After much anticipation, former One Direction member Niall Horan released his album “Flicker” on October 20. The album has recently hit the top of the U.S. charts and already topped the charts in 61 other countries. The 13 track album has seemed to take the world by storm.
Horan is the third One Direction member to release an album, along with former band members Harry Styles and Zayn Malik. This album comes after the release of hit singles “This Town” and “Slow Hands.” Both of which debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. Horan took to Twitter to express how grateful he was for the album’s success, even mentioning his fellow bandmates and thanking them.
“Wow! Thank you so much. My mind is completely blown,” Horan said. “It’s been a crazy couple of years for me writing, recording and promoting this record. Today it feels like all the hard work has paid off. My band [has] been amazing. Traveling around on every [TV] show and every radio thing with me this year, helping me achieve this. Thank you and thank you again.”
While many, including Horan himself, were surprised about the album’s triumph, junior Ava Tuncer knew the album would exceed expectations.
“[The album was successful] because it’s not what people were expecting. It’s not [the] One Direction sound,” Tuncer said. “He wrote in a way that would be strong for his voice and for his sound. Plus he has loyal fans like me.”
Junior Noah Katcher also agrees that “Flicker” is unlike anything One Direction released.
“I think [Horan’s] album is good, it is different from One Direction,” Katcher said. “My favorite song [from the album] is probably ‘This Town.’ It is more alternative than the other One DIrection albums. The others seem more like pop.”
The top five songs on the album according to Spotify are “Too Much To Ask,” “Slow Hands,” “This Town,” “On the Loose” and “Flicker,” with each song already having over 4 million monthly listens.
Tuncer loves the quality and variety of the album and how it covers so many different topics.
“[The album is] amazing. It’s got a folk tune to it, but also some pop [songs]. There’s a duet which is amazing. He talks about a love he hasn’t forgotten and it gives a personal feel to the album. The songs actually mean something,” Tuncer said.
“Flicker” has been number one on the Billboard charts for the past week and it looks like it’s going to stay there with dedicated fans like Tuncer supporting Horan. With so much support for his solo career, what does this mean for the future of One Direction? What do you think of the album? Comment down below!
