styles was raised in olmes Chapel, Cheshire, England, by his parents, Anne Twist and Desmond Styles. His parents divorced when he was seven years old; thereafter, he and his elder sister, Gemma, were raised by their mother. Styles made his start in music while a student at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School, where he was the lead singer of the band White Eskimo.

In 2010, encouraged by his mother, Styles auditioned for The X Factor. For the show, he performed a rendition of "Isn't She Lovely," by Stevie Wonder. After failing to advance, Styles was recalled and joined with Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan to compete as a group on the show. The five-member group subsequently became know as One Direction and ultimately took third place in the final round of the competition.