11 Pop Culture Releases You Need to Know About in May

4. Harry Styles

Say what you will about One Direction, but Harry Styles has a decidedly different musical sound in the independent work he’s been doing. “Sign of the Times” kicked things off, and it only presaged songs like “Ever Since New York,” which he has already performed on Saturday Night Live during an appearance where he also played Mick Jagger. (We casually mention it because it’s still funny.)

Before you think he’s keeping his promotion work to NBC, however, he has already announced that he’ll be working together with the Late Late Show and James Corden for a week. He even has a tour coming up, although it doesn’t start until September.

Yes, this new direction (sorry, couldn’t help it) looks like it’ll be keeping his fans busy. Anyway, Harry Styles (the album) will arrive on May 12. If “Sign of the Times,” “Ever Since New York,” and even the album cover are any indication, we can expect a stripped-down (couldn’t help that one either) sound from him.

With a mid-month release, you only have a couple more weeks before you can put the whole thing on repeat and indulge those Directioner tendencies that may have lain dormant. Until then, you’ll have to satisfy your ears with “Sign of the Times.”