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Nine songs to remember nine years of One Direction
With the ninth anniversary of One Direction celebrated on July 23, here is a playlist to remember the boys by.
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One Direction members Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles (left to right) attend the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium Theatre on November 13, 2014. (AFP/Yui Mok)
F
ive boys from England and Ireland were put together on July 23, 2010, in a group by music mogul Simon Cowell in an episode of The X Factor. One Direction went on to win third place in the British competition series, but they also went on to being one of the most popular groups in history.
Consisting of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, One Direction released five albums, a live concert film, performed four world tours and won nearly 200 music awards in a span of six years.
In March 2015, Malik left the group and One Direction took an indefinite hiatus the following year. All members have since enjoyed solo success.
In their heyday, One Direction was beloved mostly by teenage girls and their music was frequently considered as bubblegum, teen pop. More cynical ones would say the songs were manufactured, concoctions of sugary pop made for the industry. But with five albums, the group also showed growth along with the influences of classic rock, folk and a fine pop sensibility.
On Twitter, #9YearsOfOneDirection has been trending worldwide with fans reminiscing the old days with photos and videos. If you’re a fan, let’s take a stroll down memory lane with these less obvious hits. If you’re not, these numbers may change your stance.
Read also: Harry Styles, ever the showman
1. “Stockholm Syndrome” (Four, 2014)
An electro-pop and synth galore. Some would say the song seems to bathe in the spirit of Tears for Fears.
2. “What a Feeling” (Made In The A.M., 2015)
The song that would make Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac proud. The twirling harmony in the chorus is nothing short of magic.
3. “No Control” (Four, 2014)
Electrifying and pulsating with desire, the song was born for Tomlinson to shine with his unique timbre.
4. “C’mon, C’mon” (Take Me Home, 2012)
The soaring chorus, the boys’ harmony, the irresistible charm; it’s the perfect PG-13 feel-good song.
5. “Olivia” (Made In The A.M., 2015)
In what seems to be a homage to The Beatles, the song is filled with quirky notes and delightful parts played by an orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studio.
6. “One Thing” (Up All Night, 2012)
After the first single “What Makes You Beautiful” stormed the world, the utterly catchy “One Thing” cemented the group’s position as the number one boyband at the time.
7. “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” (Four, 2014)
The slick keyboard and the vocals ranges offer a slice of hair bands in 2014. One Direction performed the song live in December that year on The X Factor with none other than The Rolling Stones’ member Ronnie Wood.
8. “Little Black Dress” (Midnight Memories, 2013)
The song that gives you no break from the beginning and pulls you in deeper as it goes. It was one of the early signs of the group’s departure from the saccharine pop that dominated the first two albums.
9. “Don’t Forget Where You Belong” (Midnight Memories, 2013)
With a snippet of the boys’ lives on tours (“Living out of cases, packing up and taking off/…Don’t forget where you belong, home”), it also became an anthem for the fans as they associate One Direction with “home”. (wng)
