by The Cowl Editor on November 14, 2019
Music
by Anne DeLello ’20 A&E Staff
One Direction joined the ranks of boy bands whose members have gone their separate ways when the group split in 2015. Like other groups that have done so, all five former members of One Direction have decided to pursue solo careers.
Zayn Malik has enjoyed recent success by joining Shaed on their recent hit “Trampoline.” This is one of the first songs Malik has released since his album Icarus Falls in 2018. Malik also worked on a pop version of the song “A Whole New World” for Disney’s live action Aladdin remake.
Louis Tomlinson released his song “Kill My Mind” this year, with promises of more music to follow. According to Rolling Stone, Tomlinson stated, “The next few songs I have coming out fully represent me as an artist.” He continued, “This new song is me really being true to myself.”
Liam Payne has also produced some music beyond the boy band since the group has split up. He released a single “Stack It Up” which was co-written by Ed Sheeran, and features A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, who performed at Providence College’s Late Night Madness earlier this fall.
More recently, Niall Horan has come out with a recent hit titled “Nice to Meet Ya.” This recent hit follows his debut solo album Flicker released in 2017, for which he received an American Music Award for Best New Artist. “Nice to Meet Ya” is the first song to be released off Horan’s upcoming sophomore album.
Perhaps the artist that has made the biggest splash with his solo career as of late is Harry Styles. Styles released his song “Lights Up” which recently peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard charts. Vulture suggests that the song is something that One Direction may have come out with had they lasted together and says that the song is “packed with organic flourishes, guitars galore, gorgeous piano notes scattered over top of the bridge and chorus.”
This past week, Styles announced that he will be coming out with his sophomore album, Fine Line, to be released on Dec. 13. Along with the announcement, he has released the cover art for the album.
According to Rolling Stone, Styles went on to reveal that “much of his album was recorded over a six-week period in Rick Rubin’s Malibu-based Shangri-la studios with producers Tyler Johnson and Jeff Bhasker.”
Fans of Styles as a solo artist can look forward to this album and to his duel appearance as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live on Nov. 16, where he is sure to showcase his newest hit “Lights Up.”