A quick look at Mullingar\u2019s Wikipedia tells us that tinware is considered to be the main export of the \u2018city\u2019.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So – that\u2019s two inaccuracies in one succinct sentence.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s no disrespect to the beautiful town of Mullingar, but its largest export – by a proverbial country mile – has to be Niall Horan.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The ex-One Direction member, and now a platinum-selling solo artist, has given the capital of county Westmeath its\u2019 highest cultural stock since Joe Dolan.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Horan was one-fifth of the group which placed as runner-up on X Factor\u2019s seventh season in 2010.\u00a0 Although, it\u2019s fair to say that sentence doesn\u2019t quite do justice to the monolithic pop culture tour-de-force One Direction were from moment one.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When the band inevitably split up in 2015, Horan set out to chart his own course through contemporary pop music. First with the release of Flicker<\/em> in 2017, and then with Heartbreak Weather <\/em>in 2020.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now, Horan has announced news of his highly anticipated third LP The Show, <\/em>which is due for release on June 9th.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With that in mind, we thought it\u2019d be nice to take a quick look back at Horan\u2019s career to date, and talk through five songs that helped establish him as the pop giant he is today.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"Ho32Oh6b4jc","facebook_video":"","video_caption":" 1. One Direction – \u2018Perfect\u2019<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":" Any meander through the career of a 1D alumni would be remiss without paying its respects to a true pop culture titan. \u2018Perfect\u2019 is taken from One Direction\u2019s last LP Made in the AM, which was released in 2014.<\/p>\n The track was a commercial success, reaching the top 10 in multiple countries worldwide. In the United States, it debuted at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band’s fifth top 10 single on the chart. The song also reached the top 10 in the UK, Australia, Canada, and several other countries<\/p>\n There\u2019s a bit of Jungian synchronicity at play here too, as Horan recently joined The Voice as a judge. According to a recent interview with the Irish Daily Star – he\u2019s been receiving a lot council from friend Katy Perry.<\/a><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"ic1l36GrNOU","facebook_video":"","video_caption":" 2. Niall Horan – \u2018This Town\u2019<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":" Niall Horan’s debut solo single \u2018This Town\u2019 was released in 2016, almost a year after One Direction announced their hiatus. The song was a departure from the upbeat pop sound that Horan had become known for with the band, and showcased a more stripped-back and personal side to his music.<\/p>\n \u2018This Town\u2019 was quite successful commercially. It peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100<\/em><\/a>, and it also charted in the top 20 in several other countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia. The single was certified Platinum in the US, Canada, and Ireland, and its music video has amassed over 75 million views on YouTube.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"nBmNcLBaPUE","facebook_video":"","video_caption":" 3. Niall Horan – \u2018Slow Hands\u2019<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":" The lead single from Horan\u2019s debut LP Flicker<\/em> came in the form of \u2018Slow Hands\u2019, a pop giant which peaked at 11 in the Billboard Hot 100<\/a> and spent a marathon 31 weeks on the same chart.<\/p>\n