Entertainment

Harry's Best Brooding Moments Ranked

by Georgette Eva

As a 1Der, it’s hard to really pick at the perfection that is the greatest boyband of the post-90’s generation — as much as I love Niall Horan, his guitar, his jokes, his jokes as he plays guitar, I will remain an N*SYNC fan at heart. But as I replay One Direction's songs for the umpteenth time during my day, just to hear Harry Styles call me beautiful or at least to laugh along and say "teenage dirtbag” to my One Direction fangirl heart's content, I can’t help but have favorites. I know, I know, I should just love all of the cheesy, sing-song goodness that these British walk-dancers bring to my life, but it’s hard not to have faves. I mean, I admit that Niall’s my favorite, maybe after Zayn — which if you’re a 1Der, you know is a drastic difference in personalities and a huge conflict in my emotions. I bet you have favorites too. Yet, I’m willing to try to rank their music videos, even if it's just so I can re-watch these videos over and over and over again. It’s all part of the job.

Through a series of highly complicated, purely scientific research — fine, fine, just personal fangirling and countless replays — I bring you a ranking of One Direction’s music videos. Of course there are variables, because I couldn’t just do it to my heart’s content. Instead, I decided to do it to Harry Styles’ brooding expressions. Which ones make your heart melt? Which ones make you merely gush and sigh? Let’s take a look.

"One Thing"

Ranking: 1 Lonely Fangirl

Really, Styles, is this the best you have to offer? The best glance is at the 0:05 marker when he's off the side which just tells me that he was clearly not focused. Then again, he spends the rest of the video having fun on the top of a London double-decker bus. It was very distracting and fun, obviously.

"Little Things"

Ranking: 2 Fangirls

Fine, I can see that Styles is hard at work, and fine, he still has a very handsome face as he fiddles with the soundboard, but it's not so much a brooding face, as a concentrated one. Highlights of this video — otherwise known as make eye contact with Harry Styles time — include the 0:09 and 1:52 markers.

"What Makes You Beautiful"

Ranking: 3 Fangirls

They're just casually singing as the surf hits them. It's really sunny on this beach, so Styles is in optimum brooding mode. Extra points because the wind hits his hair just right that he has to flip it out of his eyes with a hard shake of his head, making everyone ache to run their hands through that tangle of curls. Or at least give him a proper haircut. Works either way.

"Live While We're Young"

Ranking: 4 Fangirls

By the opening of this video, we realize that Harry Styles broods in his sleep, so even his "I woke up like this" face is a little bit dreamy.

"Gotta Be You"

Ranking: 5 Fangirls

Harry is very, very sad here. It's also very cold. He and his brooding glance need a hug at the 0:33 mark.

"Midnight Memories"

Ranking: 6 Fangirls

Otherwise known as "Lads Mucking About a Kebab Place and Other Hijinks." This ranks high due to hijinks, also Styles' concentrated brooding expression when he's riding the scooter. Even through fun times, he's got some deep serious feels going on.

"Best Song Ever"

Ranking: 7 Fangirls

Where we learn that Harry Styles' has resting brooding face. Just check him out at the 2:02 marker, where he's acting bored. He's bored, but naturally brooding is so second nature he can't turn it off.

"Story of My Life"

Ranking: 8 Fangirls

I'm sorry, Harry, I know you're super busy developing photos in this dark room, but the way you looked at the camera at 0:22 is just heart melting. Okay, back to your hobby.

"You & I"

Ranking: 9 Fangirls

Maybe it's the kitschy face-swapping or the soft grey sweater they all have to sport — which really turns this entire video into a who-wore-it-better amongst the band — but this video ranks high on the Styles Brooding Scale. His hair is out of his face, giving us better access to his squinty eyes and his nose is rubbed red either from crying because of emotions or perhaps he has a cold. Who cares! It looks good on him.

"Kiss You"

Ranking: A Stadium Arena of Fangirls

Just skip to 0:50. Warning: possible brooding overload. Proceed with caution.