10 Things We Know About Harry Styles' Debut Album

Harry Styles is officially back at the forefront of our collective gay consciousness, looking hotter, more grown and more fabulous than ever. After an impressive stint on SNL this past weekend, and the release of lead single, "Sign of the Times," off his debut solo album, Styles has sealed the deal as this season's it-boy with a colorful, sophisticated shoot for the cover of Rolling Stone(Obsessed with that pink pussy bow blouse).

Related | Harry Styles Bathes in Millennial Pink Bath for Debut Album Art

We've seen his album artwork, we've seen his official tracklist, we've seen his SNL performances. So what did Styles' Rolling Stone cover story teach us? Here are 10 key takeaways:

The album isn't going to sound anything like One Direction.

The album, out May 12, will be unlike anything we've heard from the former One Directioner: "It's different from what you'd expect. It made me realize the Harry [in 1D] was kind of the digitized Harry. Almost like a character. I don't think people know a lot of the sides of him that are on this album. You put it on and people are like, 'This is Harry Styles?'"

Styles recorded a large portion of the album in Jamaica.

Theprofile also explained Styles created some of the album in England and California.

The songs will largely focus on some of his real-life relationships.

While Styles wouldn't reveal who was his album's inspiration, he did tell Rolling Stone this: "She's a huge part of the album. Sometimes you want to tip the hat, and sometimes you just want to give them the whole cap... and hope they know it's just for them."

The album was almost called Pink.

Quoting Clash's Paul Simonon, Styles said, "Pink is the only true rock & roll colour."

He just wants to be honest and personal.

"I didn't want to write 'stories,'" said Styles. "I wanted to write my stories, things that happened to me. The number-one thing was I wanted to be honest. I hadn't done that before."

1D splitting up doesn't mean it's over forever.

"If you're shortsighted, you can think, 'Let's just keep touring,' but we all thought too much of the group than to let that happen. You realize you're exhausted and you don't want to drain people's belief in you," he said. "I love the band, and would never rule out anything in the future. The band changed my life, gave me everything."

There's a song called "I Don't Want to Be the One You're Waiting On."

Rolling Stone's Cameron Crowe describes Styles' voice on the track as "warm, burnished, and intimate."

Styles took heavy influence from older music, but that's not to say he's pigeonholing himself.

"A lot of my influences, and the stuff that I love, is older," said Styles. "So the thing I didn't want to do was, I didn't want to put out my first album and be like, 'He's tried to re-create the Sixties, Seventies, Eighties, Nineties.' Loads of amazing music was written then, but I'm not saying I wish I lived back then. I wanted to do something that sounds like me. I just keep pushing forward."

He's aware of his fan base's main demographic, and he's into it.

"Who's to say that young girls who like pop music--short for popular, right?--have worse musical taste than a 30-year-old hipster guy? That's not up to you to say. Music is something that's always changing. There's no goal posts. Young girls like the Beatles. You gonna tell me they're not serious? How can you say young girls don't get it? They're our future. Our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they kind of keep the world going. Teenage-girl fans-- they don't lie. If they like you, they're there. They don't act 'too cool.' They like you, and they tell you. Which is sick."

He wishes Zayn all the best.

On Zayn saying the boy band's music was not stuff he "would listen to," Styles responds: "I think it's a shame he felt that way, but I never wish anything but luck to anyone doing what they love. If you're not enjoying something and need to do something else, you absolutely should do that. I'm glad he's doing what he likes, and good luck to him."