Will Harry Styles and Lizzo collaborate on a song?
Former One Direction member teases he would if ‘it made sense, absolutely.”
NEW YORK – Is a Harry Styles-Lizzo collaboration coming our way?
Never say never, teased the former One Direction member during a secret concert Friday for SiriusXM subscribers and Pandora listeners. Styles took the stage at Brooklyn’s intimate Music Hall of Williamsburg shortly after 7 p.m., where he was joined by “The Morning Mash Up” hosts Ryan Sampson, Nicole Ryan and Stanley T for a pre-show interview.
Asked what recent pop song he wishes he had written himself, Styles responded Lizzo’s hit “Good as Hell,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart last November.
“I just feel she has this infectious positivity,” Styles said of the recent Grammy winner. “She’s so authentically herself and it’s really powerful. I think she’s really inspiring. She is very forward about she’s going to be herself, and sometimes you’re going to like it and sometimes you’re not, and that’s amazing. Because people aren’t perfect.”
This isn’t the first time Styles has shown love for Lizzo: He went viral with a cover of her breakthrough hit “Juice” for BBC Radio 1, which has tallied more than 12 million views on YouTube since December. She invited him on stage in Miami in January to perform the song, and then covered his infectious single “Adore You” last month.
Pressed if the two artists are planning to collaborate, Styles said he would be open to it.
“I mean, if something made sense, maybe,” Styles told “The Morning Mash Up” hosts. “It’s funny, any time people like each other or perform together, everyone kind of thinks, ‘Oh, you guys should do a song together.’ It’s fine! But it’s also fine for people to just like each other’s stuff. But if there was ever a time where she wanted to do it and it made sense, absolutely. I think she’s great.”
Concertgoers at Friday’s secret session were emailed the location mere hours before it started and were met with long lines and an overcrowded venue upon arrival. But Styles, 26, made the most of his surprisingly brief five-song set, charismatically playing favorites including “Watermelon Sugar” and “Adore You” from his critically acclaimed second album “Fine Line,” released in December. He even brought out One Direction hit “What Makes You Beautiful,” much to the delight of his screaming fans.
Styles will return to the U.S. this summer for an arena tour with Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis and recently announced two Halloween-themed shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Oct. 30 and 31.