When in One Direction, Niall experienced several important things that put together all the little pieces that we love about him up until today. Throughout their journey the 1D boys started working on their music along with their production team, being in part of this process showed how much they’d grown musically. Now that they are solo artists, with a little more freedom, they manage to put their own signature in their solo works.
Niall worked hard on ‘Flicker’ for many years and it all paid off when three years ago his first solo record came out.
Flicker was number 1 at the Billboard 200 charts, received awards and had two successful world tours – Flicker Session and Flicker World Tour.
Niall woke up today to fans celebrating the anniversary of his first album all over Twitter with the #3YearsOfFlicker and he was quick to thank his fans for their love.
Nice little trend to wake up to. Time ifs flying by and I can’t believe it’s been 3 years already. Glad you loved the record and everything that came with it. Thank you for everything. #3YearsOfFlicker
— Niall Horan (@NiallOfficial) October 20, 2020
To celebrate this very special day we’ll go down on a memory lane to Flicker’s era:
‘This Town’ was the first hint of what Niall had been working for so long and it arrived one year before Flicker. The ballad is a beautiful and honest confession to a lover that was left in their hometown. Niall blew everyone away with an acoustic version of the song.
The next step on the Flicker era was ‘Slow Hands’ an upbeat song with catchy lyrics and one of my favorites to watch Niall performing to. It’s always noticeable how much fun he had on stage every time he performed the single.
‘Too Much To Ask’ left every single one of us asking ‘who broke Niall’s heart?’. The tune carries a heartfelt message of not being over a relationship and hoping they would come back.
The track that named the album – and Niall’s favorite according to the many times he spoke about his album – ‘Flicker’ was one more proof that the Irish lad poured his heart and personal experiences in the making of the album.
‘Seeing Blind’ was not a single but it’s totally worth mentioning. The song that features Maren Morris showed how Niall is fit for every genre – the country-like tune was a beautiful surprise in the album. They had the chance to perform together as Maren joined Niall in his Flicker World Tour.
Last but not least is ‘On The Loose’ – the single that wrapped up the Flicker era – confirming that Niall makes art, lyrically, musically and visually. The song’s movie video is a must-see.
Flicker was more than just an album, it was Niall’s statement as an artist.
If you haven’t listened to the whole album I suggest you to do it right now because there are many more great hits in it.