From the dreamy opening chords of  “Daydreaming” to the last electric notes of “Kiwi” at the end of his set, Styles kept his audience singing, laughing — and often  — crying. With 42 continuous shows, it’s hard for one to imagine how Styles kept up his energy every night, but with the audience dancing to every beat, he makes it look easy. Throughout his 13-year career, Styles has always said that touring was his favorite part of his job, and this tour made it clear. At every show, he expressed his immense gratitude for the people who paid money, traveled to the city, and made all the efforts to see him live. 

For many fans, it was not our first time seeing him. Concertgoers camped outside the venue for days before the show just to secure a front-row spot in the pit. They would stand for hours in the merchandise line to remember their concert date with a T-shirt and a tote bag. They would cross the Atlantic to be a part of his record-breaking shows. It seems like a dramatic step, but Styles had a magnetism that invoked these kinds of pilgrimage in his fans. But the hardest part for many fans wasn’t deciding to journey to the show — it was deciding what to wear.

After Styles wore a green boa to the 2021 Grammys, fans made it a point to dress just like him for his shows. Adorned with colorful boas, glittery jumpsuits, and pink cowboy hats, dressing for the event became just as important as the concert itself. The streets, escalators, and subways surrounding his venues were littered with feathers the morning after the show — physical gifts to the cities he performed in that would long hold memories of Styles and the people he brought together. 

With time, “Love on Tour” became more of an experience than just a 90-minute concert. Styles never just sang, he would constantly move around the stage: dancing and engaging with his audience. “We have one job tonight, and that is to entertain you,” Styles said. He read fan signs, wished them a happy birthday, announced fans’ baby gender reveals to a crowd of 20,000 people, and perhaps the most memorable — he helped fans come out to their families. It first happened in 2018 when Styles read a sign that said, “I’m going to come out to my parents because of you.” He then proceeded to yell out, “Tina, she’s gay!” to the fan’s mother, Tina. Since then, some fans have depended on Styles to help them do the same. 

Occasionally, he would divert from the regular setlist and sing some of his unreleased songs, like insider-favorite, “Medicine,” which was always met with a roar of cheers due to its popularity, despite it not ever being released. Another instance of this was on Harryween, Oct. 31, when Styles dressed as Danny Zuko from “Grease” and belted out “Hopelessly Devoted To You” as a tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John. 

As Styles approached the end of his last New York show, Gayle King appeared and surprised him by unveiling a banner that commemorated his 15 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden. “We’re all at Harry’s House right now,” King said. “Fifteen consecutive sold-out shows. No artist has ever done that before. 20,000 people, Harry, on their feet. We think you are walking joy, walking happiness, and we just want to say to you, Harry…we don’t want to say goodnight to you, Harry Styles!” Styles got emotional as he witnessed the banner raising. “To all of you who bought a ticket, thank you so, so much for your support,” Styles said. “Things like this don’t happen to people like me very often, and I just want to thank you all.” 

The experience of “Love on Tour” never failed to be a safe environment where, for 90 minutes, people can dance and sing their worries away in front of a man who was probably doing the same. For that time, Styles brought a massive crowd together and the barrier between celebrity and fan disappeared. As Styles erased that persona seen on glossy magazine pages, he became real. Fans saw him as he is, and he saw them too. Throughout the multiple shows I attended — from the heart of New York City, to Long Island, to flying 2,500 miles across the country — this residency served as a time to celebrate love, music, and the joy that is Styles in its purest form. 

Every night, after the shows ended, Styles took his ritual showers, washing away screams of love he received mere minutes before. He found them to be a moment of clarity from the chaos prior — a moment where he could be vulnerable and not in front of a crowd putting on a show. In stark contrast, the fans didn’t leave. They lingered around Penn Station, in front of the lit-up “Love on Tour” sign. They took pictures of their outfits and their glitter-sweat-tear-stained faces, leaving a trail of boa feathers behind them. Refusing to let the night end, they sang One Direction hits as they walked away from the venues. As the city soaked up every moment and memory of him it could take, Styles was probably washing it all away.

Styles’ “Love on Tour” will continue abroad until July 22, 2023. Future concert dates and locations can be found here.