Los Angeles, February 15 – Singer-songwriter Harry Styles has learned valuable lessons about professional life. The singer shared that he learned "how to slow down" during his career break.
The 32-year-old singer realized the importance of being present and focusing on what matters in his personal life after taking time off following his globally successful "Love on Tour" gigs in July 2023, according to 'Deadline'.
Harry told 'The Sunday Times' magazine, "At the end of the tour, the idea of taking time off felt insane. I didn't know if I could do it. But it was the right time for me; we had finished the tour in July, and I was turning 30 in February. It was time for me to take a break and pay attention to other aspects of my life. Italy has become really special to me in recent years. I drove from London to Rome during COVID, when travel was still possible. I had been touring for years, with occasional breaks, and if I had a week off, I would never have driven anywhere; I would have just driven back and forth as quickly as possible."
He further added, "With this time, I drove to Italy, and I thought, 'I'm going to enjoy this.' When I was in Rome, the city taught me how to slow down."
According to 'Deadline', the 'Watermelon Sugar' hitmaker even relished sipping on a hot coffee in a cafe, something he hadn't done in a long time.
He continued, "Italy became so important to me because I was so used to everything moving so quickly and being on the go. But then I remember going to a cafe, sitting down, and having a coffee, and thinking, 'I don't remember the last time I sat down and had a coffee; have I ever just sat down and had a coffee?' I was suddenly learning, through my friends, that eating a meal is more than just sitting down and refueling. I realized the pleasure in just being present in the moment. The Italians are experts at this; it's their specialty. The pace they've taught me has been so special."
This downtime allowed the three-time Grammy award winner to be present in his baby niece's life. Harry, whose new LP, "Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally," drops on March 6, shared, "Also, during that time, my sister (Gemma) had a baby, and at any other time in my life, I would have missed out on a lot of that. Being there to get to know my niece as she grows up is so important to me. It's so obvious to me what's real. It was really clear to me that this is where I wanted to be."
Ultimately, adopting a slower pace to life has been "powerful" for the former One Direction boy band member.