Opinion: The right direction

Katie Smith is a senior public relations major and a columnist for The Kent Stater. Contact her at ksmit138@kent.edu.

Katie Smith is a senior public relations major and a columnist for The Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].

I am a 22-year-old Directioner, and I have no shame.

One Direction is four-fifths British, one-fifth Irish and 100 percent perfect. The heaven-sent boy band released its fourth; aptly named album, FOUR, on Nov. 17, and I haven’t stopped listening. 

First One Direction generated some buzz around the new album by releasing a song from FOUR for free, which only made the anticipation more agonizing. 

Then, One Direction announced if you pre-order the album, you’ll get five songs before the album’s release. This was literal music to my ears. Here’s my personal breakdown of each of the glorious tracks that are still One Direction at heart, but also more mature sounding.

I’m sure you’ve heard track one. It’s none other than “Steal My Girl,” which has been all over the radio since its debut as a single. This song is definitely boy band material with lyrics that any girl would love to have sung about them. “She be my queen since we were 16.” Talk about cheesy perfection.

Track two, “Ready to Run,” was released before the album, and it’s probably one of my favorites. The guitar, the voices and the melody — it’s got it all.

Track three, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” Niall starts this song, which isn’t usually the case, but I think it’s a good change.

Track four, “18,” is classic boy band. “I want a love like you made me feel when we were 18.” Gold.

Track five, “Girl Almighty,” starts off like every song in Hollister starts, and that is the best way I can describe it. Still obsessed though.

Track six, “Fool’s Gold,” is OK.

Track seven, “Night Changes,” is the band’s newest single. I would suggest watching the music video because it’s adorable.

Track eight, “No Control,” is another one of my favorites. Louis sings the chorus, which I don’t think has ever happened before, so it’s good to see them branching out. The chorus also has a Killers vibe to it.

Track nine, “Fireproof,” was the free download, so my love affair with it goes back a couple months. It’s not their typical sound, but I welcome the change.

Track 10, “Spaces,” is the song that everyone can relate to. With lyrics like, “Who’s gonna be the first one to start the fight? Who’s gonna be the first one to fall asleep at night?” We’ve all been there. The relationship is over, but who’s going to officially end it?

According to Harry, track 11, “Stockholm Syndrome,” is about a nympho. I’m sure One Direction’s PR team enjoyed him saying this on 1D’s live Google Hangout the day before the album was released. Oops.

I’m skipping tracks 12 through 15 because of space limitations, but I do recommend track 12, “Clouds.”

Bonus track 16, “Act My Age,” starts out like a Dropkick Murphys’ song, then mimics a Beatles’ song then it goes somewhat country. It’s something you have to hear for yourself, and I cannot adequately explain it.

Overall, FOUR is a departure from One Direction’s typical sound, but I think they’ve found a style that works for them, and I think One Direction is headed in the right direction.