Harry Styles’ melancholic synth-pop anthem that spent 10 weeks at #1 and became the most-streamed song of 2022 on Spotify.
Global Domination
Released March 2022 as the lead single from Harry’s House, “As It Was” debuted at #1 in the US and UK. The song’s opening voicemail from Harry’s goddaughter (“Come on Harry, we wanna say goodnight to you”) became instantly iconic.
Produced by Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, the track blended ’80s synth-pop with introspective lyrics about change and loneliness (“in this world, it’s just us, you know it’s not the same as it was”). Its upbeat production masked melancholic themes—a signature Harry move.
Record-Breaking Success
“As It Was” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 consecutive weeks and spent 15 total weeks at #1—Harry’s longest-running chart-topper. It became 2022’s best-selling single globally and Spotify’s most-streamed song of the year with over 1.6 billion plays.
The song won British Single of the Year at the 2023 BRIT Awards and received Grammy nominations for Record, Song, and Best Pop Solo Performance. Its ubiquity made it inescapable throughout 2022.
Sources:
- Chart Performance: https://www.billboard.com/
- Spotify Milestone: https://newsroom.spotify.com/