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New York is officially part of the moment. Today, Wednesday, January 21, fans of Harry Styles can hear his new single, "Aperture," ahead of its official release at a global first listen event in Manhattan.
Fans can line up at Rough Trade Below in Rockefeller Center for an in-store listening session that will give fans the chance to hear the track two days before it lands on streaming platforms. New York is one of 11 cities worldwide taking part in the rollout today, alongside London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, and Toronto—a coordinated, low-key global listening day rather than a pop-up in just one city.
The event was announced via Harry Styles HQ earlier this week, following a string of carefully planted clues that had fans watching sidewalks and social feeds closely. Posters reading “WE BELONG TOGETHER” appeared in cities around the world, quickly followed by confirmation of Styles’ upcoming fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., which will be released on March 6. ("Aperture" serves as the album’s first single and will officially be released on Friday.)
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No ticket links, no RSVP pages—just show up at Rough Trade and, from 4 to 8pm today, you can have your chance to listen. It’s a deliberately analog move that leans into the role independent shops still play in music discovery, even for artists like Styles, who operate at a truly global scale.
The title "Aperture" pulls from photography, referring to the opening in a lens that controls how much light enters. Given its status as the album’s first release and the unique rollout, it’s a fitting metaphor that sets the tone without giving everything away at once. Exactly how that translates sonically remains anyone’s guess.
Expect lines and quick turnover, but if you’re near Rockefeller Center this afternoon, it may be worth a detour.