#and also sing to 1d tunes to the top of his lungs

[messrsbyler]

modern au mike wheeler, fan of one direction, after classes are done, on his car, remembering how will smiled at other guys during the day: IS YOUR HEART TAKEN? I-IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE ON YOUR MIND? *twists volume almost all the way up* I'M SO SORRY I'M SO CONFUSED JUST TELL ME- *sobs and bites fist* AM I OUT OF TIME?!

lucas, on the passenger seat: there, there, buddy. let it all out *hands him handkerchief*

he should've, he should've, oh, he should've kissed him~

[watermelonlovershigh]

Earlier tonight i was driving and flipped through radio stations and landed on one song that had a very familiar tune but the voice was a bit weird. Then it took me 3 seconds to realize it was Story Of My Life by One Direction and Harry's singing part. I didn't recognize his voice at first because his voice was still a bit gravely in the first years of 1D (puberty voice changing). Anyways, i sung the song at the top of my lungs until it ended.

I flipped to another station when SOML ended and As It Was was playing. Also sung that at the top of my lungs.

[skaye33]

Flicker in Review

Niall Horan. The adorable little blonde leprechaun of One Direction fame has gone dark - both with hair choices and his lyricism. Since Flicker’s release on October 20rd, I’ve listened to it from start to finish at least twice. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I am obsessed. Niall’s vocal performance and his honesty shine through this album. So here we go!

On the Loose - This is a grand song. Please Niall tell me, will it be a single at some point?? I need this on the radio waves ASAP Rocky. Despite being nothing like the girl depicted in the song (she seems like a reincarnation of Hall and Oates’s infamous “Maneater”), I still enjoy it’s playfulness. It’s upbeat and poppy, different than so many of the other songs on the album, and yet still maintains the core of Niall’s honest songwriting.

This Town - This song was released over a year before the album. Can we just process that for a minute? Niall, fresh off the heartbreaking One Direction breakup hiatus, became the first of the remaining four 1Ders to release a single, and it broke hearts across the world, setting us up for the heartbreak of his eventual album. ONE YEAR LATER, and we were still hearing “This Town” all over. It was a plaintive song about an old love, and people across the world (including myself) could connect with the lyrics: “And I wanna tell you everything, the words I never got to say the first time around. And I remember everything, from when we were the children playing in this fairground. Wish I was there with you now.” We all have the “lost love”, the one that got away, the reason we avoid the local grocery store when we’re home for the holidays, for fear that we’ll run into them again. The universality of this song made it an instant hit, and Niall really set the bar high for his fellow 1D brethren.

Seeing Blind - Look at little Niall breaking into the US country scene! I LOVE this song. And this song re-introduced me to Maren Morris, which has been a beautiful thing this fall (if you haven’t already, listen to her album HERO while driving down a backroad lined with fall leaves - specifically “Bummin’ Cigarettes”, “Space”, and “80’s Mercedes”. Okay, shameless plug for Maren over). “Seeing Blind” is a love song, but a unique love song. It avoids the cliches and overused lyrics typically reserved for romantic duets, and the country vibes bring a new dimension to Niall that we haven’t seen. Personally, I am counting down the days to the Country Music Awards when I can see these two perform together live. AND I’m praying that Niall is inspired by the CMAs and decides to grant us with another country song in the future (who knows, maybe Niall will be the next Keith Urban??).

Slow Hands - SONG OF THE YEAR 2017. This song took everyone by surprise, even the sweet cherub that is Niall Horan. My sister is still at college (oh, to be young again), and claims that this gets played at every single party with everyone screaming all the words at the top of their lungs. It’s a banger that no one expected, especially from the ballad-y vibes Niall was putting off. Despite the line “sweat dripping off my dirty laundry” seriously affecting my OCD (seriously, how dirty are your clothes is sweat is literally dripping off them?), the song is amazingly fun. The summer was filled with electronic dance tunes and massive collaborations, but Slow Hands stood out like a breath of fresh air (just don’t inhale too much, you might get a whiff of the dirty laundry).

Too Much To Ask - RIP MY HEART. This song cuts deep, and after the success of “Slow Hands”, it was smart of Niall to release it as a single. It reminded listeners of the essence of the album, of the overall ~aesthetic~ Niall was going for. While still being massively popular, it brought fans down from the hype of “Slow Hands” and prepared them mentally for the vulnerability of Flicker. The song itself is really well done, with the only stumbling point being that Niall rhymes “asking” with “ask”. But we’ll forgive him, because he’s so charming.

Paper Houses - My second favorite song on the album (keep reading to find out my first favorite!). Paper is a big recurring theme on Flicker. Not sure if Niall just loves a good old 8.5x11 OR if he’s implying the fragility of paper (especially when held to a flickering flame - idk, but I think I’m going to go with the latter). Either way, I love the lyricism in this song. It cuts deep. Halfway through the album, Niall just continues to rip my heart in two. He cruelly reminds us of all of the weak foundations we’ve built relationships on, hitting a little too close to home for many a listener. But the ballad is beautiful, and he does kind of encourage us with this line: “We held our cards, built them high. But way too close to the light. So turn your head and let us go. I learned to breathe on my own.” If Niall can learn to breathe on his own, so can I (I repeat to myself aggressively as I’m lying in bed at night thinking of all my paper houses).

Since We’re Alone - This song is very reminiscent of John Mayer. From the lyric content to the wavering guitar sound, I feel like Niall was inspired by Continuum-era John and I am hear for it.

Flicker - RIP MY HEART TAKE TWO. Oh God why??? I was just doing my normal nightly scroll through Twitter when lo and behold, I stumbled upon a video of Niall singing hauntingly in an echo chamber. And my heart exploded. It was my first introduction to “Flicker” and I was not emotionally prepared. When the album came out, I had convinced at least six people to listen to it from start to finish throughout the workday. All came back to me saying “Flicker” was the saddest/best song on the album. My best friend that she had to run to the bathroom at work after it came on to avoid crying in front of her coworkers. It conjures up something special for each person who listens to it, something haunting and personal and nostalgic. It’s quite possibly a perfect song, and it makes total sense why Niall named his album after the track. I get emotional every time I listen to it, and I’ve listened to it twice while writing this, so I’m going to stop now and eat some leftover Halloween candy.

Fire Away - Niall, have you heard “Fire Away” by Chris Stapleton? 10/10 recommend. Okay, I’ll proceed. @ALL MEN listen to this song when your girl is going through a rough patch. Niall’s jazz-inspired crooning has ruined me for all other men. All I want in life is for Niall Horan to ask me what’s wrong. But alas, it’s not meant to be. So leave me alone with my thoughts while I listen to this song again.

You And Me - Another one with John Mayer vibes. I like to imagine Niall singing this to me as we embark on a roadtrip together. I really like this one, because it’s honest. It embraces the messiness of relationships, and the difficult balance between relational success and personal success. It’s a thin line, but Niall toes it well.

On My Own - This song is my absolute favorite on the album. When listening to promos and sound bites on Niall’s Twitter ahead of the album release (very obsessively, I admit), I was convinced that the titular track “Flicker” or the slower “Paper Houses” were going to take the number one spot in my mind. I’m a sucker for sad, slow ballads about painful relationships. However, I was taken by surprise when I heard “On My Own”. Maybe it’s the nod to Irish trad music that reminds me of my vacation to Galway. Maybe it’s the exciting possibility of marrying my bed, a thought I have way too often. In reality, I know why I love this song - up to this point in my life, I have been perpetually single. I’ve spent years lamenting this relationship status. However, fairly recently, I have been embracing it. I may be single, but I’m also having the time of my life at the ripe young age of 23. I am understanding that there may indeed be a cosmic meaning behind my perpetual singleness, and who am I to argue with the universe? Niall’s album solidified this notion in my brain - he made it okay to be single, to embrace the alone times, to own up to just being on my own. Thanks, mate!

Mirrors - I feel… I feel like Niall was writing about me when he sang this??? And I feel like a majority of his fans can relate to these lyrics, and that again just proves the power behind his writing. I think one of my biggest surprises on this album was how powerful and touching Niall’s lyrics are. I expected strong songwriting from other members of 1D; I never counted Niall out, I just never really had any expectations. But Flicker has really solidified his skill with the quill, and I found myself connecting with his lyrics again and again.

The Tide - A perfect ending to an amazing album. Ending on an upbeat, yet still wistful note, Niall talks about avoiding the tide pulling him away from his love. But in my mind, the receding tide is really representing the finale of the album. Niall is singing about how he wants to stay, he doesn’t want the tide to take him away from his 13 perfectly crafted songs, from his two years dedicated to this album. As the song fades out, I imagine a beach with the tide rolling out, a peaceful scene after a heartbreaking 47 minutes.

But here’s hoping the tide is rolling back in soon. I’m already counting down the days to Niall’s sophomore album.