By appealing to tweens across the world with their insanely catchy pop tunes, One Direction has built their massive empire. After the loss of one of their prime members, the band has still been able to top the charts and carry a musical torch that has been burning brightly since 2010.
It’s now 2015, and with rumors of an upcoming hiatus, directioners have been aching for new material. 1D tried (key word — tried) to deliver with the release of their fifth studio album, “Made In The A.M.”.
Featuring a mix of digitized productions and real instrumentation, this album hits the mark with some songs, but falls flat on many others. It sounds as if the boys are trying too hard to create a new persona for themselves. If this really is One Direction’s last album, fans may not be too impressed.
“Hey Angel” is a rocky start to the album. Though it’s catchy, it doesn’t have that certain spark that One Direction is known for. The massive hit “Drag Me Down” quickly follows and obviously breathes life back into the album, but this high doesn’t last too long.
The boys break even farther away from their regular sound with “If I Could Fly” — a slow and monotonous ballad that seems to truly drag the album down with an overly dramatic feel. Attempting to channel emotions of angst certainly doesn't work for the enthusiastic band we’ve come to love and adore.
Lyrically, the album is generic at best. “Long Way Down” and "Never Enough" arrive just to stumble once again. The tempo slightly picks up, but it’s apparent that the band is not comfortable with the new style of lyrics they’re wanting to portray including "I don't need my love / You can take it, you can take it, take it / I don't need my heart / You can break it, you can break it, break it."
Since “Midnight Memories,” One Direction has been trying to transition from the boy band image and into something much more mature. Though this album has a few bright spots that will soon become overly played radio-hits, it is a mediocre disappointment. Maybe it really is time for the boys to throw in the towel and realize that their flame has finally burned out.