When I walked into the Kia Forum, I was mesmerized by the colorful boas, light up cowboy hats and recreations of iconic Harry Styles outfits. For 15 fifteen nights, Styles performed his “Love on Tour” sold out residency shows in the Inglewood venue for 17, 505 fans.

His residency kicked off in October, but, due to illness, three shows were postponed to January. After a two month wait, fans were able to finally see Styles perform his hit songs Jan. 26, 27 and 29.

From the moment my friend and I walked into the parking lot, we were faced with a wave of excitement mixed with a sense of home. In every corner, there were people who shared our love for Styles’ music and wore colorful, glittery outfits. The Forum was lit up with pink and blue lights and Styles’ name, and song lyrics were projected alongside the venue’s walls creating cute opportunities for photos. 

“I would like to first acknowledge the fact that we were supposed to play this show a couple of months ago. Thank you so much for your patience,” Styles said to the Los Angeles crowd. “Our job today is going to be to entertain you, and I promise we will do our absolute very best. Your job is to have as much fun as you possibly can.”

The environment of a concert is important, and I was surprised to feel so comfortable in the venue and willing to talk to other fans. Harry Styles’ message of treating people with kindness was evident through the love that filled the air before he even stepped on stage.

The stage set-up facilitated movement for Styles from one side of the venue to the other. The huge screens above the stage also enabled guests, no matter the location of their seat, to have strong visibility of Styles throughout the concert. As we arrived to our seat, the screens projected, in large letters, to text the word “LOVE” to the number 64433. This led fans to a link by Everytown, an organization that aims to end gun violence, which is an issue Styles has been vocal about.

With his own bejeweled outfit, Styles kicked off the show with his energetic song titled “Daydreaming” and ended the night by edging the crowd to erupt to “Kiwi.” His energy throughout every song was palpable and allowed fans to be comfortable to jump up and down, dance and sing their hearts out. Styles is indeed a performer, and there was never a dull moment. From dancing crazily with his band members to “As It Was” to smiling and taking in the crowd singing his songs back to him, his passion for performing was evident.

A favorite moment from the concert was when Styles sang the One Direction classic “What Makes You Beautiful.” The nostalgia of the 2011 iconic song filled the room, and before the first lyric, everyone was jumping. Accompanied by his band and trumpets, Styles danced around the stage as fans grew louder and louder with every verse.

Although Styles performed his energetic and catchy songs, he also performed two of his most emotional songs back-to-back. During “Matilda” and “Little Freak,” my friend and I had tears in our eyes. His vocals hushed the crowd, and fans were swaying back in forth with their phone lights creating sparkles throughout the venue. In that moment, the ugliness of the world faded away from my mind.

As a senior who in a few months will be moving out, hearing “Matilda” and the lyrics “You don’t have to be sorry for leaving and growing up” hit a special chord in my chest.

Asides from the vibrancy of Styles’ performance, his crowd interactions were wholesome. A pair of fans held up signs that read “We met because of you” and “Can you help us come out?” It has become tradition for Styles to interact with fans, so, he helped, and exclaimed that the minute his boa raised his head, the fans would officially be out. He teased the crowed by running around with the boa, but as soon as it reached his head, the venue erupted with applause.

Styles’ fun ad-libs within songs and humorously posing for pictures never failed to make my friend and me laugh.

With his 90-minute setlist, Styles crafted a memorable night. As someone who adored One Direction, it was beautiful to see how Styles has found his own voice and music style, and it was notably capturing the hearts of many.

Fans left the Kia Forum with a trail of feathers, tears and laughter. But, most importantly, we left with a special night that allowed an escape from today’s world, and a moment where music was all that mattered.