Why You Should Drop Everything and Listen to ‘Four’ by One Direction

Why You Should Drop Everything and Listen to Four by One Direction

For every moment in my life I have been a One Direction fan, I’ve gotten many comments from people claiming that there is absolutely no way that they can make good music because they are a boyband. To be fair, I’m not going to claim that One Direction were not modern day musical geniuses, but I do not understand the immediate dismissal of their music. As a fan of the band for many years, I witnessed their growth from their first album from in 2012, Up All Night,  right up until my favorite album of theirs was released in 2014, Four. Their lyrical content greatly improved and members were listed as writers on 10/12 on the album compared to 3/13 songs on their first album. An example of this change in lyrical content is demonstrated in a comparison of a song from their first album compared to Four.  

“One Thing”:  

Let’s go crazy, crazy, crazy ’til we see the sun
I know we only met but let’s pretend it’s love
And never, never, never stop for anyone
Tonight let’s get some and live while we’re young”  

“Fool’s Gold”:  

And yeah I’ve let you use me from that day that we first met
But I’m not done yet
Falling for you
Fool’s gold
And I knew that you turn it on for everyone you met
But I don’t regret
Falling for you
Fool’s gold 

Yeah I know your love’s not real
That’s not the way it feels
That’s not the way you feel”   

(this article was commissioned by Kelly Mathews ’20)