Niall Horan on The Show and why he's at his most reflective now
The former One Direction star says the pandemic helped him take stock of his life
From 16 to 24, Niall Horan celebrated some extraordinary career milestones: he made his TV debut on The X Factor, rose to prominence as a member of the boy band One Direction, and released his debut album as a solo artist, Flicker.
But in 2020, just days after dropping his sophomore album, Heartbreak Weather, the pandemic hit and he was forced to sit still. Horan used that time to write his latest album, The Show, which sees him reflecting on his anxieties about the world, his relationships and turning 30 in September.
"I didn't realize how formative 25 to 30 would be," Horan told Q's Tom Power in an interview. "A lot happened for me. I feel like the only thing the pandemic was good for, for me, was that it allowed me to write this record, first of all, but I remember thinking we're not going anywhere here and I should probably take this as time off. And then I start thinking, 'I haven't had time off in — I can't remember. Probably since 2010.'"
With much of the world in lockdown, Horan was unable to go on tour. For the first time in a decade, he said he was able to "properly reflect" on his life and how far he's come.
"I've always been quite present, but I don't think I've ever been reflective," he told Power. "It's only in hindsight now, I realize how reflective I wasn't."
The title track on The Show was born from a particularly thoughtful time for Horan. "We all were kind of angry at the world and just wanted to do nothing for a second and do all the reflecting. And I think it did me well in the end," he said.
"I just sat down one night and the words, 'Life is like a board game some of the time,' came out of my mouth for some reason. I don't know why…. It felt Truman Show-esque during the pandemic. It was a bit like an alternative reality, sort of weird thing. And I just realized that The Show was like a metaphor for life, and the good and the bad and the ugly about it."
WATCH | Niall Horan's interview with Tom Power:
While he's not even 30 yet, Horan has accomplished a lot in his career — and he knows it. He said his period of reflection made him realize he's "the luckiest man in the world." Now, longevity in the music industry is what's top of mind.
"To sustain what I have now, you know, like, keep it going and make it into a long career … is the most important thing to me now," said the musician.
"I'm at a level where it's amazing. And I would love to just be able to keep it there. It's all down to my songwriting, I suppose. So I have to keep it going in that sense…. I'm more aware, more driven [and] more hyped up than ever now. I don't want to say I'm turning 30 and have solved the world and I know it all and all that, but I've definitely learned enough about myself at this point to know that what I have is insane. And I want to just keep it."
The full interview with Niall Horan is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. He also discusses his new gig as a mentor on The Voice and looks back on his One Direction days. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Niall Horan produced by Vanessa Nigro.
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