The same band that made us aware that we are beautiful is making us conscious of the place reserved in our hearts and iTunes libraries exclusively for boy bands. The new One Direction album, “Take Me Home,” was released last Tuesday and girls all over the world can hardly contain their excitement.
Songwriter, Ed Sheeran's, contributions add depth to lyrics
The contributions by British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran give the new album more depth. This added insight is favorable to their older and growing fan base, maturing the band’s sound. One song that displays the lyrical genius of Ed Sheeran is “Little Things,” the third track on the eagerly awaited album. “You'll never love yourself half as much as I love / You'll never treat yourself right darlin' / But I want you to / If I let you know I’m here for you / Maybe you'll love yourself like I love you.” And for those who don’t know, One Direction is an English-Irish musical group who found fame through the 2010 season of The X-Factor, a televised talent show. Their sound can be easily classified as bubblegum pop, which is appreciated among their female teen audience.
Lyrics like these make the listener feel beautiful and bring value to human imperfections. This is a rather deep message from a boy band that previously sang about staying up all night and listening to Katy Perry. This song extends the theme of beauty beyond status quo and lyrically illustrates the cliché “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Because of the band’s stunning harmonies, many female fans would love for that beholder to be a member of One Direction.
Songs are dance-friendly and uptempo
“They Don’t Know About Us” opens with a beautiful piano solo that not only surprises the loyal One Direction fan but fascinates the new listener. This track accentuates their fresh acoustic sound while maintaining an upbeat tempo. The collaboration of the ivories and echoing vocal harmonies is inspiring. Add in lyrics such as: “They don’t know about the up all nights / They don’t know I've waited all my life / Just to find a love that feels this right.” Together, these have the ability to shake the hopeless romantic out of the most devoted spinster.
On a lighter note, the ability for One Direction to charm with their lyrics is matched only by their ability to catch your attention with their uptempo, dance-friendly melodies. The song “I Would” forces you to sing unconventional lyrics into every object that could slightly resemble a microphone. With the release of this cheery song don’t be surprised to hear lyrics such as, “Feels like I'm constantly playing a game that I'm destined to lose / Cause I can't compete with your boyfriend / He's got 27 tattoos” belted from the dormitory halls.
The British heartthrobs do a fine job fulfilling the boy band description: they are easy on the eyes, have solid vocal harmonies and make each listener feel as if they are the most beautiful human being on the planet. ‘N Sync and Backstreet Boys can put their skin tight shirts to rest knowing their legacy is being wonderfully preserved through One Direction’s latest album, “Take Me Home.”
