Hold Up, Is That Actually Nicholas Galitzine Singing in ‘The Idea of You’?
Harry Styles, who?
Prime Video’s totally-not-a-Harry-Styles fanfic The Idea of You is currently topping the streaming charts, largely thanks to the chemistry between its two leads, played by Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. In the movie, Galitzine plays boy bander Hayes Campbell, but did he actually sing for the soundtrack?
Director Michael Showalter’s latest rom-com is currently taking the internet by storm, becoming one of the most talked-about films of 2024 thus far (sorry, Dune: Part Two—your time is up). Is it because of the 20-year age gap between its central couple, Solène and Hayes? Is it the meme-worthy dialogue (i.e. “I’ve been dying to go to Glendale”)? Or what about the fact that author Robinne Lee allegedly wrote the story as a Harry Styles fanfiction before it was reimagined as a novel, then a movie?
Well, it’s hard to say, but there’s no denying that we’re in the throes of a rom-com renaissance these days. The Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell-fronted Anyone But You scored big at the global box office last year, while Lindsay Lohan’s Irish Wish garnered plenty of discourse online … little of which was positive, to say the least. Still, the rom-com revival is in full effect, with cheesy, low-stakes stories like The Idea of You leading the charge. And yeah, say what you will, but the trailer shattered records with a whopping 125 million views following its release in March, and so far, it seems like the movie is following suit.
However, not all of The Idea of You hype strictly pertains to Anne Hathaway’s frazzled single mom character, Nicholas Galitzine’s glistening six-pack, or their steamy sex scenes. Funnily enough, a lot of the talk surrounding the film is actually about the fictional boy band August Moon, of which Galitzine’s Hayes Campbell is the frontman of sorts. The group certainly shares some DNA with One Direction, with Robinne Lee even (begrudgingly) admitting that Harry Styles was the inspiration behind Hayes Campbell. And yeah, if you’ve seen the movie, the similarities are pretty obvious. Patchwork tattoos? An almost distractingly raspy voice? An affinity for older women? It all adds up. #1D4ever.
Upon the release of The Idea of You, August Moon’s songs quickly shot up the Spotify listening charts. According to Forbes, the boy band amassed well over 686,000 monthly listeners on the platform thanks to catchy tracks like “Dance Before We Walk,” “Closer,” and “Taste,” all of which have passed the half-million play milestone in a matter of mere days. Four of August Moon’s songs even landed a spot on the top 100 on the U.S. iTunes chart, a seriously impressive feat for a musical group that’s not even real.
Does Nicholas Galitzine sing in The Idea of You?
Yes, that’s really Nicholas Galitzine singing! Rolling Stone confirmed the news in a recent interview with the Red, White & Royal Blue star, where he revealed that he did, in fact, belt out bops including “Guard Down” with the help of writer/music producer Savan Kotecha. Turns out Galitzine is just as good at playing a real-life pop star as he is being a romantic lead! His fellow boy banders—played by Raymond Cham Jr., Viktor White, Dakota Adan, and Jaiden Anthony—are all professional dancers, singers, models, and actors in their own rights, meaning there’s some serious star power going on here. Tour, when?!
It’s worth noting that songwriters Kotecha and Carl Falk worked with One Direction in their early days during the recording of their debut album “Up All Night” and its follow-up, “Take Me Home,” so you’re not wrong for picking up on some strong 1D vibes. Galitzine told Backstage in a profile published earlier this month that he would “jump at” the opportunity to reunite with his August Moon band members for an IRL concert, which is about the closest thing to a One Direction reunion we may ever get.
Although the odds seem slim to none that we’ll get an August Moon tour anytime soon, here’s hoping we can hear Galitzine showcase his vocal talents in future projects. A 1D biopic, perhaps? For now, however, audiences can catch The Idea of You streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
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