What's Really Going On With Harry Styles' Accent?
If you are (or were) a fan of One Direction, then you probably know all kinds of interesting tidbits when it comes to its ultra-famous members. For instance, you might be able to recall where each 1D alum is originally from (and by might, we mean definitely).
But just to refresh your memory, Niall Horan is the only former member of the boy band who is Irish. He was born in Mullingar, Ireland, which is located in the hilly County Westmeath, according to The Independent. The rest of the guys? They hail from England. Per Top40Charts, Zayn Malik came from Bradford, West Yorkshire, and Liam Payne was born in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, as was Louis Tomlinson, who first lived in South Yorkshire's Doncaster. As for Harry Styles, those in Cheshire's Holmes Chapel can claim him as one of their own. Much like The Beatles (and stay with us), the now-disbanded five-member group is entirely made up of home-grown U.K. lads.
Indeed, Styles is a Cheshire fellow right down to his accent. Or, at least, he used to be. As the star continues with his successful solo career and his ever-intriguing style transformation, his accent might actually be changing as well. And some people aren't happy about it. Hmmm. Scroll down to see what sparked this debacle.
Fans think Styles is losing his Cheshire accent
Fans of Harry Styles — or more specifically, fans of his voice — were left alarmed on May 11 when the star appeared at the 2021 Brit Awards. While accepting an honor for his song, "Watermelon Sugar," the star may have looked dapper. But those watching (and listening) noticed something surprising.
Styles, who "has long been known for his thick northern English accent from the county of Chesire, where he grew up," according to Us Weekly, wasn't sounding very British during his speech. At least, not according to fans. "WHY has northern king Harry Styles just accepted his award in an American accent," one asked on Twitter. Another tweeted, "Harry Styles speaking with an American accent shocked me to the core." A third asked, "Has Harry Styles set his accent to 'shuffle'?" Meanwhile, some people were simply unimpressed. As a fourth tweeted, "harry styles losing his accent is tragic if he starts sounding any more American, I'm taking his poster off my wall."
While we can't quite confirm why Styles may be sounding different, Us Weekly noted that some people are "worried that an overzealous dialect coach could be to blame ... while others thought he might have been trying to sound 'American' on purpose." Perhaps it's for a new movie role? Perhaps he just had an off (or American-sounding) day? The mind reels.
Styles hasn't yet addressed the accent issue, so we'll just have to wait to see (or rather, hear) what happens.