Amid the release of his new album 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally', some familiar bells ring the moment the needle drops. Disco pulses, jangly guitars, and sly synths occasionally echo the textures of The 1975 and The Strokes. Yet thanks to the daring production choices surrounding Harry Styles’ latest record, every track still lands unmistakably in his lane.

Then came a special event that turned the album rollout into something more intimate: One Night in Manchester, a one-off performance that gave fans unusually close access to the new era.

But somewhere in the middle of the night, Styles paused and gave a heartfelt shout-out to someone named Tom. So who exactly was Tom?

The “Tom” Harry Styles mentioned is actually Thomas Edward Percy Hull, better known in the industry as producer-songwriter Kid Harpoon. If Styles is the face of this era, Hull is widely considered the sonic architect behind it. In fact, The New York Times once described him as the “architect of Harry Styles’s sound.”

Their partnership stretches back to the final years of One Direction. Hull first connected with Styles through mutual friends and quickly noticed the singer’s deep musical curiosity. According to reporting by The New York Times, Styles would excitedly dive into conversations about obscure Bon Iver deep cuts, an enthusiasm that convinced Hull he was not just another pop star chasing hits. 

During the Manchester show, however, Styles’ shout-out was essentially a public thank-you. A concert-goer on X claimed the full dedication may have been trimmed from the final edit, but reportedly, Styles told the crowd:

“There’s my friend Tom, who made this album with me, who is here… I want to thank Tom for pushing me and believing in me. I’m so proud of all these albums we make together, and especially this one… Tom, this one is for you.”

The tribute made sense. Hull and Styles collaborated on Fine Line and Harry’s House, and in 2023 Kid Harpoon won Songwriter of the Year at the Brit Awards.

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Before it reached streaming platforms, One Night in Manchester already had the aura of a myth among fans. What exactly happened inside that arena?

The concert took place at Co-op Live Arena, where Harry Styles performed the new album in full in front of roughly 23,500 fans. Tickets were priced at £20 and snapped up almost instantly after the show was announced. With the four-year dry spell broken with this concert, Styles continued a tradition he has kept since his solo debut: one-night-only performances celebrating each album’s release.

Even more unusual was the turnaround. The concert premiered on March 6, the same day the album dropped, and by March 8, it was already streaming worldwide on Netflix as Harry Styles: One Night in Manchester. For fans, it marked the first time a complete Styles concert tied to a new album could be replayed endlessly.

Moments like these underline the strange arc of Styles’ career. From teenage fame in One Direction to the Grammy-winning success of Harry’s House, he has steadily reshaped himself into one of pop’s most unpredictable auteurs. And if the Manchester performance proved anything, it is that behind the spectacle, there is often a quiet collaborator like "Tom" helping build the sound.

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What did you think of Harry Style's shout out to his album collaborator in One Night in Manchester? Share your thoughts in the comments.