If New Direction’s new album is anything like “Story of My Life,” then it will be one of their bests. The new single shows that they not only have range but also have matured through their music. New Direction is slowly transforming from a “boy band” to an actual band.
It would it be a lie to say that One Direction is popular for their musical talent. Their following of fans is due to the fact that they are all relatively dreamy. However, “Story of My Life” is very different from their usual material. It showcases their voices in a way that is completely different.
The lyrics are much deeper than some of their bigger hits. The song seems to be a harsh reality of what love actually is. The line “but baby running after you is like chasing the clouds” is noteworthy. It is interesting in that every other song by the band seems to show a perfect, romantic relationship while the one explained in “Story of My Life” is a complicated one.
The song isn’t the normal bubble gum, catchy, quick beat that One Direction normally releases. The tone of the song can only be explained as One Direction’s “Little Things” meets Mumford and Sons. The line “She told me in the morning she don't feel the same about/ us in her bones/ It seems to me that when I die these words will be written/ on my stone” is reflective looking at the past and into the future.
One thing that is missing is the “na na na” parts of the song that One Direction has perfected- and I did not miss it at all. The song seems to be an introduction to the new One Direction- the better one.
The song isn’t perfect but, ironically, it is much better than One Direction’s other single, “Best Song Ever.” Some of the lyrics within the song get muddled behind too much guitar. And, while it seems to be a pop folk single, there were some points where it seemed like the band was trying too hard.
This new One Direction sound is perfect and I hope that the rest of their album sticks with it. The boys have grown up and their music is grown up too.
Listen to their new single below and tell us what you think. Should One Direction go back to their boy band roots or continue on their new mature tone?