>Lately, [Harry Styles](https://www.businessinsider.com/harry-styles-sexuality-label-outdated-response-interview-2022-4) had relished being a regular guy — another runner on the road, another face in the crowd.

>In September, fans were shocked when footage surfaced of Styles running the Berlin Marathon in sunglasses and a long-sleeved shirt (perhaps to cover his [famous tattoos](https://www.businessinsider.com/harry-styles-tattoos-photos-meanings-2023-8)?). Some celebrities turn running a marathon into a fundraising event or an [opportunity for press](https://www.vulture.com/article/celebrities-running-2025-nyc-marathon.html). The 32-year-old Styles ran the race under a pseudonym (in under three hours, no less).

>During the promotional tour for his new album, "Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally," Styles has repeatedly cited going to concerts incognito across Europe — including LCD Soundsystem in Madrid and Radiohead in Berlin — as a source of inspiration.

>"It was just about getting on the other side of the audience experience," Styles told [BBC Radio 1's Greg James](https://youtu.be/zZB1Md_GGb4). He also told [Apple Music's Zane Lowe](https://youtu.be/oTA637pJ63Y) that central to his self-image is being an "ordinary person."

>That impulse to embrace the everyday can be creatively fruitful for a megastar like Styles, who's been dogged by paparazzi and passionate fans since he was a teen heartthrob in [One Direction](https://www.businessinsider.com/idea-of-you-movie-soundtrack-one-direction-inspiration-interview-2024-3). But without a strong artistic vision or a unique point of view, approaching music as an average Joe turns out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. The music becomes average.

>I'm not saying that Styles isn't allowed to run marathons, go out clubbing, or experience joy beyond Hollywood. In fact, I encourage it. What sets an artist apart is how they refract ordinary experiences and emotions through an extraordinary lens — as when Beyoncé turned her own history with house music into a [safe space from bigotry](https://www.businessinsider.com/beyonce-renaissance-best-album-of-the-year-2022-12), or when Robyn turned a glimpse of her ex on the dancefloor into a [monument of heartbreak and resilience](https://www.businessinsider.com/best-breakup-songs-this-century-ranked-2022-2). These are legends who could be considered Styles' peers in the industry — Styles beat Beyoncé for [album of the year](https://www.businessinsider.com/grammys-harry-styles-aoty-acceptance-speech-reactions-backlash-2023-2) at the Grammys, and Robyn is billed as a special guest for his forthcoming shows in Amsterdam — so it seems fair to hold him to the same standard.

>With the kind of fame, wealth, and acclaim that Styles has accumulated, especially since the release of his 2022 blockbuster "[Harry's House](https://www.businessinsider.com/harry-styles-harrys-house-review-tracklist-breakdown-2022-5)," I want more from his end of the bargain. I want Styles to prove he's exceptional enough to be the one who's onstage — especially when he expects his own audience to pay [hundreds or even thousands](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/music-news/harry-styles-fans-uproar-tour-ticket-costs-together-prices-1236486023/) to watch him perform.

>Instead, Styles has made himself indistinct. Despite its ostentatious title, "Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally," has very little oomph or substance (and, curiously, even less disco), making a weak case for Styles as the [defining male pop star](https://www.businessinsider.com/harry-styles-artist-of-the-decade-2010s-2019-12) of the past decade. And yet, by many metrics, he is.

Business Insider: Harry Styles wants to be an ordinary guy. That's the problem.