On March 13, the One Direction band member dropped his sophomore solo album Heartbreak Weather, a genre-crossing journey of a relationship and its ups and downs. The 14-track album follows Horan’s chart topping solo debut, Flicker, released in 2017. Heartbreak Weather features previously released songs “Nice To Meet Ya”, “Put a Little Love On Me”, “No Judgement”, and “Black and White”. Leading up to the release, Horan had been teasing fans for months with playful advertisements, snippets of songs on social media, and a video where he played weathercaster Niall Storm to announce the official track list before finally releasing the record. Heartbreak Weather earned Horan his first Solo U.K. No. 1 album and also peaked at No. 4 on U.S. Billboard 200 and U.S. Rolling Stone Top 200.
Horan’s platinum-selling, No. 1 in the U.S. album Flicker was an acoustic folk-pop album filled with mostly slow, romantic songs. Heartbreak Weather represents major growth for the Irishman from his One Direction years and freshman album. Horan recently spoke with Billboard about his growth from 2017 saying,"In the last album I kind of half pigeonholed myself, because that was how I was feeling at the time - I picked up an acoustic guitar and wrote ballads, because that represented me and how I wanted to announce myself on to the music scene. You know we are talking about four years later now. I have grown as a person, and I feel more confident and I am raring to go. I think the music shows that off." And the music definitely does.
So, after listening to the album several times, here are the top 6 songs from Heartbreak Weather.
6. “Dear Patience”
Over his Instagram livestreams, Horan has frequently joked about his poor timing of releasing his album. Lyrics like, “Cause the last time that we talked seems like forever, and ever,” or, “Just me and the stars can get lonely,” make it understandable, as many may be feeling the same being in quarantine for an undetermined period of time. Horan performed the track on a Zoom call with Jimmy Falllon, explaining that he wrote the song at a time when he needed patience, which is evident as throughout the song he is pleading for patience to return to him. The beginning is filled with gentle finger-picked guitar and Horan’s vocals floating above. The song continues to swell and expand as it progresses, utilizing several instrumental layers before releasing into a stunning orchestral outro.
5. “Nice To Meet Ya”
The first single released from the album introduced Horan’s new 80’s rock style as opposed to his folk-pop as featured on Flicker. As a lead single, it was a stellar choice, showing off Horan’s vocals in a familiar but foreign way. It starts with a catchy piano riff, then quickly builds with a roaring bass line to a forte of his full dynamic band. The song is about a flighty lover that lingers in Horan’s mind, whom he can’t wait to see again. “Nice To Meet Ya’’ not only works well as a single, but also combines equally well in the context of the album.
4. “Black and White”
“Black and White” definitely brings the sound of the songs Horan sang in his One Direction years and is one of the more uplifting songs in the collection. Horan promises a lover in this song that he will love her for the rest of his life as he envisions a wedding scenario of the two of them wearing traditional black and white. Several guitars, combined with bouncy drums, highlight Horan’s vocal range and produce a song with a great driving force. The lyrics and medley mesh perfectly together, creating a song that is destined to be frequently played in weddings. Horan, too, seems to think highly of the track, and has stated that “Black and White” might just be his favorite on the record.
3. “Heartbreak Weather”
The title song of the album seems like the thesis would be a breakup anthem, but the funky 80’s pop intro quickly proves it to be optimistic and bright. The grooviness of the guitar and synth is quite compelling, blending nicely with the overarching message: life will get better. Horan’s days have been dull and sunless until he begins this new relationship, emphasized in the lyrics, “All of my life, it's been heartbreak weather/Thinking to myself it won't get better/It can be so lonely in this city/But it feels different when you're with me.” It’s very hard not to bop along to the tune, especially since it is so arena-friendly. “Heartbreak Weather” is an exceptional opener, effectively setting up the rest of the album’s narrative.
2. “No Judgement”
The final single released before the drop of the album is a sweet song of Horan promising his significant other that when she is around him, she doesn’t have to be anyone but herself. Horan adores everything about her, singing, “When you're with me, no judgement/You can get that from anyone else/You don't have to prove nothing/You can just be yourself.” Set to the tune of an electric guitar with some drums, the song achieves a tropical, up-beat feeling with a memorable melody, perfect to sway to.
1. “Still”
The closing track on an album is a culmination of the whole recording, wrapping everything up while leaving the listener with something to hold on to. “Still” does this exceptionally well as it carries the most emotional weight of all the songs, leaving the listener in a completely different state than at the end of the first track. The final track focuses on coming to terms with your feelings and having to be blunt and brutally honest with those you love. As Horan looks back on his relationship, he realizes his feelings towards his lover never changed, and he is still deeply in love. The bridge builds to a crescendo of vocals and instruments, bringing an uplifting and hopeful tone, as Horan sings, “Oh, we’ll be alright.” The song concludes by stripping down to just strings, an acoustic guitar, and Horan’s whistling, hopefully signifying him moving towards happier times. “Still” is a stunning masterpiece, acting as the perfect conclusion to the story depicted in Heartbreak Weather.
Overall Track List
Worth Listening To:
“Heartbreak Weather”
“Black and White”
“Dear Patience”
“Everywhere”
“Cross Your Mind”
“No Judgement”
“Nice To Meet Ya”
“New Angel”
“Still”
Enjoyable Background Music:
“Bend The Rules”
“Small Talk”
“San Francisco”
Skip:
“Put A Little Love On Me”
“Arms Of A Stranger”
Two additional tracks, “Dress” and “Nothing”, were released on the Target and Japanese Edition of the album. Horan has commented that they are included in the storyline of Heartbreak Weather.
Niall Horan was supposed to begin his ‘Nice To Meet Ya’ North American Tour with Lewis Capaldi on April 20, but it has since been postponed due to COVID-19. New dates have not been announced but it is set to happen in 2021.
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