Beyond the Sugar High: How Watermelon Sugar Merges Pop Nostalgia and Sensuality
Harry Styles’ 2019 release, Watermelon Sugar, from his album Fine Line, is the kind of song that sounds like a straightforward summer bop but lingers in the listener’s mind, begging for interpretation.
Co-written with Mitch Rowland, Tyler Johnson, and Kid Harpoon, and released as a single in 2020, Watermelon Sugar became an instant phenomenon.
At first blush, it seems like a sweet homage to summer, but a closer look reveals a track steeped in innuendo and ripe with a duality that goes beyond a seasonal hit.
Release, Chart Success, and A Grammy-Worthy Ambiguity
Styles dropped Watermelon Sugar as a promotional single in November 2019, with an official release as a single in May 2020, quickly dominating international charts and later winning a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance.
Yet, it wasn’t only the tune that held people’s attention; it was the mystery behind lyrics like “Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening.”
Was it innocent nostalgia for warm-weather romance, or was something more intimate brewing beneath the surface?
The Lyrics: Summer Fruits or Sensual Undertones?
A single glance at the chorus could leave one thinking, Isn’t that sweet? But these lyrics were engineered for ambiguity.
Take the repeated line, “Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening,” or even the title itself.
With that “summer evening” imagery, Styles presents more than just a craving for fruit – he’s evoking sensory memories, maybe even euphoric experiences tied to someone special.
Consider the repeated, mantra-like “Watermelon sugar high” in the chorus, along with the echo of “I just wanna taste it.”
These are not the words of someone only excited about fruit salad.
In fact, Styles, known for his coy relationship with the media, only fueled speculation by confirming (jokingly, or not) that the song referenced the female orgasm during a 2021 live concert.
He tossed out, “It’s also about the female orgasm – but that’s totally different,” practically daring his audience to read between the lines.
“Breathe Me In, Breathe Me Out”: A Closer Look at the Pre-Chorus
The pre-chorus introduces a shift, a moment of urgency, with lines like “Breathe me in, breathe me out, I don’t know if I could ever go without.”
The choice of words here is deeply intimate, as if Styles were inviting listeners into an intense, almost out-of-breath connection.
This is one of the song’s pivotal moments – where lighthearted summer fun starts blurring with a seductive experience.
Adding to this is the line, “Baby, you’re the end of June,” which might seem innocent, but in the context of the song, feels like a whispered secret.
The lyrics, as Styles himself described, are about “that initial euphoria of when you first start seeing someone,” but it’s more than that – it’s the thrill, curiosity, and slightly overwhelming energy of a new romance, cranked up to a watermelon-sweet intensity.
The Bridge: Echoing the Nostalgia
In the bridge, Styles doubles down on the dreamy feel, singing, “Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening, and it sounds just like a song.”
Here, he leans into that nostalgia fully, a nod to classic romance tropes.
But then he brings it back, making it more visceral with “I want your belly and that summer feeling,” a line that mingles the innocence of sunny days with the visceral pull of attraction.
The Video: Beach Bliss Meets ‘70s Aesthetics
The music video for Watermelon Sugar, directed by Bradley & Pablo, brings the song’s vibe into full, sun-soaked technicolor.
Filmed on a Malibu beach, it’s a hazy, sunlit fantasy where everyone is perpetually biting into juicy watermelon slices, posing, and vibing like it’s the last summer on earth.
Styles, with his retro outfits (think vintage Gucci), channels a 70s beach aesthetic – one that contrasts playfully with the intimate lyrics.
The visuals offer that carefree California glow but never reveal too much, leaving the lyrics to fill in the spicy details.
Cultural Impact: From Obscure Literary Reference to Pop Culture Phenomenon
Interestingly, the song title nods to Richard Brautigan’s surrealist novel In Watermelon Sugar.
Brautigan’s work, laden with peculiar imagery and dreamlike scenarios, explores utopian ideas and obscure symbolism, making it the perfect allusion for Styles, who seems to blend Brautigan’s eccentricity with his own brand of sensual mystique.
But if Styles’ nod to Brautigan sounds high-brow, the song’s actual impact has been nothing short of mass appeal, resonating across demographics.
Since its release, Watermelon Sugar has remained a cultural staple, a touchstone for every sunny season.
It’s become an Instagrammable phrase, a playlist must-have, and even a cultural commentary, with Styles taking on traditional masculinity and flipping it on its head with pastel outfits, nail polish, and lyrics that champion pleasure in a refreshingly unabashed way.
A Sweet Slice of Pop with Lasting Depth
If one thing’s for sure, Watermelon Sugar isn’t just another song about fruit – it’s a layered anthem for living in the moment, tinged with romance and crafted with just enough ambiguity to keep people guessing.
It’s both a summer hit and a subtle statement, wrapping deeper themes in a sunlit, sandy package.
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Harry Styles Watermelon Sugar Lyrics
Verse 1
Tastes like strawberries on a summer evenin’
And it sounds just like a song
I want more berries and that summer feelin’
It’s so wonderful and warm
Pre-Chorus
Breathe me in, breathe me out
I don’t know if I could ever go without
I’m just thinking out loud
I don’t know if I could ever go without
Chorus
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar
Verse 2
Strawberries on a summer evenin’
Baby, you’re the end of June
I want your belly and that summer feelin’
Getting washed away in you
Pre-Chorus
Breathe me in, breathe me out
I don’t know if I could ever go without
Chorus
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Post-Chorus
I just wanna taste it, I just wanna taste it
Watermelon sugar high
Bridge
Tastes like strawberries on a summer evenin’
And it sounds just like a song
I want your belly and that summer feelin’
I don’t know if I could ever go without
Chorus
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high (Sugar)
Watermelon sugar high (Sugar)
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high
Outro
I just wanna taste it, I just wanna taste it (Eh-eh-eh)
Watermelon sugar high
I just wanna taste it, I just wanna taste it (Ooh, yeah)
Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar
