Stars: 5/5
Niall Horan proves he’s here to stay with his new album “Heartbreak Weather.”
One Direction’s blonde heartthrob is on his own now and proving himself through his solo career. I love the visuals and promotional efforts for this album, and really enjoyed Horan’s first album so I was excited to hear this one.
We start off the album with the title track “Heartbreak Weather” which has clever lines and an upbeat, feel-good sound that matches Horan’s personality.
Even though Horan is now on his own, I feel like some of the songs on this album give me One Direction vibes. “Black And White” is one of them, with its catchy pop sound and hopeful lyrics.
We then hear “Dear Patience” and “Bend The Rules” which showcases the singer’s vocals in different ways.
“Small Talk” is one of my favorites from the album and also possibly has a lyrical nod to fan favorite One Direction songs “Wolves” and “What A Feeling” with the lyrics “like wolves, we’ve run wild” and “we’re walking on wire.” This could be a coincidence, my Directioner heart just couldn’t ignore it.
Next on the album is “Nice To Meet Ya,” the first single and song from this new era. I love this song. It’s a feel-good song that again matches Horan’s fun energy and makes you want to dance every time you hear it.
Then things slow down with “Put A Little Love On Me,” the second song we heard from the album. It fits well with the rest of the album and is a nice ballad for the singer that is slightly different than his previous slow songs in a good way.
“Arms Of A Stranger” has more of a pop rock sound, and “Everywhere” and “Cross Your Mind” are fun upbeat songs. All three of these songs give me One Direction vibes, and I’m not mad about it.
The fun continues with “New Angel,” which I started dancing to as soon as the song came on. It’s a groovy pop tune that is a great addition to the album. “No Judgement” was the third song we heard from the album, and I still love it.
“San Francisco” is a nice, chill song, and “Still” is vulnerable and magical. Its power is in its simplicity, and its truly a beautiful song to end the album with.
I really enjoyed Horan’s debut album when it first came out, and I still do. I didn’t know how this one would compare, but I think this was a great next step for Horan and has songs that will elevate his sound and career.
If you liked his first album, I think you’ll like this one, and if you didn’t, I think you’ll like it as well. There’s a little bit more of an electric pop sound to this album rather than the more folk sound of the first album “Flicker.”
I was expecting the album to be good, but it somehow still exceeded my expectations. I tried picking a favorite, and it was too hard to do, but right now “Small Talk,” “Still” and “Everywhere” are my top three picks.
Horan is going on tour with Lewis Capaldi this year, and I’d honestly kill to go. After all this craziness is over, let’s pray they’ll announce some more tour dates and come on down to the south. Until then, I’ll be jamming out in my room.