Niall Horan may not be the most recognizable member of now-defunct One Direction, but the 23-year-old Irish singer has beat his former bandmates Harry and Liam to the punch in his solo music career, releasing a surprise single on Thursday to the absolute delight of devoted Directioners. “This Town” is a lush, guitar-forward ballad in the vein of the band’s earlier tearjerkers (“Little Things,” anyone?), with hints of Ed Sheeran in the small-town storytelling of the lyrics.
“Because if the whole world was watching I’d still dance with you / Drive highways and byways to be there with you,” Horan croons sincerely, and a legion of fans fall at his feet. Now we await his next move: just last night, fellow teen heartthrob Shawn Mendes confirmed the two were working on a collaboration. Listen below.
- For People With Disabilities, Losing Abortion Access Can Be a Matter of Life or Death
- Inside the Clandestine Efforts to Smuggle Starlink Internet Into Iran
- How to Help the Victims and Community After the Monterey Park Shooting
- The Biggest Snubs and Surprises of the 2023 Oscar Nominations
- Talking Less Will Get You More
- Kamala Harris Subtly Emerges as Powerful White House Asset
- How Avatar: The Way of Water Became the 6th Movie in History to Make $2 Billion
- Is There Really No Safe Amount of Drinking?
- How Our Cells Strategize To Keep Us Alive
