I was laying in bed, trying to fall asleep, when my phone lit up. One Direction surprised us with “Drag Me Down.”
That was the song of the summer for me. The song dropped the night before my Rock Out With Your Socks Out show and 5SOS played “Drag Me Down” during their pre-show music and the venue went crazy. EVERYONE knew the words and the song hadn’t been out for 24 hours yet.
“Drag Me Down” set my expectations for this album pretty high because it’s such a hit. It’s catchy, upbeat, and gets the people going. But, to be honest, you should never go into album release with expectations because One Direction always throws you for a curve and gives you what you’re not expecting. (I’m not saying that is a bad thing).
“Infinity” was the next single the boys gave us and it’s on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It’s beautiful in it’s own way, but it’s not my favorite. I will admit, however, that the more times I listen to it, the more I like it. I really enjoyed the boys performance of it in the BBC Live Lounge.
After “Infinity” we were blessed with one of my favorites off the album, “Perfect.” This song fits the atmosphere that the new album is trying to create, but it’s also 1D enough. It’s definitely a pop hit, but it’s unmistakably One Direction. I like to rock out the “Perfect” just as much as I like to rock out to “Drag Me Down.” “Perfect,” unlike “Drag Me Down,” hits me right in the heart. During the first few listens to this song, I felt as if there was a bit of a sarcastic, making fun of the “One Direction” brand and wanting all the boys tone to it. I don’t know if it is the video and my love for Harry Styles and New York, or if it is the lyrics and meaning behind them, or if it’s because I feel like they’re talking to all of us, but I’ve cried several times listening to this track.
As for the rest of the album, it’s great. Louis hitting those high notes, like I'm sorry who's Zach? OH Zayn, my bad. I am not the biggest biggest fan of Olivia. I’m sorry. I know, Liam sang it to us on Snapchat but it just hasn’t grown on me yet. I’m sure it will, I wasn’t the biggest fan of certain tracks on “Four” but now I can’t say one bad thing about that whole album. "Never Enough" made me think I was listening to a Lion King remix. I could pick apart every song on the whole album for what I love and dislike. This whole album has a different and a more mature vibe to it. I know that they aren’t quitting, they are only on hiatus, but I wouldn’t want them to give us any other album before they left us for a while. Some of the tracks feel like the Beatles, some of them hit us right in the heart, some of them are pop hits, some of them don’t sit well with everyone but over all the entire album is genius. They are completely being themselves with this album.
My favorite tracks are probably “Perfect,” “A.M.,” “End of the Day,” and “Temporary Fix.”
You’ve heard why I love “Perfect.” As for “End of the Day” I love the beat. I love the lyrics. I love that I feel like I can be completely myself when I listen to this song. I feel like there’s nothing wrong with having the interests that I do when listening to this song. I feel like I’m 110% okay with everything about myself because of this song.
As far as “Temporary Fix,” this is the one song that my whole squad agrees to as the best song of the album. It’s a toe-tapper and a head-shaker. It’s so catchy. It is the “No Control” of this album. It sounds like One Direction and it makes you want to move.
Lastly, there’s “A.M.” YAAS, finally the album title. It has such a nostalgic feel. I shake my head to the beat, tap my toes, and cry my eyes out to this track. It makes you sway your body but it also speaks to your soul. You can picture yourself sitting up late talking to your friends or family when you listen to this song. It brings a flood of memories. It’s about reminiscing, spending time with people you love, and making memories. This song is the reason you need to buy the deluxe edition of this album. It is the send off, it’s the perfect ending for this album, it’s the perfect song to end on before their hiatus.
This album felt like a love letter, or a warm hug from the boys. Letting us know that they love us and that they are coming back to spend some more quality time with us.
