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When Will Harry Styles Release His Own Album? Fans Just Can't Wait Anymore

by Kaitlin Kimont

It’s the end of an era in the land of boy bands. One Direction singer and songwriter Harry Styles is one step closer to leaving the band after signing a solo record deal. So, when will Harry Styles release his own album? According to E! News, reps for the singer said there isn’t an exact timeline for his album just yet.

While the terms of the deal are still unknown, the 22-year-old pop star may release his solo album before the end of 2016. According to Billboard, Styles signed his solo recording contract with Columbia records, which is the same label that represents One Direction.

The move didn’t come as a surprise for fans of the wavy-haired heartthrob after Styles performed, released, and registered four songs with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Styles got his start on the British television singing competition show The X Factor after he initially auditioned as a solo artist. The five-piece boy band was formed and One Direction was later signed to Simon Cowell’s record label, Syco Entertainment, in 2010. Cowell told Billboard back in March that he wasn’t certain about the band’s future after the release of their 2015 album Made in the A.M.

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"I don’t know if it’s a hiatus or a breakup, to be honest," Cowell told Billboard. "In a weird way, I don’t want to know." He also told Billboard that he was aware of Styles’ plans for a solo career. "He’ll work out what kind of record he wants to make because he’s got great taste — which is always a help," Cowell told the entertainment magazine.

Styles isn’t the only member of 1D to go solo — Zayn Malik was the first to leave the band in 2015 for a solo career of his own with popular hits like "Pillowtalk" and "Like I Would" dominating radio waves.

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A solo record isn’t the only project Styles has in the works at the moment. He’s branched out to an acting career as well. He’s currently filming Christopher Nolan’s World War II drama, Dunkirk.

"He considers himself to be on a different path to the other boys," a source told E! News last year about Styles' plans for an acting career. "He certainly has hopes of doing solo stuff, branching out on his own, and so this might be the natural juncture in which to do that."

There are no exact release dates set for his album at the moment, but fans can at least mark their calendars for the pop star's acting debut, which is likely to happen in July 2017. With a debut solo album and a film in the works, Styles has definitely given his fans plenty to look forward to.