In honor of One Direction’s 11-year anniversary, here are 11 of their most underrated songs you should listen to right now!
Can you believe it’s been 11 years since One Direction was formed on the X Factor?
In honor of the anniversary, here are 11 underrated One Direction songs Directioners should revisit and non-fans should check out.
Up All Night
“Moments”: A classic heartbroken boy band song. It tells the story of the narrator wanting just one more day with their partner before it’s over. It’s one of the best examples of the early years of One Direction when their music was heavily pop. It was also co-written by Ed Sheeran so it mimics some of his early stuff as well.
“I Should’ve Kissed You”: On the opposite end of the boy band song spectrum, this song is about wanting to take a chance with your crush and not taking the opportunity. A catchy chorus and poppy verses drive this song, making it an earworm.
Up All Night
“They Don’t Know About Us”: This song, about not caring what anyone else says about a relationship, features a nod to their first album in the chorus. Much like the first album, it has the same early 2010s pop sound.
“Last First Kiss”: A typical boy band love song about falling for a friend. It’s upbeat and quite catchy. It’s another great example of early One Direction and the themes common in their first two albums.
Midnight Memories
“Little Black Dress”: This is their only song to not have any solo parts, which means there’s more opportunity to hear what they all sound like together. The rock-influenced sound is a big change from their first two albums but is a sample of what the rest of their albums sound like.
“Better Than Words”: This song blends their early pop sound with the rock influence they start to adopt. Another love song, but this time the narrator uses popular love song titles to express how they feel for their partner.
Four
“Fool’s Gold”: One of the more stripped-down songs on the album, “Fool’s Gold” is about falling for someone who doesn’t feel the same way and fools the narrator by pretending they do. Ultimately, the narrator knows their love is fake, but they can’t stop loving them.
“Once in a Lifetime”: Here, they are looking back on a past relationship and realizing how good it was. Overall, this album is much more relaxed than Midnight Memories without losing the rock focus.
Made in the A.M.
“Infinity”: On this album, they regain a heavier rock sound, with this song being one of the best examples. Following the end of a relationship, the narrator expresses that it will take them infinity to get over it. Some fans speculate that this song could also be about Zayn leaving and how the remaining boys felt. Others think it could be about them dealing with the band taking a hiatus, which was announced before the release of the album.
“Wolves”: This song talks about being with someone and wanting to protect them from what people say about them. And, understanding that dating someone in One Direction comes with a lot of pressure and attention, often unwanted.
“A.M.”: The title track is the last song on the album and works as a great send-off for both the album and the band. This song looks at being with people who have known you for years and how, as the sun rises after a great night, anything seems possible. Just say a little while longer.
