Harry Styles’ highly anticipated single “As It Was” dropped on April 1, and it already has fans speculating that the song is about Styles’ ongoing romance with Olivia Wilde. And there’s a pretty convincing reason why that is. There’s one specific line in the lyrics that sounds like a total giveaway, but you can be the judge of that. The lyric in question has everyone wondering if Harry Styles’ “As It Was” really is about Olivia Wilde.
The British singer first teased his single “As It Was” with an Instagram post on March 28, and again two days later on March 30 in a 10-second teaser video. Since the song’s release on April 1, it has already broken the all-time record for biggest single-day streams for a song by a male artist on Spotify, according to a tweet by Chart Data. This is a great sign ahead of the release of Harry’s House, Styles’ third studio album, which is due to drop on May 20.
Fans have been paying close attention to Styles’ new song, from his chic fashion-forward looks in the video to the lovelorn lyrics. While the chorus and verses about a relationship that’s evolved over time cut deep, it’s the bridge that really has fans honing in on the song’s possible inspiration. “Go home, get ahead, light-speed internet / I don’t wanna talk about the way that it was / Leave America, two kids follow her / I don’t wanna talk about who’s doin’ it first.” Guess who has two kids? That’s right, it’s Wilde. She has a seven-year-old son, Otis Alexander, and a five-year-old daughter, Daisy Josephine, with former fiancé Jason Sudeikis, whom she split from in November 2020 after nine years.
Not only that, but the “leave America” lyric also seems to be a reference to Wilde. In an interview with Vogue on Oct. 12, 2021, Wilde said she splits her time between L.A. and London – giving reason to believe that Styles was referring to Wilde leaving America. As for the kids, Page Six reported on March 8, 2021, that they were in London with Wilde and Sudeikis while Styles flew back to L.A. for the Grammys. If that’s not enough evidence, I’m not sure what is.
Styles and Wilde’s romance first began when they worked together filming Don’t Worry, Darling, a new movie directed by Wilde and starring Styles as Jack, that is set to premiere on Sept. 23, 2022. The pair was spotted holding hands at a wedding in January 2021, which sparked relationship rumors. Multiple sources confirmed the relationship, and the rest is history.
If this all sounds a bit far-fetched, listen to the new single below. As for the voice in the intro, Styles confirmed in an April 1 interview with iHeart radio that it’s his goddaughter’s voice, shutting down early rumors that it was Wilde’s daughter.
