Fans lose their cool over Harry Styles' raunchy film clip

Styles is passionately embraced by men and women throughout the video. Photo / YouTube

Harry Styles has come a long way since One Direction.

The once squeaky-clean, baby-faced popstar is unrecognisable from the 17-year-old who stood on a beach in a checked shirt and slacks singing What Makes You Beautiful flanked by his clean-cut bandmates.

Dialling up the heat in the film clip for his latest single Lights Up, there'sbarely a shirt in sight, reports News.com.au.

Dropped today, the clip sees the 25-year-old star wedged among a crowd of half-naked bodies, all passionately embracing, his inked-up torso glistening with sweat.

And it's sent social media into a spin.

In other snippets from the clip, the popstar-cum-fashion icon is wearing a sparkly, pale blue chiffon shirt unbuttoned to reveal his chest, paired with light blue suspenders and 70s bell bottoms.

Styles spoke with Rolling Stone last month about the influences behind his forthcoming album Do You Know Who You Are?

"It's all about having sex and feeling sad," he told the publication.

He also spoke about the impact psychedelic substances had on the writing process.

"We'd do mushrooms, lie down on the grass, and listen to Paul McCartney's Ram in the sunshine. We'd just turn the speakers into the yard," he said.

I was not ready for this... #LightsUp @Harry_Styles pic.twitter.com/YMGmRv9b66

— maddy lee (@maddy64099991) October 11, 2019

I am deceased. @Harry_Styles#LightsUp pic.twitter.com/RzhmKoXpuY

— One Direction saved my life. (@kopal_HS) October 11, 2019

While many social media users have speculated the film clip — which features men and women kissing and touching in the background — is the singer's way of coming out as bisexual, the singer told The Sun last year that he refused label his sexuality.

"No, I've never felt the need to really," he said. "I don't feel like it's something I've ever felt like I have to explain about myself. It's weird for me — everyone should just be who they want to be. It's tough to justify somebody having to answer to someone else about stuff like that."

Styles has been quietly dating model Camille Rowe since July.

He's previously been linked to Tess Ward, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, and Taylor Swift.