Harry Styles opened Harryween dressed as Elvis Presley, then reached into his own past for a second costume. The singer recreated the outfit he wore to his 2010 audition for The X Factor, bringing his teenage look back to the stage 16 years later.
The 32-year-old performed at Madison Square Garden on Friday, October 30th, for the first of two Halloween concerts. His costume change also came with a musical callback to the performance that introduced him to television audiences.
The concert was the 29th show of his 30-night Together, Together residency. The engagement began August 26th, with its final performance scheduled for October 31st, according to Madison Square Garden.
His band and dancers joined in by dressing as different versions of Styles. Their costumes referenced looks from his Grammy Awards, Coachella and Met Gala appearances, putting several eras of his career onstage at once.
Styles Channels Elvis in a White Jumpsuit and Blue Cape
View this post on Instagram
Styles began the show in a white jumpsuit covered in sparkling embellishments, with a blue satin-lined cape and oversized gold sunglasses. The outfit recalled the elaborate stagewear Presley wore during his later concert years.
Presley’s granddaughter, actress Riley Keough, was among those watching. She was spotted recording the performance on her phone alongside Zoë Kravitz, who wore a red devil costume, PEOPLE reported.
Elvis’ music had been part of Styles’ life long before this tribute. During a 2022 interview with Nardwuar, he recalled singing “The Girl of My Best Friend” in his bedroom as a child and said it was probably the first song whose words he learned.
His ‘X Factor’ Recreation Includes the Song and the Bakery Line
Later in the concert, Styles returned wearing a gray cardigan over a white T-shirt, a yellow scarf and brown trousers. An audition number pinned to his clothes completed the recreation of his 16-year-old self.
He performed Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” the song he sang for judges Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh. He also repeated his teenage introduction: “I work in a bakery.” Before his music career began, Styles had a part-time job in Holmes Chapel, England.
The original audition had involved a change of song. Extended footage released by The X Factor in 2022 showed that Styles first attempted Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister,” NME noted.
Cowell interrupted and asked to hear him without the backing track. Styles switched to the Stevie Wonder song, singing a cappella, and advanced to the next stage of the competition.
He later failed to progress as a solo contestant at bootcamp. The judges then brought him together with Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Liam Payne to form One Direction.
Past Harryween Shows Brought Dorothy, a Clown and Danny Zuko
Styles first held Harryween over two nights at Madison Square Garden in 2021 during Love on Tour. On the opening night, he dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, pairing a blue-and-white checked dress with red shoes while his band appeared as other characters from the film.
He performed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that evening. The following night brought an all-white Pierrot clown costume and a cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” as Rolling Stone recalled.
In 2022, he moved the celebration to the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. Styles dressed as Danny Zuko from Grease, with his band portraying other characters, and performed Olivia Newton-John’s “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”