The meaning of Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

The recent hit "Watermelon Sugar" by former One Direction member, Harry Styles, has been invoking intrigue among listeners around the globe. An exquisitely crafted track, it carries an enchanting melody and enigmatic lyrics, that make it a song you'd want to plunge into, over and over again.

Released in 2019 as part of Styles' second solo album "Fine Line", "Watermelon Sugar" is soaked in rich musicality and complex lyrical undertones. Generally interpreted as a carefree summer anthem, it heralds love, enjoyment, and savouring the moments of life like savoring the tantalizing taste of watermelon sugar, the title of the song has led to much speculation.

At the surface level, Styles deliberately portrayed the song as an homage to summer and its quintessential experiences. In interviews, he has famously described it as being about “that initial, euphoric feeling of falling in love." If you look a little more closely, you would uncloak layers of symbolism and metaphorical usage in the lyrics that insinuate much more.

The bulk of the song employs sensory experiences to resemble the feeling of falling in love. With lines like "Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening / And it sounds just like a song / I want more berries and that summer feeling," Styles uses the sensory delight of fruit as an allegory to the pleasures of romantic indulgence.

However, in a BBC Radio 1 Interview, Styles revealed that the phrase ‘Watermelon Sugar’ was lifted from Richard Brautigan’s 1968 book In Watermelon Sugar. The novel, a post-apocalyptic tale, is set in a commune where the sun shines a different color every day, and the inhabitants make everything they need, including their homes, from watermelon sugar. The degree to which the text of this novel influences Styles’ song remains uncertain although the abstractness and strangeness of both works seem to connect.

Then again, some fans have speculated that with its seductive rhythm and sensual lyrics the deeper meaning of "Watermelon Sugar" might be related to physical intimacy and its inevitable connection to emotional vulnerability. With its flamboyant music video of Styles enjoying watermelon on a beach, it dives into a wordless dialogue of erotica. The watermelon becomes a symbol, a joyous object of desire which he savors, much like savoring the treasured moments with a loved one.

In conclusion, Harry Styles' "Watermelon Sugar" acts as a prism reflecting multiple meanings, each interpretation as intriguing as the song itself. Whether you interpret it as a breezy summer anthem, an insinuated intimate ballad, or a philosophical thought about existence, the song continues to captivate listeners worldwide. Above all, at its core, "Watermelon Sugar" celebrates joy, cherishes love and life’s simple yet profound pleasures.