Niall Horan isn’t worried about turning 30. The singer-songwriter, known for dedicating part of his youth to One Direction, will cross that threshold later this year as he wrestles with maturity on “Never Grow Up,” a Best track from his upcoming album, show: “I wish we could still dance like we fell in love / Wish we could still drink like we’re back in the bar / Wish we’d grow old, but we’ll never grow up.”
“I don’t care anymore,” he said of the upcoming milestone, with result in zoom. “We talk about what happens between 16 and 20 and 20 and 24, but actually there’s more going on between 25 and 30 than I thought. Your interests change, your life Something happened—the kind of thing you wrote about.”
According to Horan, when we spoke a few weeks before launch, it was “a beautiful day in London town” show, June 9. He comes across as easy-going, humble, and down-to-earth, but also seems happy to talk about his music.The album’s two pre-release singles, “Heaven” and “Meltdown,” gave listeners their first window into the showthe album feels like a natural extension of his first two full-length works.
Most artists expect each project to be their favorite so far, and the singer confirmed that his personal expectations for this release are high. “I feel like I’m getting the best job here,” he said. “If you don’t support yourself, who will support you?”
showThe 10 tracks were developed with some of Horan’s trusted collaborators. He revealed that part of the project was written in Nashville, Tennessee — “what a great town,” he says, shaking his head and laughing. He tries to visit Music City at least once a year, explaining that “Never Grow Up” was one of the songs he wrote while at Starstruck Studios, which is housed in an area lined with composers, record labels and publishing companies.
“Never Grow Up” was co-written with Julian Bunetta, John Ryan and Shane McAnally, one of Nashville’s true production and songwriting gems.The soundscape of this song, and most others showis where Horan seems especially comfortable, surrounded by acoustic guitars, authentic lyrics, and a solid drum beat.