He’s a man who, after being part of the most popular boy band this side of the millennia, can still convincingly seem like he’s bemused by his fame and wealth. The human embodiment of a chill night in, Niall projects affable, regular-guy energy, but in a more palatable way than, say, Ed Sheeran. Niall’s greatest charm, and the primary allure of his 2017 album Flicker, is instead seeming like an ordinary, likable guy. Winner: Flicker by Niall HoranĪs a member of One Direction, Niall was beloved - but not for being the band’s breakout star or its scene-stealing performer or even its biggest personality. Fine Line is the most adventurous and enjoyable of the One Direction members’ solo efforts, and it’s sure to convert even the most crotchety boy band skeptics into believers.
“Cherry” shines a light on the vulnerabilities of a seemingly invulnerable star and brings a touching depth to Harry’s music that was previously absent. Despite having built a career out of belting love songs, Harry has never before sounded this vulnerable in his music before. And on “Cherry,” his transportive and melancholy ode to an ex, listeners get a glimpse at genuine heartache from Harry. The lyrics of “Adore You” and “Watermelon Sugar” conjure images of summer fruits and summer loves, and both songs set the perfect soundtrack for encountering a crush at a party, or at least fending off seasonal depression. Harry released Fine Line at the end of last year, interrupting winter’s dreariness with bright, dancey songs about all-consuming yearning. And with his next, more experimental 2019 album, Harry takes all these elements of his identity a step further, securing his spot in the popular music landscape as a modern rock star. A brooding rock record filled with anecdotes about all the sex he has and heartbreak he’s felt, Harry Styles reintroduced Harry to the world as an indie songwriter, David Bowie fanboy, and charismatic lover. He was offbeat but cool, disheveled but sexy.Īnd in 2017, when he released his debut album named - what else? - Harry Styles, Harry established himself as worthy of all the hype from his years in the band. Ever since One Direction first stepped into the international limelight, interviews and press circuits saw that Harry was different from his fellow bandmates. Watching Harry emerge triumphantly, hair and culottes billowing, with the title of Most Popular and Critically Acclaimed Ex-One Direction Member is not unlike watching a long-awaited prophecy finally fall into place. Here’s how they stack up against each other and what each one tells us about who these boys are now that they’ve spent some time apart. (Harry and Zayn have each released two.) And there are some very clear winners and losers among them. Now that Louis Tomlinson has dropped his first solo album, every former One Direction member has released at least one solo project. Their solo albums, good or bad, reveal how each individual wants to reintroduce themselves to the public, and how they’re attempting the complicated leap from adolescent pop star to independent adult artist. It’s the first time any of them have recorded without each other, and the first time they’ve performed solo in front of an audience since being on The X Factor as teens. That is, until Zayn left the group in 2015 to embark on a solo career, and, a year later, the remaining band members announced an “indefinite hiatus.”įour years after One Direction announced its hiatus, each of the One Direction-ers have begun their own solo careers. Sam Ruttyn/Newspix/Getty Imagesįor those five years, the One Direction boys seemed like they were untouchable.
This photo of One Direction from 2012 illustrates exactly just how fast the night changes. And Louis? Hmm, well - Louis was also there. Zayn was quietly mysterious, while Liam was extroverted and jockish. Thanks to their individual quirks and calculated branding ploys, each boy quickly became an archetype for a different high school crush: Niall was the adorable friend, Harry the artistic boy next door. Over a span of five years, the group released five albums, did four world tours, broke numerous Billboard 100 music records (including ones previously only held by the Beatles), recorded a documentary, and even released a perfume.Īt the same time, the five members also became the basis of adolescent crushes and fervor for many years to come. While the group only placed third on The X Factor, their time on the reality show was just the beginning of their global takeover.
After auditioning as individual singers on the British musical competition The X Factor, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik were thrown together into a group by TV personality Simon Cowell in 2010. A decade - yes, a decade - ago, a teenage boy band by the name of One Direction was formed.