If you’ve been living in this world for more than six months, you are most certainly aware of the tragedy that struck this past March: Zayn Malik quit One Direction. As 1D is the most successful boyband of the last decade, it was hard to understand how Zayn could ever do such a thing, and how the band would carry on. Would shows be cancelled? Twitter accounts deleted? One Direction left as only a misty memory of our teenage years? Thankfully, though, the four remaining members, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson, decided to carry on and release one last album before taking a well-deserved break. Will this hiatus become a permanent separation? Probably. Am I upset about it? Let’s not go there right now.
The band’s fifth studio album, “Made In The A.M.,” was released on November 13 following the release of a few singles, including the hit “Drag Me Down.” I’ve had some time to reflect on the masterpiece album, and am breaking it down track-by-track.
“Hey Angel” — As a breezy intro to their new sound, “Hey Angel” is a Coldplay-esque opener to the album. Though admittedly it is not my favorite on the album, it is starkly different from the 1D we are used to, and can definitely hang.
- Standout Lyric: “Hey angel, do you look at us and laugh when we hold onto the past?”
“Drag Me Down” — 10/10 would recommend. Need I say more? When this song dropped in the middle of the night this summer I’m pretty sure all of the world’s problems were solved and Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling got back together or something. With it’s dark sound and hypnotic melody, it is hard not to love this song.
- Standout Lyric: “All these lights, they can’t blind me. With your love nobody can drag me down.”
“Perfect” — If this post didn’t tell you anything about my pop culture tendencies, let’s take a hot second to gush over how similar “Perfect” is to Taylor Swift’s “Style.” WE SEE YOU HARRY.
- Standout Lyric: “If you like cameras flashing every time we go out, and if you’re looking for someone to write your break-up songs about, baby I’m perfect.”
“Infinity” — Be still my fangirl heart. “Infinity” may or may not be the perfect representation of just how far these four boys have come in the past five years. Lyrically and vocally, this song is unreal.
- Standout Lyric: “How many nights have you wished someone would stay? Lay awake only hoping they’re okay. I’ve never counted all of mine, if I tried I know it would feel like infinity.”
“End of The Day” — *Matthew McConaughey voice* Alright alright alright we’re jammin’ again. Enough of that sad stuff, I’m too fragile. “End of The Day” has an anthem feel to it with a heavy backbeat and soaring melodies that will have you singing along by the time the third chorus rolls around.
- Standout Lyric: “You want what you want and you say what you say — And you’ll follow your heart even though it’ll break sometimes.”
“If I Could Fly” — Oh, great. Back to sad stuff. No thank you, Satan [JK please, go on and never stop]. Penned by Harry Styles [K.], “If I Could Fly” is a heartbreaking tribute to the emotional rollercoaster that is being in a long-distance relationship. Let’s just say if this song was around the day Zayn left the band, I would’ve needed a lot more tissues.
- Standout Lyric: “I’ve got scars even though they can’t always be seen. Pain gets hard, but now you’re here and I don’t feel a thing.”
“Long Way Down” — In typical One Direction fashion, in “Long Way Down,” the boys croon on about heartbreak and the recovery period that follows a break-up. It is acoustic guitar-based with pristine harmonies that could easily be the follow-up to the early 1D hit “Gotta Be You.”
- Standout Lyric: “I try to forgive you but I’m struggling cause I don’t know how. We built it up so high and now I’m fallin’ — it’s a long way down.”
“Never Enough” — Though this song has an odd sound at first listen, I find “Never Enough” to be stuck in my head more often than the other songs on the album. It’s a mix of straight-laced pop and this weird rock / electronica thing that might be confusing at first, but after a second chance I promise you’ll be vibing.
- Standout Lyric: “Want to pull an all nighter and turn into something we’ll never forget. Wanna stay up and party the weekend away and not know when to quit.” [See you at the Blend next weekend, 1D?]
“Olivia” — With it’s Beatles-inspired melody and orchestration, “Olivia” is definitely a fan favorite on “Made in the A.M.”. Everything about this song is perfect — from the lyrics to the harmonies, to the fact that none other than Taylor Swift is the subject, I’m obsessed. [Author’s note on that T.S. ref: her cat is named Olivia, Harry wrote the song, there’s a red wine stain mentioned… It’s simple math.]
- Standout Lyric: “When you go and I’m alone, you live in my imagination. The summertime butterflies all belong to your creation. I love you, it’s all I do.”
“What a Feeling” — Not complaining a single bit when it comes to the nostalgic feel of “What A Feeling.” It has a chill feel that sounds straight out of the ‘80s. This slow jam fits right in on the album, complementing the ballads and more upbeat songs perfectly.
- Standout Lyric: “But you’ve got stars in your eyes and I’ve got something missing tonight. What a feeling to be a king beside you somehow.”
“Love You Goodbye” — Keeping with the chill vibe, “Love You Goodbye” is another break-up track on “Made in the A.M.,” but it is a more mature look at the complicated nature of ending a long-term relationship. It builds through the verses to anthem-like choruses and a passionate bridge, in which Louis Tomlinson, who has always been the underdog in 1D, slays a massive high note. Who needs Zayn anyway?
- Standout Lyric: “One more taste of your lips just to bring me back to the places we’ve been and the nights we’ve had because if this is it then at least we could end it right.”
“I Want To Write You A Song” — Remember when “Little Things” came out and teenage hearts exploded simultaneously across the world? I do, and am reliving it with “I Want To Write You A Song.” This is one of the sweetest songs the band has put out, and I just want to snuggle up and listen to it until I die a beautiful death. The simple melody is perfect with the lyrics and the addition of the sound of a pen writing on paper in the background really pulls it all together. Five stars.
- Standout Lyric: “I want to write you a song, one as beautiful as you are sweet, with just a hint of pain for the feeling that I get when you are gone.”
“History” — This song was released as a single prior to the release of the album as a whole, and it remains one of my favorites. It’s another with a super anthem-like feel, with its heavy backbeat and big chorus, which, by the way, was actually filled with fan vocals. Because the song is a dedication to the fans before their big hiatus, the band brought some into the studio to make it feel like a crowd is singing throughout the chorus. It has a cool feel, and is definitely a sing-along in the car with your friends kind of song.
- Standout Lyric: “The good champagne, and private planes, but they don’t mean anything cause the truth is out, I realize that without you here life is just a lie.”
“Temporary Fix” — If you’re a big One Direction fan [which I’m assuming you are, because you’ve made it this far in this post] you’ll know what I mean when I say “Temporary Fix” is the “No Control” of this album. With its obvious rock sound and suggestive lyrics, 90% of the time this is the first song I click on when I go to listen to the album. It is such a feel-good song that I’m genuinely upset they won’t be doing live anytime in the near future.
- Standout Lyric: “If you’re feeling the weakness, well I told you baby you can call me, I’ll be your temporary fix.”
“Walking In The Wind” — Bringing it back down, “Walking In The Wind” is progressed by a catchy guitar hook and soaring vocals. It isn’t the most exciting song on the album, but it is definitely worth listening to while cruising down the highway [in the ram van] or while doing homework.
- Standout Lyric: “If you’re lost just look for me, you’ll find me in the region of the summer stars.”
“Wolves” — With another throwback-style song, “Wolves” feels like nothing we’ve heard from 1D thus far. It’s about trying to pick up a girl at a bar, while fighting off the other “wolves.” It’s dare I say — groovy — and a very fun song in the pile of heart wrenching break-up anthems of MITAM.
- Standout Lyric: “I wish it wasn’t true, but the whole world’s tryin’ to get a piece of you and my heart keeps fighting in this battle of fools.”
“A.M.” — You know those moments when a character in the movie says the movie title IN the movie? That’s what is happening here. “A.M.” is about sitting around with your friends at the end of a night out, having a good laugh about what went on. It’s intimate and relatable, and definitely should have been on the regular version of the album, not just a bonus track.
- Standout Lyric: “All my favourite conversations always made in the A.M. Cause we don’t know what we’re saying, we’re just swimming round in our glasses and talking out of our asses.”
In conclusion: “Made In The A.M.” is a diverse collection of songs ranging from ballads to absolute bangers made for screaming along to in the car. It is lyrically and vocally stronger than anything the band has released, and I look forward to seeing what they do and how they come back from their so-called hiatus.