Made in the A.M.

Ashton Moreland, Managing Editor

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past five years, ask any stranger on the street who One Direction is and they will be able to tell you. This information may not be transmitted without a crazed scream or possible fainting, but those are normal responses to four guys from the UK.

The now four-piece is set to release an album on the 13 of November; ironically the same day as another blonde boy with soothing vocals and tattoo-covered arms. One Direction’s “Made in the A.M.” will be pitted against Justin Bieber’s “Purpose” in a duel for the top spot on the charts. Blood will be boiling, despite the cool autumn air of November.

Normally I would place all of my money on One Direction fans to break the internet and propel the boys to the top of every chart worldwide, but competition will be stiff this year. While Justin Bieber’s album has already received promotion from celebrities of every kind, One Direction’s album has yet to receive any attention from anyone but One Direction themselves.

The boys took to Snapchat to give fans the official tracklist at the beginning of October, and it seems promising. Track names are very different from the boys’ previous albums, hinting at a change in maturity and even the subject that the boys will be crooning about.

Fans have also been granted four songs from “Made in the A.M.” to quench the thirst for new 1D material- “Drag Me Down,” “Infinity,” “Perfect,” and “Home.” The four-piece adapted Beyoncè’s style of release for all of these songs, dropping them without warning at seemingly random times during the middle of the night and then stepping back to watch the world explode.

“Drag Me Down” provided a welcome change in sound after the absence of ex-member Zayn Malik’s rich tone, and quickly became the perfect song to sing along to in the car. Ear-opening harmonies combined with passionate lyrics and a unique beat made it favorable among a wide audience. However, “Infinity,” “Home,” and “Perfect” are all reminiscent of old songs and sounds from One Direction’s early years.

The band has a habit of letting illustrious singer Harry Styles lead almost every chorus on every album that the group has put out since 2011. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, hearing Styles’ versatile vocals carry most songs becomes a bit routine and leaves fans wondering where the other three members are hiding.

November 13 will be a defining factor in One Direction’s career without a fifth member, and the whole world will be holding on to the edge of their laptops to see how they pull it off. I’m rooting for the boys, but if they stay true to past albums, I’m not sure how they will rank in the overall satisfaction of their fans.