One Direction split up nearly four years ago, but Harry Styles gave 1D fans a throwback thrill on Sunday, December 8, preforming the band’s 2011 track “What Makes You Beautiful” at London’s O2 Arena.
As part of his performance at Capital FM’s Jingle Bell Ball 2019 on Sunday, the 25-year-old sang a medley of tracks from his new album, Fine Line, before closing his set with the One Direction hit. The crowd at the arena cheered as he sang the first lyrics, and Styles danced energetically during the song’s instrumental breaks.
On Twitter, fans raved over Styles’ One Direction cover. “I can’t stop watching harry styles singing what makes you beautiful at the jingle bell ball,” one person tweeted. Wrote another, “Oops after seeing @Harry_Styles at Capital Jingle Bell Ball, I now understand everyone’s love for him and I now shall join you Styles fans.”
“What Makes You Beautiful” was the debut single from One Direction’s debut record, 2011’s Up All Night. The track went quadruple platinum in the United States and earned the British boy band three awards at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.
Styles has kept busy since One Direction split in January 2016. His first solo album, 2017’s Harry Styles, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 2011 and earned him an ARIA Music Award, a Brit Award and two Teen Choice Awards. He also appeared in the 2017 film Dunkirk and executive-produced the 2018 CBS sitcom Happy Together.
In a Rolling Stone cover story this summer, the Cheshire native revealed he had no regrets about his One Direction years. “I know it’s the thing that always happens. When somebody gets out of a band, they go, ‘That wasn’t me. I was held back,’” he mused. “But it was me. And I don’t feel like I was held back at all. It was so much fun. If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t have done it. It’s not like I was tied to a radiator.”
Fine Line, Styles’ second solo album, will be released on Friday, December 13.
