The feeling of finally walking into the pit of the KIA Forum made the torture of waking up at 4 a.m. to wait in line for five plus hours suddenly not feel like torture anymore, and all that was left was relief and anticipating excitement. 

This Harry Styles concert was a very long time coming. The show was originally scheduled for Nov. 4, 2022. My entire family and I flew to California for the weekend, and on the night before the concert, my sister and I were sitting in our hotel room when the news was announced: the concert was canceled and would be rescheduled for Jan. 27. Styles was sick and unable to sing.

The time finally came. When I tell you that we waited in the line for hours, I genuinely mean it. We had purchased general admission tickets which had no assigned seating, so it was basically a free-for-all. To estimate, I’d say we waited in line from 3:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. to get our number in line. Then, we went back to the hotel and came back from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m to wait in line for the show. 

From experiencing that, there are literally no words to describe the feeling I had walking into that arena and just finally being there. My sister and I found a spot about three rows away from the barricade which was mind-blowingly close to the stage, it was truly unbelievable. We received really cute bracelets which had lyrics to one of his songs; I’m never taking it off. 

Styles was set to perform at 9 p.m. When the lights started to dim the crowd started screaming so loud, including me. Because we had all been waiting for this show for months, I feel like that aspect made it more special in a way. 

I remember all of a sudden seeing him standing in the middle of the stage in his glittering jumpsuit that made him look like an actual shining earth angel. My attention was immediately directed toward him and never strayed for the rest of the show. I noticed from the first moment that Styles entered the stage he had that gravitational pull effect on his audience. All eyes were only on him at all times and it was truly impossible to pull away.

His opening song was “Daydreaming,” which was the perfect song to start off the concert. It’s lively and energetic and got everyone in the arena dancing. The lights were in sync with the music and made everything more intense and exciting

Styles has a unique set up for all of his concerts; instead of the stage being on one side, it’s directly in the middle with seats and floor space surrounding the whole thing. I was worried that his focus would just be on one side of the stage, but I was completely wrong. He did a fantastic job at making his rounds to all sides of the stage. 

Every time he came around to our side of the stage, I swear I could see every detail of his face, and he would interact with his fans too. He would wave or give a thumbs up and talk to them. I found that to be unlike most artists when performing. 

Another song he played was “Daylight” which is one of my favorite songs on his most recent album. He stayed mostly in the center, but it was still so captivating. Even when he wasn’t moving around the stage, I was still equally invested and singing and dancing as much as I was before. I honestly loved the way he played every single song. 

There were changes he made to certain songs, but it made me love all of them more. My favorite song he played was “Cinema”, which is my most favorite song off the album. I just found that song so fun and the rhythm and beat were so fun to dance to, and it made me so happy to hear it.

The entire time being there the atmosphere was so welcoming and comfortable, and it felt like I could sing and dance any way I wanted to and no one would care. It was like an escape, all worries and thoughts just went away and were replaced with genuine happiness and calmness. Everyone was there for the same reason.

I swear that I could literally feel the music and lyrics in my bones. The show consisted of people screaming at the top of their lungs, dancing and singing. He brought so much energy to the stage, it literally radiated off of him and bounced off the walls. There was no sound louder than the cheers of that audience when those lights began to dim, it was nothing like I’d heard before. Attending this concert was definitely a once in a lifetime experience and I definitely recommend seeing him. The passion he has for his music and the love he has for his fans shines through every single song and it is incomparable. It was so magical. 

I also just have to note his dance moves. I am not kidding when I say the crowd would scream every single time he did one of his viral dances. I don’t blame them; I did too. You could tell he was very in his element and it was lovely to see that because it made his performance better, the crowd could feel it too. 

All I have to say is that the post-concert depression hit very very hard and I didn’t know what to do with myself or how to recover. I don’t think I ever will fully, but I take that as a way to truly know if the concert was worth it. And it was. 

5/5 paws