One Direction’s Niall Horan Solo Single ‘This Town’ Is A Hauntingly Romantic Folk Ballad
One Direction’s Niall Horan released a solo single, completely surprising fans. While the world thought Niall hadn’t even started on his solo pursuits, he was coming up with an incredible folk ballad, and Horan also has an album on the way.
“This Town” is a wistful, misty romantic ballad full of bittersweet loneliness. It is guaranteed to melt the hearts of those missing Niall. Accompanying himself with a soft and simple guitar melody, Horan offers up his sweet voice. The song showcases a side of Niall’s heart and soul fans could have only glimpsed in 1D.
One Direction’s Niall Horan released “This Town” to reach out to fans. In a way, it is a love ballad just for his millions of girls. It is Niall’s way of saying he misses them. Horan told Sirius XM he was working hard on his album, but wanted to give this song to fans, as a sort of promise for more to come.
“I wanted to kind of let people know that I was up to something so they didn’t think I’d just fallen off the face of the earth. That’s the only song that’s actually fully finished.”
One Direction’s Niall Horan has created a deeply moving folk ballad, and while the rest of the album may be more complex, the song seems to be an excellent introduction to a more mature Horan sound.
“This Town” has a sweet melody and warm gentle lyrics that shows an evolution in Niall who has been deepened by his world travels. The song was written soon after his return from the eight-week backpacking expedition in East Asia. Horan told York Region the trip “normalized” him.
“Backpacking trip kind of normalized my life, I supposed. I didn’t get asked for photos anywhere. When you’re in tourist spots, no one expects you to be there. So it was kind of like, I kept my hat on, kept my sunglasses on, kept my head down, did all the usual tourist stuff in Southeast Asia with a rucksack on my back. I definitely learned a lot on that trip.”
One Direction’s Niall Horan went, early in the hiatus, on a backpacking journey to see the world with some old friends. When Niall came back, he must have written this before hitting the golf course. Niall Horan has also spent a good portion of his break playing golf, which he is apparently quite good at.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIzxVXsTkTk
Niall Horan wrote “This Town,” out of some wistful emotions stirred on that trip and his subsequent return to London. The lyrics show depth and emotional maturity, and the melody captures the very spirit of folk.
Strangely, “This Town” it is more like Appalachian folk than Irish, though the genres are strongly related. Those familiar with the American version of the genre can almost smell the misty mountain air of the Smokey Mountains just listening. The sound is simplistic, honest, natural, and warm.
One Direction’s Niall Horan told Sirius XM he had not had much time for romance in his busy life. Perhaps that is the real underlying spirit of the song. The yearning for someone, the loneliness of it all is palpable.
“[My love life is] nonexistent, currently. I’ve been busy sitting in the studio, so I haven’t had time for that.”
“This Town” varies from One Direction music considerably. The only similarity there is Niall’s sweet voice, but even that comes through sweeter in this lovely ballad. While Niall has said he was strongly influenced by Bob Dylan, his delivery and his content is far sweeter, gentler, and the melody far more haunting than anything Dylan ever sang. Horan has the perfect voice for folk.
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One Direction’s Niall Horan wrote these bittersweet lyrics that speak of love lost after the breakup of childhood sweethearts in a small town. Everywhere he goes he is confronted with his memories of her. The singer’s heart is broken over and over seeing his former lover, or just her shadows in his mind’s eye.
“This Town” is haunting in its simplicity and has a timeless musical feel. It could have been written fifty or even a hundred years ago. While this song obviously comes from a place in Niall Horan’s very soul, he inferred it was not stemming from a personal experience with any one girl.
One Direction’s Niall Horan released the hauntingly lonely “This Town” single because he misses his fans and wanted to say hello.
[Featured Image by Andrew Redington/Getty Images]
