Remains of neon boas covered the dingy floors of Penn Station early Monday morning, among the feet of pressured New Yorkers on their way to begin another grueling work week.
But the neglected pink, yellow and green feathers weren’t left over from a pride parade or a very early Halloween party — they belonged to fans of Harry Styles, the flamboyant pop superstar who performed just above Madison Square Garden on Saturday and Sunday.
Styles, 28, is in the middle of a 15-date run at the iconic Midtown location as part of his ‘Love on Tour’, and it’s just getting him wet.
The One Direction alumnus returned to the stage Monday night for only the third show of his sold-out residency, which runs through September 21 before traveling to Austin, Texas, Chicago and Los Angeles in support of his latest album, ‘Harry’s House. . ”
Styles opened his 90-minute concert with “Daydreaming,” although the deafening screams from his mostly young, female audience nearly drowned out the funky track. Some people were even caught looking around the room with their jaws open, in awe of how loud the crowd could get.
It’s no surprise that Styles’ great showmanship elicited such a response, given that he’s been filling arenas and stadiums since his teens, but this time he felt different.
The Grammy winner’s ‘Live on Tour’, which ran from 2017 to 2018, was a phenomenal introduction for a former boy bander, but he seemed a little shy as he gained a foothold as a solo artist. This time, however, it is clear how free and comfortable he has become on his own.
Styles nearly soared over the MSG stage, which was in the round, giving the 20,000 fans in attendance a 360-degree view of the man of the hour as he dabbled in hits like “Late Night Talking” and “As It Was.” . ”
However, the audience was most captivated during the intimate moments, holding on to every word of tender ballads, including “Little Freak” and “Love of My Life.”
But don’t let the acoustic sing-along fool you. Stylers are known for shaking the yard floor every time their idol comes to town, and Monday night was no different. The whole room broke into a sweat as they jumped up and down on ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, the only 1D song on Styles’ set list, and the raucous encore ‘Kiwi’.
And with that, Styles took his final bow and walked off stage, ready to enjoy a three-day break before doing it all again.
Billy Joel may need to watch out, because there’s a new king of Madison Square Garden – at least for next month.