Here’s the deal with Harry Styles and his new album, “Harry’s House.”

It has nothing to do with Olivia Wilde, and less to do with Joni Mitchell’s song, “Harry’s House.” So let’s dispel all that.

Harry is very likeable, full of fun, and a great pop star. He knows how to entertain an audience, and he has great fashion sense. On the Today show yesterday he was dressed like a barber pole with billowy sleeves.

But Harry is not a songwriter. His songs are cooked for him in a factory, not unlike most pop stars these days. He adds a few bars and puts his name on the credits. Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, and many others, have been doing that for years.

“Harry’s House” is full of familiar furniture. But as a Sony exec said to me recently, “The kids don’t know, and it’s okay.”

On his first two albums, Harry had a lot of borrowed riffs and melodies from the 70s. I called them out. No one cared.

With this “House,” the similarities to existing music are everywhere. “Late Night Talking” is a good single because it sounds a lot like Dua Lipa’s “Levitating.” (And listen, she’s being sued over that one anyway.) “As it Was” is a reminder of A-Ha’s “Take on Me.” The opening guitar of “Boyfriends” comes from Simon & Garfunkel’s “I Am a Rock.” The rest of it sounds like “Bookends.” On “Grapejuice,” you’ll find Paul McCartney’s “Let ‘Em In” speeded up. At least on “Daydreaming,” Styles and his crew give credit to Alex Weir, Quincy Jones and the Brothers Johnson. They couldn’t get away with that one.

Do I expect a totally original album of songs? Not anymore. It’s the third album. Does it matter? Not really. Styles is a sunny, pleasing performer. He’s harmless fun. He doesn’t have to be Simon or McCartney or Quincy Jones and Alex Weir, or even Dua Lipa. Every generation needs a good pop star with an optimistic outlook, a little sexy teasing, and tousled hair. So why not enjoy being a guest in “Harry’s House” for now? Anc maybe all these references will send kids to the originals, which is just fine.

Harry Styles is dropping his “Harry’s House” album at midnight.

All the songs are by Thomas Hull and Tyler Johnson, with, of course, a dash of Harry in the byline.

One of the songs, called “Daydreaming,” is a sample/cover/interpolation of a Quincy Jones/Brothers Johnson song from the 70s.

Another, called “Boyfriends,” is co-written by Tobias Jesso, who’s made his name with Adele.

Harry is a fun, very likeable pop star whose music sounds like something you’ve heard before, but you just can’t put your finger on it. His hit, “As it Was,” is a cousin of A-Ha’s old hit, “Take On Me.” And you know what? No one cares! “As It Was” has been a big hit in spite of that or because of that. Today Harry played the Today show in the pouring rain dressed as a barber pole. Everyone loved it.

So we wait for midnight. But “Harry’s House” — which is no reference to the Joni Mitchell song — is going to be a smash out of the box. If there were a box.

This is really beyond belief.

Lil Nas X is going to get the Hal David Starlight Award for writing songs from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Hal wrote the lyrics to almost all of the Burt Bacharach songs like “I Say A Little Prayer,” “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” “Walk on By,” “One Less Bell to Answer,” “Close to You.” “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” “A House is Not a Home,” and so on. Hal was a genius, a remarkable writer.

Lil Nas X, popular right now, wrote “Old Country Road,” “Montero,” and “Industry Baby.”

The Songwriters Hall of Fame should be ashamed of itself. It’s bad enough that Mariah Carey is getting an award as a songwriter on June 16th after her dozens of plagiarism settlements and complaints. But this is really the low point. There are so many great, real songwriters out there who have received no recognition from the Hall of Fame. How can anyone take this group seriously?

Lil Nas X, aka Montero Hill, is a hit singer right now, and his videos are certainly original. But his songwriting skills are lacking in so many ways, especially the lyrics,

You decide:

Hal wrote:

Lord, we don’t need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheatfields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh listen, Lord, if you want to know

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some, oh, but just for every, every, everyone

Lil Nas X wrote:

Uh, need to, uh
Need to get this album done
Need a couple number ones
Need a plaque on every song
Need me like one with Nicki now
Tell a rap nigga, “I don’t see ya”, ha
I’m a pop nigga like Bieber, ha
I don’t fuck bitches, I’m queer, ha
But these niggas bitches like Madea
Yeah, yeah, yeah (yeah)
Ayy, oh, let’s do it
I ain’t fall off, I just ain’t release my new shit
I blew up now everybody tryna sue me
You call me Nas, but the hood call me Doobie, yeah