Claim: Harry Styles released a single in 2012.

Harry Edward Styles -LRB- born 1 February 1994 -RRB- is an English singer and songwriter . He is known as a member of the pop boy band One Direction . He made his debut as a singer with his band White Eskimo , who performed locally in Holmes Chapel , Cheshire . In 2010 , Styles auditioned as a solo artist for the British television series The X Factor . After being eliminated as a solo performer , Styles was brought back into the competition , along with four other contestants , Niall Horan , Zayn Malik , Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson , to form One Direction .   Styles and his bandmates have released the albums Up All Night -LRB- 2011 -RRB- , Take Me Home -LRB- 2012 -RRB- , Midnight Memories -LRB- 2013 -RRB- , Four -LRB- 2014 -RRB- , and Made in the A.M. -LRB- 2015 -RRB- . They have also performed on two worldwide tours , one featured on concert film One Direction : This Is Us , and won several awards , including five Brit Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards .   On 23 June 2016 it was reported by Billboard that Styles had signed a three-album solo recording deal with Columbia Records , the same label behind One Direction . Styles will make his acting debut in the war film Dunkirk in July 2017 . Preceded by its first solo single `` Sign of the Times '' , his self-titled debut album was released on 12 May 2017 .