Monday, December 09, 2013

Music Monday | Midnight Memories


Hello awesome people! This Music Monday we will be featuring One Direction’s highly anticipated third album, “Midnight Memories”.

Now, it’s no secret that Sonia and I are extremely extremely extremely enamoured with this band. However, this is not the only reason we’ve decided to feature them this week. After the release of this album, tons of people that wouldn’t have come within ten feet of a One Direction CD expressed their genuine appreciation for the boys’ new sound. So if One Direction isn't your thing, give em a chance! They're definitely going to surprise you.



If you’ve followed this band from the start, you know they’re known for their “bubble gum pop” persona. Albums full of one happy, upbeat track after another, interspersed with youthful, pop ballads. I’m one of those people that absolute loved this One Direction. If I were sad, they’d make me happy. If I were happy, they’d make me happier. It was a win-win. However, this genre definitely wasn’t for everyone, and is why they got labeled as a band directed at 12 year olds (even though, if you’ve ever seen their interviews you’d quickly realize how inappropriate they really are).

Midnight Memories is, in my opinion, the biggest change in a band that I’ve seen in a while. But although it’s a big leap, it doesn’t seem forced or contrived in any way. It actually seems more natural than their previous releases. They’ve contributed to the writing on almost every track on this album, and I personally am super proud of them. Written and recorded while on tour promoting their second album, the boys worked extremely hard on it, and that definitely shows. There are 15 tracks on the album (18 on the deluxe edition), so I’ll highlight our favourites, even though that’s basically all of them….

The album starts off with “Best Song Ever”, an upbeat track that is most similar to their old sound. But don’t let that fool you, it’s the first and last time their old sound sneaks onto the album. It’s a good transition between old and new. The video is a actually extremely cute too (adorable, uncoordinated boys trying to dance, anyone?)

The second track, "Story of My Life", is the release that had everyone doing a double take. “Shut up, That’s One Direction?!?” is probably what came out of everyone’s mouths after they heard it for the first time. The “Mumford & Sons”, folk music style of the song catches people off guard, and has converted a lot of people. Great vocals, and strong riffs courtesy of the angel that is Zayn Malik make for great tune. I find that even if someone isn’t a fan, they’re a fan of this song.

The third track, "Diana", is supposedly directed at the fans. So many girls say that listening to their music has given them hope, and in some cases even saved their lives. This track has an 80’s kinda feel, and definitely has the power to keep you going with it’s nice melody and extremely sweet chorus.  It feels like they’re comforting you through your speakers. 

The fourth track, "Midnight Memories", hit us like a brick wall. If this track doesn’t turn your party into a scene from Coyote Ugly then I don’t think you’re listening loud enough. It’s an extremely fun track. With it’s rock vibe, and carefree lyrics; it’s a song you’re definitely going to be belting out when you’re drunk. And if I could be drunk with the boys while this is happening, that’d be preferable.

The fifth track, "You and I", will pull at your heart strings so get ready. It’s a song about opposites trying to make it work. It has such a nice melody, and once again Zayn Malik’s deep voice is extremely comforting on this track. The build up, that gives me “Fix You” vibes everytime I hear it, is epic, and the riffs at the end are beautiful.

To get to our next most played song you gotta skip through about seven tracks. Four that keep the folk vibe going, two that have a harder, rock sound, and one that literally sounds like a track off of a One Republic album. Even though we never personally skip those songs, track 13 made us squeal the first time we heard it.

"Little White Lies" starts off strong, with all of the boys singing, then goes into a beat driven verse. All of that is great, then the chorus kicks in and my mind was blown. The dubstep feel of the chorus is way too much for my heart to handle. That, coupled with them saying “You say you’re a good girl”, makes it a sensory overload. We blast this song in our car all the time, and it makes for an amazing time. I need a video for this song, STAT.

Track 14, "Better Than Words", made us double squeal. This song goes back to a more pop feel, and is particularly interesting because the lyrics are all titles of love songs. “More Than a Feeling”, “Crazy in Love”, and “Dancing on the Ceiling” are songs that make up the entire first verse. It’s literally song titles to a catchy melody. One of the most talked about parts is Niall’s solo, in which he does a little hiss that drives any girl listening to it absolutely crazy.  Whoever allowed that to happen should not have. It’s a really cute song that’s great to sing along to. 

The last four tracks give you a mix of Neon Trees, 80’s hair bands (Does He Know in particular gives off HEAVY Jessie’s Girl vibes), and a sweet-cheesy ballad. We never skip these either.

Overall, I am incredibly proud of the band for releasing a record that gives you a bit of everything, and for doing what no one expected them to do. Even if you’re not a fan, it’d be very hard to deny their talent after listening to this album. And although they still have room to grow, this record shows everyone that they aren’t just a band for 12 year olds. So congrats to One Direction and their legion of fans, old and new.

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