<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Music video </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> "Sign of the Times" on YouTube </Td> </Tr> <P> "Sign of the Times" is the debut solo single by English singer and songwriter Harry Styles for his self - titled debut studio album . It is his first single outside of the boy band One Direction . Released on 7 April 2017, by Erskine and Columbia Records, it was written by Styles, Ryan Nasci, Mitch Rowland and its producers Jeff Bhasker, Tyler Johnson, and Alex Salibian . Musically, it was defined by critics as a multi-genre ballad, including pop rock, soft rock and glam rock . Its music video was released on 8 May . </P> <P> Early rumours about Styles going on a solo career sparkled in 2015, when it was reported that Sony Music wanted Styles to release a solo album during One Direction's hiatus . By the end of 2015, four new songs written and performed by Styles were registered on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) online database, which was believed to be for his potential debut solo album at the time . Shortly after, Styles signed up with American agent Jeffrey Azoff and moved to Columbia Records . In September 2016, Styles was on the cover of Another Man, which led the media to expect a new album in the future . </P>

Who produced sign of the times by harry styles