track that feels both intimate and expansive,

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personal and universal. The structure of As It Was follows

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a relatively traditional pop format while incorporating several elements that

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elevate it beyond typical radio fare. The song begins with

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the aforementioned voicemail sample, which immediately creates emotional context and intimacy.

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The verses establish the song's melodic and lyrical foundations with

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Styles's conversational vocal delivery, while the pre chorus builds tension

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through ascending melodies and more prominent instrumentation. The chorus provides

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the song's emotional and melodic center with its instantly memorable

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hook and styles His most passionate vocal delivery. What distinguishes

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this chorus is how it achieves maximum impact through restraint

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rather than bombbast The hook is simple but effective, the

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melody is memorable without being overly complex, and Styles' vocal

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conveys deep emotion without over singing. The bridge section offers

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both contrast and escalation, with Styles' vocal becoming more vulnerable

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and the instrumentation stripping back to its essential elements. This

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creates a moment of intimacy before the final chorus, which

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returns with added emotional weight from the journey the song

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has taken listeners on. This carefully crafted structure creates a

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complete emotional arc that moves from nostalgia through reflection to acceptance,

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making the song feel like a complete statement rather than

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a simple pop c confection. The pacing ensures that each

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section accomplishes its emotional purpose while maintaining forward momentum that

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keeps listeners engaged throughout. The lyrics of As It Was

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showcase Styles's evolution as a songwriter, addressing themes of change, loss,

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and personal growth with both specificity and universality. Without extensively

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quoting to respect copyright, I can note that the song

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deals with the disorienting experience of returning to familiar places

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after significant personal change, the complexity of relationships that have

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evolved or ended, and the bittersweet process of accepting that

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things can never quite return to how they were. What

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elevates the lyrics beyond simple nostalgia is their acknowledgment of

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growth and acceptance alongside loss. Rather than simply mourning what's gone,

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the song recognizes that change, while painful, is also necessary

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for personal development. This mature perspective reflects styles As own

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evolution from young pop star to adult artist, while also

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resonating with listeners who are processing their own changes during

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the pandemic years. The song's central phrase, as it Was

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works on multiple levels. It can refer to a specific relationship,

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a period in Styles's life, or the broader experience of

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emerging from a global crisis into a changed world. This

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interpretive flexibility allows listeners to project their own experiences onto

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the song, creating personal connections that enhance its emotional impact.

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The lyrics also demonstrate Styles's growing confidence as a writer,

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using concrete imagery and emotional specificity to create vivid scenes

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while maintaining enough ambiguity to allow universal interpretation. This balance

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between the personal and the universal has always been the

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hallmark of great pop songwriting, and Styles achieves it with

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remarkable sophistication. What truly makes As It Was special is

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styles vocal performance, which navigates the song's emotional complexity with

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impressive subtlety and range. In the verses, he adopts a conversational,

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almost vulnerable approach that draws listeners into the narrative. The

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pre chorus introduces more urgency and emotional investment, while the

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chorus showcases his melodic gifts with its soaring but controlled delivery.

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Throughout the track, Styles demonstrates remarkable vocal restraint, choosing emotional

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truth over technical showboating. His delivery conveys genuine vulnerability and

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reflection without becoming overwrought or self indulgent. This mature approach

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to vocal performance reflects his growth as an artist and

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creates an authentic emotional connection with listeners. The way Styles

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handles the song's dynamic shifts from intimate versus to more

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expansive choruses shows his understanding of how vocal performance can

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serve the song's emotional narrative. He never over sings or

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undermines the lyrics vulnerability instead using his voice as an

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instrument to enhance the song's themes of reflection and acceptance

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more in a moment. As It Was was released on

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April first, twenty twenty two, and became an immediate global phenomenon.

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The track debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot

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one hundred and remained there for fifteen consecutive weeks, the

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longest running number one single of twenty twenty two and

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one of the longest running chart toppers of the streaming era.

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The song top charts in over thirty countries and became

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the most stream song globally on Spotify in twenty twenty two,

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cementing Styles's status as a major solo artist. The music video,

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directed by Terres Bolas, featured Styles performing the song on

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a rotating platform while wearing various colorful outfits, creating a

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visual metaph for the song's themes of change and perspective.

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The video simple but effective concept allowed the song's emotional

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content to remain the focus while providing striking visual imagery

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that became iconic in its own right. To fully appreciate

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the impact of As It Was, we need to examine

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the cultural landscape of summer twenty twenty two a season

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marked by both cautious optimism and lingering uncertainty as the

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world emerged from the most intense phase of the COVID

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nineteen pandemic. The summer movie season was dominated by Top

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Gun Maverick, which became a massive box office success and

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cultural phenomenon, offering audiences the kind of spectacular, communal theatrical

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experience that had been largely absent during the pandemic years.

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Other significant films included thor Love and thunder Minions, The

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Rise of gru and Elvis, the Baz Lureman biopic that

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earned Austin Butler widespread claim. Musically, the charts featured a

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diverse array of hits, including Bad Bunnies, Unverano Cinti, which

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dominated Latin music and crossed over to mainstream success, Kate

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Bush's Running Up That Hill, which experienced a massive resurgence

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thanks to Stranger Things, and Lizzo's About Damn Time. The

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diversity of successful music reflected both the fragmented nature of

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contemporary music consumption and audience's appetite for different types of

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emotional experiences. Television continued to provide comfort and escapism, with

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shows like Stranger Things season four, The Boys Season three,

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and Euphoria season two dominating cultural conversations. The return of

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live events, including music festivals and concerts, marked a significant

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cultural shift as people sought communal experiences after years of isolation.

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Technology played an increasingly important role in music discovery and consumption,

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with TikTok becoming a crucial platform for song promotion and

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viral moments. The continued dominance of streaming services meant that

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songs could achieve massive success without traditional radio support, allowing

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for more diverse and niche artists to find large audiences.

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This was the landscape in which As It Was achieved

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its remarkable success, a period when people were processing collective

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trauma while also celebrating their return to more normal activities.

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The song's themes of change, reflection, and acceptance resonated perfectly

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with audiences who were themselves navigating the complex emotions of

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emerging from an unprecedented global experience. For Styles himself, the

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success of As It Was represented the full realization of

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his transformation from boy band member to major solo artists.

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The album Harry's House would go on to win the

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Grammy Award for Album of the Year, while Styles's accompanying

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world tour became one of the highest grossing tours of

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all time. His evolution from teen heartthrob to respected artist

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was complete, establishing him as a major force in contemporary music.

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The song's influence extends beyond Styles's own career. Its success

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demonstrated the continued viability of guitar bassed pop music in

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an era increasingly dominated by hip hop and electronic music.

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The tracks blend of retro and contemporary elements has influenced

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countless artists seeking to create music that feels both nostalgic

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and current. More broadly, As It Was exemplifies how the

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most effective summer songs can address complex emotions rather than

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simply celebrating the season's pleasures. By acknowledging the disorientation and

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loss that often accompany growth and change, the song created

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a more nuanced and ultimately more satisfying summer anthem than

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those that focus solely on escapism and celebration. Looking back

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on As It Was today, it remains a remarkable achievement

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in contemporary pop songwriting and production. The song's emotional honesty,

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musical sophistication, and perfect execution have allowed it to transcend

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its specific moment to become a timeless expression of how

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we process change and loss while moving forward with our lives.

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What makes As it Was the quintessential post pandemic summer

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anthem is its recognition that healing and growth often involve

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accepting that things can't return to exactly how they were before.

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This mature perspective, combined with production that sounds like summer

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feels warm, nostalgic, but tinged with melancholy, creates a track

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that perfectly captured the complex emotions of twenty twenty two

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while speaking to universal experiences of change and acceptance. So,

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as we continue our countdown of the top twenty songs

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of the summer, at number sixteen, turn up As it

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Was and let Harry Styles's sophisticated pop reminds you that

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the most memorable summers aren't always about pure joy. They're

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often about the moments when we learn to accept change

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while holding on to what still matters. Because As It

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Was isn't just a song, it's a masterclass in contemporary

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pop songwriting, a testament to Styles is remarkable artistic evolution

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and a reminder that sometimes the most powerful summer anthems

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are the ones that help us process our experiences rather

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than simply escape from them. Two years later, it continues

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to capture that complex feeling of moving forward while looking back,

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which is why it deserves its place in our summer

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song's pantheon. This is Garrett Fischer for hit Maker Chronicles,

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counting down the top twenty songs of the summer, as

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voted by the staff of Calaroga Shark Media. Keep those

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vintage vibes flowing and join me next week as we

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continue our countdown with number fifteen.