Noel Gallagher Takes Aim at Harry Styles: “I Can Assure You He’s Not Got an Acoustic Guitar Out Trying to Write…”

In a recent interview, Oasis co-founder Noel Gallagher took aim at singer/songwriter Harry Styles, saying in effect that he’s not a real rocker.

“You’re not telling me Harry Styles is currently in a room somewhere writing a song,” said Gallagher. “With any joy, he’ll be surrounded by a lot of girls.”

He added, “I can assure you he’s not got an acoustic guitar out trying to write a middle eight for something.”

For Gallagher, Styles’ name rests in a television show—The X Factor—that, he says, has “got nothing to do with music, it’s got nothing to do with music whatsoever, and anything that has come from that, that’s got nothing to do with music.”

In 2017, Gallagher complained about Styles, as well, saying, “People of my age have let themselves go, they’re fat, balding idiots with fading tattoos. They sit in their garage and write shite like ‘Sign of the Times’ for Harry Styles. Which, quite frankly, my cat could have written in about 10 minutes.”

The beef, perhaps, comes from the fact that Gallagher’s spouse digs Styles.

Gallagher has said, “My wife was falling over herself, ‘Have you heard Harry Styles’ new song? It’s like Prince.’ I was like, ‘Without even hearing it, I can assure you it’s not like Prince.’”

The curmudgeonly Oasis rocker has said that music is more and more unattainable for lower-class people. “Working-class kids can’t afford to do it now,” he said.

As for Gallagher, himself, his band Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds released its greatest hits album, Back the Wway We Come: Vol 1 (2011-2021), in 2021. He’s also recently shared a demo for the new song, “Trying to Find a World That’s Been and Gone: Part 1.” His brother and Oasis frontman Liam has also been releasing new music of late.

Styles is set to release his next LP, Harry’s House, on May 20. He’s already dropped the first single, “As It Was,” which you can check out below.

Noel Gallagher Photo by Matt Crockett