Harry Styles has spoken out publicly for the first time about his relationship with Taylor Swift.
The One Direction singer, whose self-titled debut solo album is out May 12, recalled seeing paparazzi photos of he and Swift in New York’s Central Park.
"When I see photos from that day," Styles told Rolling Stone, "I think: Relationships are hard, at any age. And adding in that you don't really understand exactly how it works when you're 18, trying to navigate all that stuff didn't make it easier. I mean, you're a little bit awkward to begin with. You're on a date with someone you really like. It should be that simple, right?
“It was a learning experience for sure. But at the heart of it – I just wanted it to be a normal date.”
Styles said he understands why Swift wrote about their relationship (“Style” and “Out of the Woods”).
"I write from my experiences; everyone does that. I'm lucky if everything [we went through] helped create those songs,” he said. “That’s what hits your heart. That's the stuff that's hardest to say, and it's the stuff I talk least about. That's the part that's about the two people. I'm never going to tell anybody everything.”
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Asked if he told Swift he liked the songs, Styles replied: “Yes and no.”
He explained: "She doesn't need me to tell her they're great. They're great songs ... It's the most amazing unspoken dialogue ever.”
Is there anything he’d tell Swift today? "I don't know," Styles said. “Certain things don't work out. There's a lot of things that can be right, and it's still wrong.
“If you run into that person, maybe it's awkward, maybe you have to get drunk ... but you shared something. Meeting someone new, sharing those experiences, it's the best s**t ever. So thank you.”