Harries unite! Harry Styles released his new album “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally” on Friday, March 6 and the University of Connecticut’s Student Union Board of Governors (SUBOG) was prepared with their first ever album listening party.
Held in the Student Union ballroom in collaboration with the UConn Harries Club, students in attendance were presented with almost three hours of Harry Styles-related games, drinks, prizes and other activities.
“One of the ideas that the concert board had this year was to put on some sort of album release event, just to still stay in the concert aspect but expand more on it,” SUBOG Concert Committee Member and UConn Harries President Angie Gomes said. “So, with Harry Styles’ album just like being really new and releasing today, it was like the perfect opportunity to do just that.”
Amongst the circular tables fittingly covered in disco ball tablecloths were coloring pages featuring the former One Direction member and bracelet making kits, along with piles of stickers featuring phrases from his music.
“Bracelet making is such a big thing, especially within the pop culture realm, since Taylor Swift and her friendship bracelets,” Concert Committee Vice Chair and Harries Vice President Angelica Whitney said. “So that’s kind of come over to Harry Styles and his fandom.”
In the back of the room, a long table featured an assortment of prizes and treats. A Shirley Temple station, an allusion to Styles’ song “Cherry” was accompanied by a pile of disco ball key chains.
The left side of the table also featured three vinyl records: “Harry Styles,” “Fine Line” and “Harry’s House.” The vinyl and tote bags could be won by participating in Harry Styles trivia, which was displayed by a projector in the middle of the room. Gomes said that they had also preordered the new album as a prize.
Gomes also mentioned the heart-frame glasses on the tables as a big part of Harry Styles concert culture.
“Definitely looking at what other events have done has definitely helped,” Whitney said. “A lot of record stores will do listening parties and listening events. Also looking at just other SUBOG events, maybe they’ve had things like bracelet making and coloring. Kind of combining those into something that Harry fans specifically would like. So, we’re definitely looking at our target audience of the Harries here at UConn and seeing what they’d be interested in.”
The vinyl and tote bags could be won by participating in trivia, which were displayed by a projector in the middle of the room.
“[We’re] getting more ways for them to leave with something besides just a great experience,” Whitney said.