With the loss of a member and drama with the decision of a break from the band in the near future, the boy band, One Direction, has brought themselves to a higher standard with their new album, Made in the A.M.
The first song released on this album was “Drag Me Down,” which was also their first song without member Zayn Malik, who left for his personal need of individualism. The song released on July 31 and soared to the top of the charts in Ireland, the UK, Austria, Australia and New Zealand. It was #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. You can watch the music video here.
“Hey Angel,” “Perfect,” “Temporary Fix” and “End of the Day” are the more upbeat songs on the album. Hey Angel is the intro song to the album, and has a good beat, but nothing in particular really stands out about the song to make it a pumped up intro. Perfect, which is rumoured to be about Taylor Swift who dated Styles in 2012, is written by Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.
Temporary Fix is only on the deluxe album and is about a one night stand. It shows the boys’ maturity since their first album, but this also takes away from the ‘One Direction’ that many fans first fell in love with in 2010. “End of the Day” is a bit annoying because of the awkward tempo change between the verses and the choruses.
Over half of the album fits into a more chill vibe for listeners. It doesn’t fit too far into pop, but doesn’t classify completely as alternative either. “Infinity” was released early, on Sept. 22, and was 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
“Never Enough” is a catchy tune. In the beginning of each verse line and the end of the chorus, “ooh” noises are played, which add to the catchiness, yet take away from the boys’ talent and the song itself because the sounds are obviously autotuned.
“History” has a swingy feel to it and is written to the fans. It is about all the history that the boys have with the fans, which is relevant because of their break after the next tour.
“Olivia” is a fan favorite because of the catchy decrescendo that goes ‘Oh I love you, I love you I love, I love, I love Olivia,’ which is repeated before every chorus. The song is written by Styles and sung mainly by him and Niall Horan. “A.M.,” “Walking in the Wind” and “Wolves” are all on the deluxe album. “A.M.” is written about how all the best conversations and memories come in the early hours of the morning, thus why the album was named Made in the A.M. The acoustics in this song show off the boys true talent. “Walking in the Wind” is thought to be the boys goodbye song to Malik. “Wolves” starts with a jazzy vibe, which is unusual for their boy band style, but works in this song.
The slower songs on the album are “Long Way Down,” “If I Could Fly,” “Love You Goodbye” and “I Want To Write You A Song.” Liam Payne describes “Long Way Down” as being about a relationship, but he says that the meaning is more focused on their break. If I Could Fly is about showing your true self to someone for “their eyes only.” “Love You Goodbye” had a personal connection to Tomlinson and is about seeing your ex again and the need for closure. “I Want To Write You A Song” is a simple and cute tune written about writing a song to someone that you love. The light guitar picking and the strings make this song a great listen.
Fans debate if Made in the A.M. is the boys best album yet, and there’s no sure verdict what the boys favorite is, but One Direction has made a comeback after some severe loses.
The HiLights
Rating: 3.5 stars
Album Title: Made in the A.M.
Release Date: 11/13/15
Cost: $14.99 (Deluxe
Download: Made In The A.M. (Deluxe Edition) One Direction