‘Made In The A.M.’ Gives One Direction Fans A Joyful Memory Of The Band They Love
Made in the A.M. is coming together to be One Direction’s best, if not the record of the year. Made in the A.M. has so far shown us the diversity of styles the One Direction boys are capable of. It shows they can sound good over just about any style of musical backing. So far, “Drag Me Down,” “Perfect,” “Infinity,” “History,” “Home,” and “Long Way Down” have been heard in various forms, though only “Drag Me Down” and “Perfect” are official singles. “Home” won’t even make the album, at least the one the public in many places is likely to receive, having already been released as part of the Perfect EP, which came out last month.
Made in the A.M. is set for release tomorrow. As the New York Times reports, the culmination of five years together, much of that on the road touring, is bound to reflect itself in the current sound. One Direction members, especially Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne, have taken much more of a role in the songwriting process over the years.
UK! One Direction RETURN to @TheXFactor on Sunday 15th November! Be sure to tune in. pic.twitter.com/V1nobJvuhy
— One Direction (@onedirection) November 12, 2015
“Perfect” further proves Liam Payne’s inclination towards dance music can work with One Direction’s sound. Liam Payne has remixed songs for One Direction and other artists under the moniker Big Payno. “Perfect” is a great One Direction dance music-sounding effort. Could you imagine if One Direction made an entire album of dance music songs? They would likely sound something close to “Perfect.” Hopefully, Made in the A.M. will contain more dance-inspired tracks.
Aside from “Perfect,” the other tracks so far sound more folk or rock influenced. Payne told Entertainment Weekly how he feels about the remix work he’s doing and about the sound on “Perfect.”
“That is one of my favorite parts of [putting out a record], taking something One Direction and [remixing] it into dance music, because we’re not really the most … dance-music band in the world. This time we went for more of a trap sound, which was a lot of fun to do.”
One Direction aren’t a conventional boy band. They changed the game with regards to what a boy band could be. And so far, from what can be heard, they want to expand their sound, and expand the definition of what sorts of sounds a boy band is capable of. The next album is bound to represent an ode to the various genres the guys are capable of working in. It may be the perfect jumping off point for the much rumored solo work that they are likely to break off and start doing. It is just a taste of what can come from a solo situation. The freedom of being a solo artist could lead any of the guys to really soar, musically.
Zayn Malik’s #MCM game is on point — see the ripped shirtless pic https://t.co/xKVqVbMA16 pic.twitter.com/RjzckFA7na — billboard (@billboard) November 10, 2015
As for where One Direction will be after Made in the A.M. comes out, it’s anyone’s guess right now. It depends on just how long the break will last, and how comfortable the boys will get while off of touring duties. Life on the road isn’t easy. And when you are in your early 20s, the stress and the yearning for artistic independence can lead more artists to take the Zayn Malik route.
But before One Direction fans start getting depressed, just know that One Direction is returning for an appearance on The X Factor just two days after the album release, on Sunday, November 15. No, this isn’t for judging duties, this is for Made in the A.M. I’m sure the public will get to hear 1D perform some of the more recent tracks, and see them interact more with the ever clever Simon Cowell.
For those who can’t wait for Made in the A.M., the album is already available for pre-order download via iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.
[Photo by David Becker / Getty Images for iHeartMedia]