Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. He rose to stardom as a member of the boy band One Direction. Styles grew up in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, where he performed as a singer with his band White Eskimo. In 2010, Styles auditioned as a solo artist for the British music competition series The X Factor, where he and four other contestants joined to form One Direction. They have since released five albums, performed four worldwide tours, and won several awards, becoming one of most successful musical acts of all time. One Direction went on an extended hiatus in January 2016.

In June 2016, Styles signed a recording deal as a solo artist with Columbia Records. His first solo single, "Sign of the Times", was released in April 2017, reaching number one in the UK and number four in the US. Its music video earned him a Brit Award. His self-titled debut album was released in May 2017, debuting atop the UK and US charts and received a generally positive critical reception. Styles made his film debut in Christopher Nolan's war film Dunkirk (2017).