The Irish singer-songwriter gave fans a taste of what his sound would be like with his three singles prior to the album release, “This Town,” “Slow Hands,” and “Too Much to Ask.” The rest of the album continues with this folk-pop twist, which resembles music of John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, and Mumford and Sons.
Horan’s first single, “This Town,” was a timeless radio hit and showed the softer, gentle side of his lyrical writing and vocal abilities. “Slow Hands,” Horan’s second single, showed a bit of a riskier side to his music, with more sexual lyrics and a very catchy, upbeat tempo.
The opening track on Flicker is called “On the Loose” and is the perfect, fun, and flirty song to open the album. This song, like “Slow Hands,” presents more mature lyrics such as, “She loves when everybody’s watching. She knows the way her body moves.”
As the album continues, Horan continues to vary from upbeat anthems like “Since We’re Alone,” “Mirrors,” “The Tide,” and “You and Me,” to emotional ballads such as “Flicker,” “Too Much to Ask,” “Paper Houses,” and “Fire Away.”
These songs create a quite apparent theme of love and loss throughout the album.
One of the most emotional songs on the album is “Mirrors,” where Horan sings about a girl who does not know how deserving she is of love, a common topic that Horan addresses in the album. The lyrics verify this idea when the powerful chorus plays and Horan sings, “I need love to hold me closer in the night. Just enough to feel my body come alive. When my bones start breaking, my heart starts shaking. I need love, need love.”
Going along with this common theme about love, “Since We’re Alone” shows a new, confident side to Horan and his style of music. In the song, Horan begs his lover to be herself and give Horan her heart. He promises that he will take good care of her when he sings, “Yeah, you can show me your heart. If you put it all in my hand, no I swear, no I won’t break it apart.”
The theme of loss is present in many songs including the title track, “Flicker.” Horan reminisces on a past love and the fond memories they shared. The singer-songwriter shows his vulnerability when he repeats, “Please don’t leave” at the end of each chorus.
Horan only has one well-deserving feature on the album, “Seeing Blind” which is a country-like song. Maren Morris joins Horan on the track and the two artists’ voices blend perfectly while they sing passionately about falling happily in love.
Horan and Morris are scheduled to perform together at the Country Music Awards on Nov. 8, 2017. Fans can also get excited to hear this song live because Morris will be joining Horan on his world tour next year.
See you soon, CMA! @NiallOfficial & I are gonna have SO much fun playing that legendary stage! #IrishCountryExplosionpic.twitter.com/f88ShSTXdN
— MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) October 24, 2017
Horan has certainly made a name for himself with his debut album Flicker. Not only has he established his own sound through his vocals, but he has also proven his abilities as a songwriter. His style of music is a bit different than One Direction’s hits, however, fans can see who Horan is as a person through his thoughtful lyrics and smooth vocals.
In case you couldn’t see Niall Horan in Philly this past Sunday, you can catch him next year when he performs at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey.