Client: Harry Styles

Public Relations Expert: Niyathi Admala

Every hero must take a journey to completely understand themselves and the world around them. There are trials and quests they must complete as well as companions and mentors they must meet. A hero’s journey is long and rough, yet it is very rewarding. Your journey started when you were a regular sixteen-year-old boy working in a bakery. You probably never imagined your life would change with just a mere two yeses. All of the bonds you’ve made have helped you greatly. There were unquestionably some tough times, whether those were family and friends or the creation of your career, but you persisted and came out stronger than ever. Harry Styles, you’re the hero of your story because of your call to adventure, brother battle, entrance to the belly of the whale, crossing of the return threshold, and freedom to live. You are a true hero because of your kind, caring, and humorous personality, as well as your ability to always seek the best in people. 

To start off, in 2010, your call to adventure occurred when you first auditioned for the X-Factor. The call to adventure is when the hero’s journey begins. Typically, there is some sort of call which interrupts the hero’s ordinary life, and following that, there is some sort of challenge for the hero to complete. In your case, at the age of 16, you auditioned for season 7 of the X-Factor. You were given two yeses, which allowed you to advance into the competition. Later on, you were rejected from the show along with some other soloists. Shortly after hearing this devastating news, you were called back in and told that you and the other rejected soloists could compete in the competition as long as you did it as a group. Your companions for the journey were Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne; the five of you were known as the band One Direction. Your mentor was Simon Cowell, one of the judges in the competition. The reason why this is your call to adventure is that not only did you quite literally get a call that changed your life, but also, auditioning for the X-Factor and joining 1D created a new quest for you. Your quest was to conquer the trip to stardom along with your band.

By 2015, One Direction had been going strong for about five years until you were hit with shocking news. Zayn, one of your band members, announced that he was quitting the band. In regards to the heroic archetype, this was your brother battle. The brother battle is when the hero faces either a physical or mental battle with a close friend or relative. Over five years, you had formed a close bond with all of the boys, and they all became like brothers to you. Zayn felt that being in the band was too stressful and left in the middle of the tour. Because of his abrupt departure, the band would never be the same again. The last performance of the complete band took place on March 18, 2015, in Hong Kong. Zayn’s decision to quit had devastating effects on both you and One Direction as a whole. You had to deal with a lot of stress, especially considering that you and the remaining three boys had a tour to finish. You and the three boys came to a consensus and chose to continue the band for another year. During this time, you all released the song “Drag Me Down.” The same month that was released, you, Louis, Liam, and Niall announced that 1D would be taking a break. This split was hard for the band, but you all chose to focus on yourselves for a bit before coming together and releasing your album Made in the A.M. Shortly after this, it was announced that One Direction would be taking a long-term hiatus.

Up until 2016, you were used to performing with a group. Your breakout solo performance was acting in the movie Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan. This was when you officially entered the world as Harry Styles instead of being looped into the band. This part of your life, in comparison to the heroic archetype, is entering the belly of the whale. This is the point in the story when the hero has to face his deepest fear. Since you had never had the chance or need to perform as a soloist, you were most likely scared and worried about taking this step in your life. However, you took the big jump and conquered your fears. After Dunkirk, you went on to start your solo singing career. Before that, however, you chose to cut off your long locks and donate them. In a way, this symbolized a key that opened the door to a new world. You left behind the past and moved onto bigger and better things. After your acting debut, you signed a solo record deal with Columbia Records, the same place that originally signed One Direction. This was the flight that took you to build a solo career. Your mentor during this phase of your life was Stevie Nicks. In 2015, you met Stevie at a Fleetwood Mac concert which you were attending with Gemma, your sister. You and Stevie formed a special bond, and she still serves as your mentor/second mother figure today. She helped you through the ups and downs of your solo career, offering advice and guidance; she is one of the most prominent reasons for you being who you are today.

In 2017, you crossed the return threshold by releasing your first solo song, “Sign of the Times.” The crossing of the return threshold is when the hero must take the wisdom they have gained on their quest and apply it into their normal life. In your case, your quest was the journey you took while being a part of One Direction and then transitioning into a solo career. You applied everything you learned from your adventure when you released your first solo song. One week after releasing it, you were able to make it all official on Saturday Night Live. Later the same year, your self-titled debut album came out. Your album, Harry Styles, quickly moved up to the number 1 spot. Now, you have reached the point of the archetype known as the freedom to live. During this time, the hero is living in the present freely and openly instead of worrying about the future or revisiting the past. You are living your best life right now and enjoying it to the fullest. Since your debut as a solo singer, you have gone on to release one promotional single, seven singles, five music videos, two studio albums, and one video album. You have also gone on tour in 2017 and were planning for one in 2020 as well (sadly, that was canceled). You were given the opportunity to host the 2019 Met Gala along with Lady Gaga and Serena Williams. You are an inspiration to so many, whether that be in regards to fashion, music, or just plain virtue.

Harry, your journey started when you auditioned for the X-Factor and is still continuing today. From building One Direction till hosting the 2019 Met Gala, you’ve accomplished so much. Your adventure hasn’t been easy, however. After Zayn left and the band broke up, it seemed like your life was ending. Instead of giving up, you worked to make a name for yourself as a soloist. All of your hard work paid off in the end, and you should be recognized for that! You should honor this on both Instagram and Twitter by posting your life as the heroic archetype. For example, on Instagram, you could post a collage of pictures from your life at each of the points of the heroic archetype. On Twitter, you could post something along the lines of, “From One Direction to the Met Gala, I’m so grateful for the numerous opportunities to further my career. Thanks to all of you my life seems to follow the #heroicarchetype!” On both posts, you should include “#harrysheroicarchetype.” Overall, Harry Styles, you became a true 21st-century hero because of your hard work, generosity, and good nature. The world deserves to know your story.

Social Media Mockups:

Works Cited:

Aniftos, Raina. “Everything That Happened Since Zayn Left One Direction: A Timeline.” Billboard, 13 Apr. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9357414/zayn-left-one-direction-timeline#:~:text=August%202015%20%2D%20%22Drag%20Me%20Down,is%20sick%2C%22%20he%20tweeted. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

Biography.com Editors. “Harry Styles Biography.” The Biography.com Website, A&E Television Networks, 2 Apr. 2014, www.biography.com/musician/harry-styles#:~:text=English%2Dborn%20singer%20and%20teen,the%202017%20film%20’Dunkirk. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

CapitalFM. Global 2020, 26 Mar. 2020, www.capitalfm.com/artists/harry-styles/stevie-nicks-friendship-timeline-fleetwood-mac/#:~:text=The%20pair%20meet%20at%20a,Fleetwood%20Mac%20play%20in%20London. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

CapitalFM. Global 2020, www.capitalfm.com/one-direction-x-factor-reunion-anniversary/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

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Dambrosio, Christina, and Paige DiFiore. “From throwing insults to talking about a reunion, here’s everything One Direction members have said since their hiatus.” Insider, 23 July 2020, www.insider.com/everything-one-direction-has-said-about-each-other-since-breakup-2019-5#styles-has-also-explained-why-he-felt-the-bands-hiatus-was-best-for-their-long-term-success-10. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

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Higgins, Michelle. “Wasn’t He Lovely?” The Sun, 19 Sept. 2016, www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/1813109/watch-this-incredible-throwback-of-harry-styles-auditioning-on-x-factor-six-years-ago-today/#:~:text=TODAY%20marks%20the%20sixth%20anniversary,Nicole%20Scherzinger%20and%20Louis%20Walsh. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

Pambrun, Helene. Harry Styles. Billboard, 15 Sept. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9449118/harry-styles-postpones-2020-concerts. Accessed 22 Sept. 2020.

Phillips, Hedy. “ICYMI, Here’s What One Direction Was Up to in 2016.” PopSugar, Group Nine Media, 31 Dec. 2016, www.popsugar.com/celebrity/What-Did-One-Direction-Do-2016-42702781. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

Sheffield, Rob. “The Eternal Sunshine of Harry Styles.” Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2019, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/harry-styles-cover-interview-album-871568/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

TheFamousPeople.com. FamousPeople, www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/harry-styles-15979.php. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

Weatherby, Taylor. “Harry Styles’ Career Highlights (So Far), From Taylor Swift to ‘SNL.'” Billboard, 29 Mar. 2017, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7743599/harry-styles-career-highlights-timeline. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.

“Why Did One Direction End And Did They Break-Up? Their Hiatus Explained.” CapitalFM, Global 2020, 17 July 2020, www.capitalfm.com/news/why-did-direction-end-break-up-hiatus/#:~:text=One%20Direction%20never%20said%20their,due%20to%20their%20exhausting%20schedules.&text=The%20boys%20were%20also%20keen,on%20to%20do%20very%20successfully. Accessed 19 Sept. 2020.