In case you missed it, Harry Styles’ album “Harry’s House” won the Grammy for album of the year.

Good for him and love the album. And in case you haven’t been listening, Styles’ song “As It Was” is one of the biggest songs of the past year. Still is actually.

There’s an innate catchiness to “As It Was” and upon hearing it first, I thought it borrowed heavily from 80’s inspired pop and new wave. Which I instantly loved about it.

I’ve also listened to enough music and harry styles to know that the former One Direction stalwart wears his influences on his sleeves.

I can hear some Peter Gabriel in “Watermelon Sugar High” and “Adore You” and I swear I hear the Allman Brothers band song “Melissa” on “Two Ghosts.”

Harry likes to interpolate a lot of classics into his songs.

But what does that exactly mean?

Interpolation in pop music in Wikipedia terms, “refers using a melody or a portion of a melody from a previously recorded song but re-recording the melody instead of sampling it.” Without getting too dicey about said definition, interpolation loosely translated means, “creating new works from existing music.”

In that context, we point out some of the songs that Mr. Styles might have been emulating when he was writing the songs for “Harrys House.”

Remember I said that “As It Was” had that innate catchiness to it? Well, it might have been because the song borrowed its feel from one of the biggest songs of the 80s in “Take On Me” by A-ha.

If you’re young enough to not know who A-ha is, then just YouTube it to know that the opening keyboard riff to “As It Was” bears some resemblance to the “Take On Me” riff if you put it side by side. With some marked differences of course.

Harry’s “Grapejuice” is definitely one of the most tuneful on his Grammy-winning album. But his choice for those opening chords has a striking resemblance to that of the Paul McCartney and Wings’ 1976 song “Let ‘Em In.”

Styles’ “Late Night Talking” is also a “Harry’s House” highlight. But an Instagram user pointed out that the main riff is reminiscent (in feel) of David Bowie’s 1983 hit “Let’s Dance” and that the choruses also remind of Dua Lipa’s 2021 smash “Levitating.”

Having said all that, it’s not my intention to point out that Harry Style has been plagiarizing. Rather the opposite. He’s just been doing what every songwriter, pop artist, musician has been doing for the longest time, which is “creating new works from existing music.” Interpolation.

Be inspired by the music and create something new with the music (or things) that you dig and love.

But don’t be lazy to just lift and steal. Don’t copy note for note. Rather be crafty with it and be inspired.

Remember, it’s not stealing when it’s interpolating.

Released May of 2022, “Harry’s House” has 13 tracks of pop-funk, synth and pop rock inspired tracks. It is the third album from British singer-songwriter Harry Styles. It is released under Erskine Records and licensed to Columbia Records (Sony Music Entertainment).

Credits to Instagram user @itsjmaine for inspiring this article and Distractify writer Chris Barilla for some of the quoted definitions.