One Direction New Album 2013 - 'Midnight Memories' Release: Review
"Midnight Memories," One Direction's third album reveals just how much the British boyband wants to grow up and transition from sweet fun boys to sweet young seducers, reports The Guardian.
The title alone warns fans (and their parents) that the boys - Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik- are going to sing about what happens between the sheets, albeit in a youthful way. While the first two albums did speak of handholding, kissing, and some fumbling in the dark, the "Midnight Memories" songs do not shy away from going all the way there.
Billboard reports that musically, the recent album is different from the first two as "guitars feature more prominently in the new songs, whether they're loud and electric ("Little Black Dress"), soft and acoustic ("Story of My Life"), or of the fast-strumming, Mumford & Sons variety ("Happily")," writes Billboard's Chris Payne. Artistically, the boys have also reportedly contributed to the creative process in developing the songs, writing the lyrics of 12 songs.
The first four tracks right away establish the fact that the album is so much more than its predecessors. "Best Song Ever," the first track on the album, is reminiscent of 1D hits such as "What Makes You Beautiful" and "Live While We're Young." The song talks about a girl, of course. The catchy chorus will make the track a sure hit, just like its predecessors. "Story of My Life" meanwhile, is a soft, acoustic-based track reportedly written by the band and is reminiscent of a previous hit with the same overtones, "Little Things." " Diana" is one track in the album that proves 1D could do some pop-rock if they wanted to. " Midnight Memories," goes further than "Diana" and reveals the rock influence in 1D music. Other tracks include "You and I," "Don't Forget Where You Belong," "Strong," "Happily,"Right Now," "Little Black Dress," "Through the Dark," "Something Great,""Little White Lies," and "Better Than Words."
Critics love "Midnight Memories," as evidenced by reviews gathered by MTV News, describing the band as 'impressive' and 'mature.' Needless to say, One Direction is not just any other boyband that has come and gone. As their music continues to grow and evolve, so will their mark continue to deepen in the music industry.