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"Matilda" is a song by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles, from his third studio album Harry's House (2022). The song was written by Styles, Thomas Hull, Tyler Johnson and Amy Allen, while production was handled by Kid Harpoon and Johnson.

Background

Harry Styles announced the title of his third studio album as Harry's House on 23 March 2022, unveiling its artwork, a 40-second trailer and the album's release date as 20 May 2022.

In an interview with Zane Lowe after the album's release, Styles spoke about the title and why he wrote the song:

"I had an experience with someone where, in getting to know them better, they revealed some stuff to me that was very much like 'Oh, that's not normal, like I think you should maybe get some help or something.'This song was inspired by that experience and person, who I kind of disguised as Matilda from the Roald Dahl book. I played it to a couple of friends and all of them cried. So I was like, 'Okay, I think this is something to pay attention to.' It's a weird one, because with something like this, it's like, 'I want to give you something, I want to support you in some way, but it's not necessarily my place to make it about me because it's not my experience.' Sometimes it's just about listening. I hope that's what I did here. If nothing else, it just says, 'I was listening to you'".

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise being given to its lyrical content. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone described it as the "centerpiece of the album".

Commercial performance

Following the release of its parent album Harry's House, "Matilda" entered at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 dated 4 June 2022, becoming one of the four top-ten entries; the others being "As It Was", "Late Night Talking" and "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" which peaked at numbers one, three and eight, respectively.

Charts

Certifications

References

1. Stewart, Frances (20 May 2022). "The Subject Of Harry Styles' "Matilda" Might Not Know It's About Them". Bustle.
2. DeVille, Chris (23 March 2022). "Harry Styles Announces New Album Harry's House". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
3. "Everything you need to know about Harry Styles' song 'Matilda'". Coupdemain. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
4. "Why Harry Styles' "Matilda" Is Resonating With Everyone". Nylon.
5. Sheffield, Rob (May 20, 2022). "'You Can Let It Go': Why Harry Styles' 'Matilda' Is His Heartbreak Masterpiece".
6. "Harry Styles Returns to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 With 'As It Was,' Debuts 3 Songs in Top 10". Billboard. May 31, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
7. Montgomery, Daniel (June 13, 2022). "'Matilda' is the best song on Harry Styles's 'Harry's House' according to fans, but where do the others rank? [Poll Results]".
8. "Harry Styles – Chart History (Argentina Hot 100)" Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Singles for Harry Styles. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
9. "Harry Styles – Matilda". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
10. "Harry Styles – Matilda" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
11. "Harry Styles Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
12. "Harry Styles – Matilda". Tracklisten. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
13. "Harry Styles – Matilda" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
14. "Harry Styles Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
15. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
16. "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
17. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
18. "Harry Styles – Matilda". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
19. "Harry Styles – Matilda". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
20. "Harry Styles – Matilda". VG-lista. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
21. "Harry Styles – Matilda". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
22. "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100 Week 21-2022". The Official South African Charts. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
23. "Harry Styles – Matilda" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
24. "Harry Styles – Matilda". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
25. "Harry Styles – Matilda". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
27. "Harry Styles Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
28. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
29. "Brazilian single certifications – Harry Styles – Matilda" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
30. "Canadian single certifications – Harry Styles – Matilda". Music Canada. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
31. "New Zealand single certifications – Harry Styles – Matilda". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
32. "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 October 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Matilda in the search box.
33. "British single certifications – Harry Styles – Matilda". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
34. "American single certifications – Harry Styles – Matilda". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 21 June 2023.

• 2022 songs
• Harry Styles songs
• Songs written by Harry Styles
• Songs written by Kid Harpoon
• Songs written by Tyler Johnson (musician)
• Songs written by Amy Allen (songwriter)
• Song recordings produced by Kid Harpoon
• Song recordings produced by Tyler Johnson (musician)