Niall Horan Reveals Why His New Album "The Show" Only Has 10 Songs
No, you’re not dreaming — new music from Niall Horan is officially here. The former One Direction crooner is not only a coach on the 23rd season of The Voice, but has released his third studio album, The Show. The new collection comes after the hitmaker’s first solo single in nearly three years, “Heaven,” which dropped on Friday, February 17.
“One thing I’ve learned over the years is that society loves to pressure us into reaching certain milestones by a certain age. Whether that’s getting married or anything else that really should be based on our own instincts. As I’ve gotten older I’ve tried to let go of those expectations and just follow my heart,” Niall said in a statement via Capital Records. “The chorus of this song is saying that what I have in my life currently is amazing. So it would be crazy to ruin that by giving into outside pressures.”
Two days before the release of “Heaven,” the “Slow Hands” artist announced The Show on Instagram. “This album is a piece of work ’'m so proud of and now it’s time to pass it over to you to go and make it your own,” he wrote in his caption. “Thank you so much for being there for me all this time and I can’t wait to share the next couple of years of this new era with you. I’ve missed you all so much. It’s good to be back.”
Here’s everything we know about Niall Horan’s third studio album The Show, from teasers to release date and more.
When does Niall Horan’s new album come out?
Niall Horan’s third album, The Show, was released on June 9, 2023, per his official announcement on Instagram.
The Show - Collector’s Edition Window Box Set
$79.98
niallhoran.com
Will Niall be going on tour?
The news is out — Niall has announced “The Show Live on Tour.” It’ll take the former One Direction singer everywhere from Italy to New Zealand to Canada to New York City. “It’s been far too long and I can’t wait to see your beautiful faces,” he wrote on Instagram.
Check Niall’s IG announcement post to see if he’s coming to a concert venue near you in 2024, and don’t worry if you don’t see your city listed — Niall noted that there are a few more show dates coming that aren’t listed in the initial announcement.
Tickets went on sale Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. local time.
What has Niall said about his third album?
On June 7, Niall sat down with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, and said that he thinks The Show is his best album yet. “For where I’m at right now, I think it’s the perfect representation of where I’m at in my head,” he shared, per Just Jared Jr. “I would say across the board, it’s definitely the best... It’s the most mature sounding, the most record feeling.”
“[It’s] the most emotional record I’ve made, I’d imagine because I had this massive period of reflection, looking into the future a bit, looking left and right more than I’ve ever done,” he continued. “When you’re in the ‘rat race,’ you tend to just go... When you’re on the roll, you just go with it. You don’t do any thinking when you’re 70 to 20-something. You just go. There’s no time for thinking, just having fun, enjoying it.”
During a February 2023 interview with Stanley T, Nicole Ryan, and Ryan Sampson for SiriusXM’s Hits 1 “The Morning Mashup,” Niall dished about the vibe of his new album.
“It’s definitely a newer vibe, there’s no doubt. But it still sounds like me, in the maddest way. Everyone was like, ‘Heaven’ is different, but it still sounds like you,” Niall said on the radio show. “I wanted like my ballads to be a bit moodier and a bit stranger sounding. And then I wanted to try different things in the up-tempo.”
The “Heaven” crooner also revealed that the new record will include “synth stuff” and “stacks and stacks of harmonies.”
“Layered background vocals were a big thing for me. I wanted to make them as much, you know, in the production as like the guitar is. I did days and days and stacks and stacks of harmonies and stuff like that to make them as part of the song too. Like, like you hear on the start of ‘Heaven’ or whatever,” Niall shared.
In a letter he wrote to fans on TikTok, Niall revealed that he spent 18 months working on his album with songwriters and producers Joel Little and John Ryan. He also dished that they went on a trip to Joshua Tree in California to “get away and really concentrate on everything.”
“What makes this record incredibly special to me is that it’s a reflection of where I am in my life today as a person, a musician, and of course, as a songwriter,” Niall said in the video. “Can’t say I’m not a little nervous, but hopefully you still like this version of me when you listen to the new record.”
What is Niall Horan’s The Show tracklist?
On March 26, Niall dropped the full tracklist to his album, The Show. In an Instagram post, he revealed that it’ll contain 10 new songs, as follows:
Heaven
If You Leave Me
Meltdown
Never Grow Up
The Show
You Could Start a Cult
Save My Life
On a Night Like Tonight
Science
Must Be Love
In a June 7 interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, the singer-songwriter opened up about the tracklist and why he didn't release more than 10 songs in his latest body of work. His 2017 debut solo album, Flicker, also had 10 tracks while his sophomore record, Heartbreak Weather, had 14.
“I purposefully made [The Show] 10 songs as well. Just the in and out. None of this getting to track 15 and going, ‘When the f**k is this going to end?’ Let’s get to 10 and make people want to get back to one,” Niall said.
Has Niall Horan teased any new music?
Yep! Once he released his full tracklist, Niall teased snippets of each track in a clip where he’s seen listening to The Show during a car ride. “Would you like some gravy with that bangers and mash?” he jokingly asked in the video, posted to his social media accounts on March 27.
The singer first teased the album’s lead single, “Heaven,” on TikTok in December 2022.
In the week leading up to the single’s official announcement, Niall superfans started receiving packages with a candle, lyrics from the song’s chorus, and a QR code to heavenwontbethesame.com, which leads fans to a pre-order link for his new album.
Niall also teased “Heaven” ahead of its release alongside his fellow The Voice coaches, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, and Chance the Rapper. He attempted to have them guess how the song goes in a hilarious clip, and it seems like Kelly is the ultimate Niall stan as she was the only one who came close.
Will Niall Horan reunite with One Direction?
While there have been recent rumblings of a One Direction reunion, Niall told Zane Lowe in his Apple Music interview on June 7 that those plans haven’t been made. “It’s just like the conversation hasn’t happened,” the singer-songwriter revealed, per Billboard. “We speak regularly, but that conversation hasn’t happened. God knows whether it ends up being — it could be like the Friends reunion, it could be a whole tour. God knows what it is, but no, it hasn’t been spoken about.” In any case, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed.
You Might Also Like
