Harry Styles: 'Dating Taylor Swift was a learning experience'

Harry Styles's much publicized relationship with Taylor Swift was a lesson in the perils of celebrity romance.

In 2012, when he was just 18 and still fairly new to stardom, the One Direction heartthrob sent the media into a frenzy when he was spotted walking with Taylor in New York City's Central Park.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the Sign of the Times singer has now opened up about how it felt to date one of the world's biggest pop stars.

"When I see photos from that day, I think: Relationships are hard, at any age. And adding in that you don't really understand exactly how it works when you're 18, trying to navigate all that stuff didn't make it easier," he sighed.

Harry, 23, whose romance with Taylor blossomed after they met at the 2012 Kids Choice Awards, reflects that at the time all he hoped for was a normal teenage relationship.

"I mean, you're a little bit awkward to begin with," he continued. "You're on a date with someone you really like. It should be that simple, right? It was a learning experience for sure. But at the heart of it - I just wanted it to be a normal date."

The pair broke up early in 2013, with fans speculating that a number of songs on Taylor's 2014 album 1989 were about their romance and subsequent split.

Harry claims to be in the dark about whether the tracks refer to their relationship, but says either way his ex's music is inescapable.

"I mean, I don't know if they're about me or not, but the issue is, she's so good, they're b**ody everywhere," he said.

And if Taylor, 27, has used their relationship for songwriting material, Harry says he has no complaints as he uses his own life to fuel his creativity.

"I write from my experiences; everyone does that. I'm lucky if everything (we went through) helped create those songs," he explained. "That's what hits your heart. That's the stuff that's hardest to say, and it's the stuff I talk least about. That's the part that's about the two people. I'm never going to tell anybody everything."

Harry released his first solo single, ballad Sign of the Times, earlier this month (Apr17), with a self-titled debut album due on 12 May (17).