"As It Was" is a song by English singer Harry Styles, released through Erskine and Columbia on 1 April 2022 as the lead single from his upcoming third studio album, Harry's House (2022). The song was written by Styles alongside the song's producers Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson.

"As It Was" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Styles' second chart-topping song, after "Watermelon Sugar". It also entered at the top of the UK Singles Chart, becoming his second number-one song there, after "Sign of the Times". Elsewhere, "As It Was" topped the charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Canada, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway and South Africa.

Harry Styles announced the title of his upcoming 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.[4][5] Five days later, he announced the title of its lead single as "As It Was", along with pictures of him in a "sequined, sleeveless red outfit" and its release date as 1 April 2022.[6][7][8] Simultaneously, posters bearing the lyrics "It's not the same as it was" and a picture of Styles sitting on a big ball popped up in various cities.[9] He released a teaser of the music video on 30 March, which included an "energetic drum beat" and a "sunny electric guitar riff", and depicted him in a red jumpsuit spinning in circles atop a motorised turntable.[10]

"As It Was" opens with Styles' goddaughter saying, "Come on Harry, we wanna say goodnight to you."[11] Music critics described the song as a guitar-driven synth-pop and new wave track, a noticeable shift from Styles' rock-oriented sounds.[12][13] Chris Willman of Variety noted that it takes heavy inspiration from Depeche Mode and A-ha, while also suggesting that it adopted a style similar to the Weeknd's 2019 single "Blinding Lights".[12] Lyrically, "As It Was" is rooted in personal transitions and depicts a feeling of loss and loneliness.[14] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone described the song as a "straight-from-the-heart cry that's also an irresistible dance-floor challenge."[3]