In 2015, in the aftermath of loss, scandal and uncertainty, British boybanders One Direction came out with their fifth studio album, Made in the A.M. The start of 2015 saw Zayn Malik leave the group, claiming creative differences, and the announcement of an indefinite hiatus for the remaining four members. It was a hard year, but in spite of it all One Direction released some solid work.
Although not as sonically cohesive as 2012’s critically acclaimed Take Me Home, Made in the A.M offers a satisfying blend of Robbie Williams inspired pop anthems, and dinky, Lennon and McCartney-esque ballads. The album opens with a solid run, fully immersing us in a slick pop wonderland with “Hey Angel,” and pushing the pedal to the metal with hit single “Drag Me Down,” and delightfully-queer-for-a-hetero-love-song banger, “Perfect”. The first quarter of the album pulls no punches, reminding the listener that One Direction have absolutely still got what it takes. They can so effectively lambast you with a perfectly constructed pop song that you might just miss everything else that’s going on. If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that the vocals in the first verse of “Perfect” are so close they’re almost feeding back. They slice through the soft, pulsing instrumental bed, they’re cutting and they want you to listen, to believe.
One Direction work with some of the most talented songwriters and producers in the world and you’d better believe there is nothing accidental about the way those vocals sound, there is no moment in a One Direction song or album that hasn’t been thought through. The way the album goes from this moment forward really hammers that home. There is no doubt in my mind that One Direction could have churned out twelve more slamming hits and called the whole thing off, but instead they go for the heart with tracks like “If I Could Fly”, “Long Way Down”, and title track “Made in the A.M”.
One Direction are always drawing listeners in, that’s the whole point of what they do. They set up songs that are universally applicable and poignant, allowing listeners to feel as though they are being spoken to directly, no matter who they are. This is what makes the group so powerful and so significant. Normally, the process is so controlled, in the hands of the songwriters and the promotion team, but in 2015 things got out of control and people were let in on a side of One Direction that they weren’t supposed to see. Suddenly, the group were vulnerable and Made in the A.M absolutely embraces this. “If I Could Fly” sees each member of the group gasping, “right now I’m completely defenceless” and it is so easy to believe them, and so genuinely heart wrenching when, at the close of the album, they confess “we’re just spinning round in our glasses and talking out of our asses like we’re all gonna make it”.
I’ll be honest and say that this album made me weep more than any heartfelt, low-fi, seminal indie whatever. I wept because this album is One Direction reaching out to their fans, cheering them on through the dark end of the One Direction era with heavenly pop hits, and offering solidarity and a reassuring hand right until the end, even in the face of intense uncertainty and vulnerability.