Harry Styles assured fans that although One Direction is on an indefinite hiatus, he and his former bandmates have "a very deep love" for one another.
Speaking to Apple Music 1's Zane Lowe about his forthcoming album, "Harry's House," the Grammy winner reflected on his start in music.
"I feel really lucky that we always had each other," he explained of their shared experience in the spotlight as teenagers.
He added they operated as a "unit that felt like you could keep each other in check and you could just have someone else who gets it."
Calling his time with 1D "priceless," Styles continued, "I think there is very much a respect between all of us ... and that is something that you can't really undo."
The "As It Was" singer added he and his former bandmates still have "a very deep love for each other."
Looking ahead, Styles' new album, "Harry's House," arrives on Friday. "This is my favorite album at the moment, and I love it so much," he raved.
Saying he is "the most relaxed he ever felt" when it comes to releasing new music, he added, "I no longer feel like my overall happiness is dependent on whether a song goes here or goes here."
Part of his relaxation comes from putting up healthy boundaries and realizing his career doesn't define him -- it's the other way around. Part of that epiphany happened when Styles was unable to promote his sophomore album, "Fine Line," because of the pandemic.
"It was somehow more powerful for me because I kind of just got to watch it do its thing," he recalled. "By the time we went out touring, I'd finished this album and I got to play those songs with knowledge of what was next."
