The rest of the album isn't quite as fun to unpack. Styles co-write Olivia bounces along as the British pop-rockers do their best Beatles impressions, while album closer History will unexpectedly tug at your heartstrings with its stripped-down, campfire vibes and insistence that "this is not the end." Even if your Tumblr page isn't populated by "Larry Stylinson" fan fiction, it's hard not to be moved by this bittersweet remembrance of the boy band's sometimes bumpy stretch in the limelight.
hits its stride with the irresistible Never Enough, which sounds like a funk, doo-wop and '80s hair metal song all rolled into one. It sets the pace for other previously released highlights including Perfect, an alleged Taylor Swift kiss-off and exemplary pop anthem, and Long Way Down, whose alternating harmonies make the mawkish chorus almost forgivable.Ī.M. That reinvigorated spirit is clear on first single Drag Me Down, the album's second track and an electrifying ode to standing one's ground, which pulses with brash guitar riffs and a slick reggae groove. (**1/2 out of four), One Direction's writing is sharper and their sound richer than before, and although they still have all the edge of a butter knife, there's a defiance and maturity that may have surfaced after weathering this year's drama. Such empty declarations could be passed off as media-coaching blather, but to the guys' credit, it's actually not far off. as "the best album we feel we've done," as Harry Styles flatly describes it to USA TODAY. Brushing off rumors that they're calling it quits for good, the remaining members have tried to keep the narrative about the music: playing up their growth since 2011 debut Up All Night and touting A.M. It's tough to promote a new album when everyone's already marked your gravestone.Īt least that's been One Direction's dilemma with their fifth (and potentially final) album Made in the A.M., out Friday, released in the wake of bandmate Zayn Malik's exit and the group's announcement that they're taking a break.