From Mullingar all the way to ‘Heaven’ – 5 tracks from Niall Horan’s career to date

A quick look at Mullingar’s Wikipedia tells us that tinware is considered to be the main export of the ‘city’.

 

So – that’s two inaccuracies in one succinct sentence.

 

And that’s no disrespect to the beautiful town of Mullingar, but its largest export – by a proverbial country mile – has to be Niall Horan.

 

The ex-One Direction member, and now a platinum-selling solo artist, has given the capital of county Westmeath its’ highest cultural stock since Joe Dolan.

 

Horan was one-fifth of the group which placed as runner-up on X Factor’s seventh season in 2010.  Although, it’s fair to say that sentence doesn’t quite do justice to the monolithic pop culture tour-de-force One Direction were from moment one.

 

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 in 2017, and then with Heartbreak Weather in 2020.

 

Now, Horan has announced news of his highly anticipated third LP The Show, which is due for release on June 9th.

 

With that in mind, we thought it’d be nice to take a quick look back at Horan’s career to date, and talk through five songs that helped establish him as the pop giant he is today.

Any meander through the career of a 1D alumni would be remiss without paying its respects to a true pop culture titan. ‘Perfect’ is taken from One Direction’s last LP Made in the AM, which was released in 2014.

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

There’s 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’s been receiving a lot council from friend Katy Perry.

Niall Horan’s debut solo single ‘This Town’ 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.

‘This Town’ was quite successful commercially. It peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100, 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.

The lead single from Horan’s debut LP Flicker came in the form of ‘Slow Hands’, a pop giant which peaked at 11 in the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a marathon 31 weeks on the same chart.

‘Slow Hands’ is a rock-infused mid-tempo radio-friendly anthem, with melodies as infectious as they are masterfully crafted. Musically, it took a strong influence from the 80s, with Horan himself stating ‘’I’ve been inspired by that heavy bass and the funky guitar sound. It’s another flavour to my album.”

Put A Little Love On Me’ is the lead single from Horan’s 2020 LP Heartbreak Weather. The song is a power ballad that showcases Horan’s impressive vocal range and emotive delivery. Musically, ‘Put a Little Love on Me’ has a simple yet powerful production that centers around the piano and Horan’s vocals. The song’s delicate melody and heartfelt lyrics draw listeners in, creating an intimate and emotional listening experience.

The track was a commercial success, being a top 40 single in Ireland, Australia, and the UK.

So here we are, at the present day. Well, to be specific – February 17th. ‘Heaven’ is the first single from Horan’s forthcoming album The Show.

 

The artistic growth is immediate and apparent. ‘Heaven’ feels instantly recognisable as an artist approaching the peak of his creative powers. With nearly 5 million streams on YouTube alone in little over a month, it’s clear his fans feel the same way. Roll on June 9th.

The Show is out on June 9th.