by Conner Tighe
After One Direction’s breakup in 2016, Niall Horan made a name for himself, releasing his first individual album Flicker just a year later. The album put Horan’s unique talent into perspective as he displayed his emotion through music. He was able to show what he can do as a solo musician. Now, three years later, Horan has just released Heartbreak Weather, an album that chronicles his journey through life’s struggles and triumphs. The album differs from its predecessor. While Flicker was more on the positive end, Heartbreak Weather takes the opposite approach. The album doesn't uplift our spirits during recent events. Although the art is meaningful, it comes off a little dull at times.
Healing with music
While Flicker mainly focused on finding love and transforming into a one-man show, Heartbreak Weather tells a different story. With slower tempos and deeper meaning, this time around Horan details his rise and fall with love, which is something many of his fans can relate to. However, the album becomes dull and monotonous the more you listen. Horan fans deserve more from someone who has been through stardom this long.
With tracks such as “Black and White,” “Dear Patience,” and “Small Talk,” you have various tempos that show his highs and lows. Talking about heartbreak is nothing new in the music industry, and Horan can’t seem to expand beyond those barriers. “Nice to Meet Ya,” “No Judgement,” and “Heartbreak Weather” separate themselves from the rest of the lull, but unfortunately, it isn’t enough to make up for the rest of the album.
Horan and his heart
Still, don’t let the other tracks distract you from the real gem in this album. “Put a Little Love on Me” stands as the best track in this album by far. Although the song is slow, it says a lot about what this album is about.
Horan broke up with Hailee Steinfeld in December 2018 and first sang the track publicly in August 2019. According to MTV News, the track expresses the repercussions of heartache and moving forward. Horan said in an interview with The Sun, "It wouldn't be my album if it didn't have a sad, sad, sad ballad on it. … I'd just gone through a breakup and it was all very real. It was very easy to sit down at the piano and speak and see what happens."
Black and white in heartbreak
Although it’s not confirmed that Horan is talking completely about Steinfeld in Heartbreak Weather, it’s safe to assume that this album comes from pain that has been turned into something meaningful for Horan and his fans. The tracks all share a slow and patient journey of moving forward after something painful in life. Becoming whole again is not black and white; it’s a bunch of gray, and in this case, that is shown in slow, methodical pieces of music.
Top Tracks:
Put a Little Love on Me
Nice to Meet Ya
Still
Recommended if you like:
Shawn Mendes
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
Featured Image: Insider
