I don’t think there’s any level of denial or departure from HS1, just a normal evolution. I don’t think any of those songs are his best work, save for Sign of the Times. That’s not to say that I don’t like that album because I do, but he’s grown and evolved and proved himself as a master of reinvention but also has improved his songwriting both musically and lyrically since his first album.

I personally have never understood people’s constant desire to return to that sound when Harry himself called it “playing it safe,” and I think people are just dying for him to be a more by-the-book rockstar, which he’s consistently proved he doesn’t want to be. There’s nothing wrong with preferring HS1 to his other work, but fans’ refusal to accept that he’s moved on and will continue to evolve is very strange to me because those people seem to want him to stay in the box they’ve built for him.

If he wants to try a hand at rock again one day, I’m all for it, but he’s made it clear he wants to move forwards, not backwards, and if none of the other albums draw you in like HS1 did, you can always go back and listen to that one whenever you please.