The man who brought you the lyrics “I’m having your baby,†and “Played with myself / Where were you?†is playing dumb when it comes to his latest single, “Watermelon Sugar.†In an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1’s New Music Daily, Harry Styles breaks down the genesis of his new album Fine Line, out December 13. “‘Golden’ is the perfect PCH [Pacific Coast Highway] song,†he said. “‘Falling’ maybe took probably 20 minutes,†he flexed. But what’s “Watermelon Sugar†about? “I don’t know,†he ventured. Well, at the very least, Harry Styles just isn’t sure if “Watermelon Sugar†means what you think it means.
When Zane Lowe suggests that the song is about “the joys of mutually appreciated oral pleasure,†Styles counters, “Is that what it’s about?†Okay, Harry. Listen, we’re not going to break down the lyrics for you. The song is literally called “Watermelon Sugar,†but his coy response makes sense considering how “uncomfortable†he is with being called a sex symbol. “Honestly, I’d say I try and think about it as little as possible, because it’s a very strange, dynamic thing,†the former One Direction member said later in the interview. “It’s also like a weird thing to think of about yourself. I guess the thing with like sex, in general, is like, it used to feel so much more taboo for me. Even like when we were in the band, the thought of people thinking that I had sex was like, oh no, that’s crazy. What if they know? But it’s like … you know?†Oh, we know. We’ve heard the song.
Update, Monday, October 4, 1 p.m.: Finally, the mystery of “Watermelon Sugar†has reached its climax. Harry Styles admitted “Watermelon Sugar†is about sex to an arena full of stir-crazy women. “This song is about … it doesn’t really matter what it’s about,†Styles said coyly onstage during his Love on Tour concert in Nashville Friday, adding, “It’s about, uh, the sweetness of life.†After singing the first few lines of the innuendo-laced track, he paused. “It’s also about the female orgasm, but that’s totally different,†Styles teased. “It’s not really relevant.†Yeah, he’s a little too good at this rock-star thing.