9781422271315

Breakthrough Harry Styles took the unlikeliest of routes to stardom, turning a rejection in a singing contest into a career-making moment that has sparked a string of spectacular music while putting him on the fast track to becoming one of the most popular performers in the world today. Styles’ journey to greatness began on the set of The X Factor , a television music competition recorded in Manchester, England. Growing up, he constantly had tunes in his head and lyrics on his lips. Styles sang in the car, his bedroom, the shower; you name it. In 2010, his mom took the 16-year old to audition for The X Factor, a show created by well-known television personality and music executive Simon Cowell (his fingerprints are also on other mega-popular shows in the United States like American Idol and America’s GotTalent ). Burdened with nerves and with fears of messing up swirling in his head, Styles went on stage and sang the StevieWonder hit “Isn’t She Lovely.” The performance received a mixed bag of comments from the show’s three judges. One judge’s critiques were dipped in harshness, and his words bordered on confidence crushing, but the judge with the most clout (Cowell) also happens to have a knack for recognizing talent, and his eyes and ears told him there was something special in the youngster.

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Harry Styles