Spring has sprung and the weather surely isn’t breaking any fans of Niall Horans’ hearts. With the surprise release of a special edition of his sophomore album “Heartbreak Weather” for its five year anniversary on Friday, fans got two new songs and six live versions of the album’s original tracks.
Originally released on March 13, 2020, “Heartbreak Weather” is an album I constantly find myself going back to. Even though the nostalgia of March 2020 is not exactly one I long for, Horan’s sentimental lyrics and captivating vocals are hard to resist.
With “Heartbreak Weather (5 Year Anniversary Edition)” comes the formal release of two previously unreleased songs from the “Heartbreak Weather” era, “Dress” and “Nothing.” After fans have pleaded with the One Direction singer for five straight years to release these songs, I am very pleased he finally gave in.
“Dress” highlights what I think is Horan’s musical sweet spot. The lyrics draw on reminiscence — a left-behind dress as the only remaining symbol of the love once held in a relationship.
Throughout the song, Horan grapples with all that the dress symbolizes. Paired with the trill of a vaguely Irish-folk sounding violin, Horan contemplates, “Maybe it’s time to put your dress away / Or leave it out / Maybe it’s time that I give you space / … Even if I don’t want to babe.”
As the title may imply, “Heartbreak Weather” captures the oftentimes tumultuous range of emotions that happen throughout the course of a relationship. Horan stated that he wanted to explore the idea that breakups don’t always have to always be sad, and decided to take a conceptual approach to the album — writing songs from the perspective of different stages of a relationship.
“Nothing,” the second new song released in celebration of the album’s five-year anniversary, definitively speaks to a completely different stage of a relationship than “Dress.”
Playing into the more pop-rock side of his sound with heavy, punchy drums and powerful electric guitars and lyrics like “What holds me when I’m alone? / What makes the tiger tame? / What turns the sky from black to gold? / What sends my tears up in flames? / Nothing, nothing, nothing, except for your love,” Horan captures the thrill of a love that feels entirely uncontrollable.
Horan also included several live recordings of songs from the original soundtrack of the album, such as the album’s most popular song, “Nice To Meet Ya,” a pop-heavy tune from the perspective of the feeling of instant attraction towards someone Horan hopes to get to know.
He also included one of my personal favorites on the record, “Put A Little Love On Me,” a moody piano ballad that shows off the full range of Horan’s vocal abilities. Having seen him live this past summer, Horan’s vocals are somehow even more impressive on stage than they are in the studio, so I definitely recommend checking out some of his live performances on this album.
“Heartbreak Weather” is an album I am yet to get sick of even five years later, and it was a lovely surprise to revisit it with two new songs this past week.
5/5 stars
mkane10@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @niallhoran, Instagram
