Heartbreak Weather
When Niall Horan became the third member of One Direction to release a solo album (2017’s *Flicker*), the Irishman revealed a refreshingly low-key sound bathed in acoustic guitars and Americana melodies. For his second effort, Horan emerges from his comfort zone and cuts loose musically. See the album’s first single “Nice to Meet Ya”—an unapologetic soft-rock anthem charting the thrill of meeting someone new on a night out, featuring handclaps, rolling piano, and the kind of swagger usually reserved for his associate Harry Styles. Elsewhere on an album exploring heartbreak in all its majesty (written following his own public breakup), Horan dissects a relationship’s demise on the string-laden tearjerker “Put a Little Love on Me,” documents moving on with someone else (“Arms of a Stranger”), and commends always being there for a loved one (the Sheeran-esque “No Judgement”). Horan may not have healed his heart by “Still,” the album’s moving outro (“I’m still in love with you/Oh, we will be all right”), but this former boy-band member has never sounded so good on his own.
When Niall Horan became the third member of One Direction to release a solo album (2017’s Flicker), the Irishman revealed a refreshingly low-key sound bathed in acoustic guitars and Americana melodies. For his second effort, Horan emerges from his comfort zone and cuts loose musically. See the album’s first single “Nice to Meet Ya”—an unapologetic soft-rock anthem charting the thrill of meeting someone new on a night out, featuring handclaps, rolling piano, and the kind of swagger usually reserved for his associate Harry Styles. Elsewhere on an album exploring heartbreak in all its majesty (written following his own public breakup), Horan dissects a relationship’s demise on the string-laden tearjerker “Put a Little Love on Me,” documents moving on with someone else (“Arms of a Stranger”), and commends always being there for a loved one (the Sheeran-esque “No Judgement”). Horan may not have healed his heart by “Still,” the album’s moving outro (“I’m still in love with you/Oh, we will be all right”), but this former boy-band member has never sounded so good on his own.
For his catchy but charmless second solo album, the pop singer offers a loose-concept record that explores every angle of a breakup through the most pitiful of conversation starters: the weather.
The former One Direction man's second solo album is a mixed bag, with moments of greatness butting up against moments of 'meh'
He’s still One Direction’s most likeable export, but Niall Horan struggles to define his musical identity on his shiny if haphazard second album
With his sophomore effort Heartbreak Weather, Irish singer/songwriter Niall Horan delves into the highs and lows of the titular heartache that comes in the wake of a breakup.
On the cover of his second solo album, Heartbreak Weather, Niall Horan is pictured standing on a chair outdoors in a lightning storm.