Eclipse is the first solo project from popstar Harry Styles, the project is a 6-track Extended Play and features the top 5 hit "No Way" and the also popular single "Gravity". The EP was written between February 2015 - August 2015, additionally songs featured on the album "California Dreaming" were written around the same time.
Styles describes the EP as an "experiment" to discover the correct sound of his then-forthcoming first solo LP, the lead single titled "No Way" was released to massive success charting at #3 and becoming Styles' second biggest selling single to date. Despite not achieving a number one single, the EP charted and peaked at the #2 spot for several weeks and remained in the top 5 for further time. The EP hadn't left the top 5 by the time Styles' LP "California Dreaming" was released.
Background & Development[]
Following his split from boyband of five years One Direction, Styles took some much needed time off after their successful single "Perfect" officially commencing their breakup. Styles almost immediately began working on his own music, initially for "fun and to pass the time" but in June 2015 he signed a new record deal with HYPE Recordings whom funded studio time for him to work on a solo project, Styles initially claimed that Eclipse was meant to be his only solo release but has since released a full length studio album and has another set to drop in May 2016.
Eclipse's writing process initially began as far back as March 2015 following his hiatus, during a five month period Styles wrote over 30 songs with only six making it onto the EP and a further three being added onto his first LP "California Dreaming", Styles wrote about atypical pop subjects such as love, love lost, partying, general happiness and sadness. During April 2015, Styles broke away from the atypical style and wrote two songs about himself and a longtime friend he had, said friend sadly passed away from AIDs related causes during the early days of April and inspired Styles' song "End of The Line" which featured actual voicemails his friend had left him during his final days, the other song he wrote in this period was subject to controversy as it described a gay sexual encounter in detail. The sound of the record was described by Styles in September 2015 as a "mishmash" of genres, specifically Pop, Rock, Funk, House, R&B and contemporary Hip-Hop.