Not serious album Review: Up All Night by One Direction

          So its no secret that I am emphatically obsessed with the 5-piece muffin set that is One Direction. In a strictly musical sense of course (OmGzzzzz MaRry m3 ZAYN I LUFF YOUUUU...haha). I did an album preview review, which was good fun, as I love passing judgement based on 30 second clips. But I have recently heard (and by heard I mean played non stop for the past 3 weeks) the album in its entirety, and I must say I am impressed. Its inoffensive boy-band pop (only my favorite genre of music, naturally), exactly how it should be. The thing I love about these boys is that they aren't trying too hard, and genuinely seem like they are having fun. I love the Wanted and JLS as much as the next british pre-teen fangirl, but there is always a lot of "serious-face" going on, like they're trying to prove that they are credible musicians or something (Although She Makes Me Wanna Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh doesn't really send the message across too well). 1D is just a bunch of 17-19 year olds having a laugh, singing catchy songs, and being adored by biddies along the way, and I think it's that self awareness that they have that makes their music so easy to listen to*. I mean, I doubt they've had enough life experience to talk about all the breaking of hearts that they seem to feel in all of their mid-tempo ballads (new game: take a drink every time you hear the word breaking...keep 911 on speed-dial. seriously), but you kinda just go with it, because you know they know their audience. Its marketing brilliance, really.
        So here is my song by song analysis, given that I dont know how else to do this:
1. What Makes You Beautiful - I feel like I've beat this song to death with every person I've ever encountered, but it still hasn't gotten old to me. It is just a perfect care-free pop anthem. I can't wait to get my braids done so I can flip my hair with authority for all the boys waiting to be overwhelmed. If anything, I think I appreciate this song even more after hearing them sing it live (minus the Black & Red performance. we just dont talk about that.)

This was them one the extra factor singing a shorten version. Many things are apparent here. Their usual stylist got trapped in the toilet, and didn't have enough time to get Louis his usual horizontal striped top and red chinos, and Zayn's missing his letterman jacket. Tragic. Harry still figured out how to pick out his woman's blazer though. Speaking of the floppy haired one, Harry's confidence is has been rising and rising, and he sings his solo bits with ease now. Also, Zayn's little ad-libs and bits are perfect. vocally you can definitely tell that he's stronger than many thought initally (that and he's grown...i'll get to that later). Also, Niall. He really isn't just there for hair-color diversity is he? I'd thought all along that Louis was the one doing the high harmony, but turns out its Niall! On the cd you can barely hear that its 3 part harmony, but its so great and really fills out the chorus (more on my love for Niall later). Even with this acoustic version, this song remains a volume up, windows down, shout it out loud from your car to the other cars on the road.

favorite line: "to prove i'm right i put it in a so-o-ong" Just because its so dumb, but true. He did put it in a song to prove he was right haha. Oh Zayn. oh and "the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed".
standout 1Der: Harry for his middle eight and solo bridge

2. Gotta Be You - Its funny. First time I heard this song, I laughed at the first half of the first verse because of the stupid lyrics. Then I cried for the rest of the song because I loved it (but the crying was also due to the fact that I was stressed out in the library writing a paper about to watch the sun come up...good times in Club Clemons). Its a good song on its own, and Liam, Harry, and Zayn are definitely the stand outs. But in the context of the album, its probably the weakest ballad, given the virtual non-chorus consisting only of "It's Gotta be You" and no real progression past that. A weird choice for a second single. But I genuinely enjoy the song for the most part 2nd verse on. the harmonies there are awesome. Louis doesn't do much here...but his time will come haha. Oh and the video is hilarious, featuring awful scarves, shirts with only the top button buttoned (WHAT. WHY IS THAT A THING. STOP IT), and fake fireworks. and Niall just playing the guitar randomly.

favorite line: "Oh girl, can we try one, more, one more time" Zayn does it again. His voice is so smooth.
standout 1Der: Zayn. Liam's a close second though because he owns most of the track.

3. One Thing - I knew I would love this song as soon as I heard it. and I do. I love formulaic pop, duh, and this song is basicaly a copy of WMYB, down to the quiet part for the bridge (only Liam does it this time). I was a bit annoyed when I heard this was the next single, just because it is so similar to the first one, but I'm not against it anymore. Its just that perfect pump up song you know. And plus, this is the first song where everyone gets to sing!! huzzah! Here's their sweet acoustic version to prove it:

Ugh, I LOVE IT. I like it because it shows how different everyone's voice is, but how well they all suit the genre and the style. Niall again surprises me (mostly because I didn't realize it was him at first). His tone is actually so distinct that now (save the autotune) I can generally tell when he is singing. He reminds me of someone but I can't pin it down. Mark my words, Niall will be the Nicola Roberts (of Girls Aloud fame for all those unenlightened) of this group. Overlooked for a lot of the beginning times, then break out, get hotter and more confident, and make critically acclaimed music that wont necessarily be a commercial success, but will appease his gaggle of loyal fans. and this is the first time you really hear Louis sing clearly. He's got that Jonas Brother whine to his voice. He's not as strong as the others, but that's what happens when they pass you off as the guy who is there to look good and be ridiculous in interviews. But I dont know, his solo bit suits him, especially when he goes down to the lower end of his range.

favorite line: "shot me out of the sky, you're my kryponite" Mostly because I used to listen to this and the superman theme song to get me out of bed in the latter half of the semester. but also because Harry is being pushed to smooth out his low register, before going up and ending the phrase in his comfort zone.
standout 1Der: Liam. Because he is always solid, so sometimes doesn't get the credit he deserves, and he shines on this. Also, he sings the lower harmony on the choruses which is always what I revert to, and kills the harmonies on the second verse, proving he can sing high and low.

4. More Than This - Ugh this song gets me everytime. Its the second song where everyone has their own distinct part and its a near perfect mid-tempo ballad. WHY WASN'T THIS THE SECOND SINGLE?? I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND. I mean, granted the autotume is a bit much at times, but it's another showcase of all of their vocal strengths. I thought it was Zayn at the beginning, but its apparently Liam. His falsetto is ethereal. Then it goes into Harry's chorus, and the his rocky/gravely tone of his voice is beyond made for this chorus. SO MANY EMOTIONS. Though it begs the question, why can you see him laying her down? Are you creepin through the bushes or something? Not that I'm one to judge the stalkerish tendancies of songs...and then BOOM, NIALL!Even with the sensory confusion ("If I'm louder, would you see me?" what? no.), he just owns it. he's perfect. and then Louis rounds it out with his JB whine  (seriously, he could have sang Burning Up) on the most overly dramatic part of the song ("My body fails, I'm on my knees, PRAYIN"). and then Zayn's bridge. ZAYN'S BRIDGE. I just, like, wanna be held. This is what I was talking about. Like, I dont believe them at all, but, I totally do haha.

favorite line: "I've never had the words to say, but now I'm asking you to stay, for a little while inside my arms".
standout 1Der: BOOM, NIALL!

5. Up All Night - "UP ALL NIGHT LIKE THIS ALL NIGHT!! Okay, so when I first heard it, I hated it. I thought, ugh this stupid generic song. But like, three spins later, I'm was (and still am) all about it. The youthfulness of it gets me (and the slightly sexual undercurrent that I can't help but hear). "Katy Perry's on replay, she's on replay" is my new "And the Britney song was on, an d the Britney song was on". and the stomping and clapping bit is a cool change up from the electro poppiness of the song. I dont know why, but its just so fun. Another for the roll your windows down and shout it out (preferably at night).

favorite line: "Katy Perry's on reply, she's on replay" Just because.
standout 1Der:  Zayn, for his second verse and his adlibbing and unnecessary but completely necessary runs at the end

6. I Wish - hated this one at first too. At first listen, just the chorus is nothing special. Its one of those songs where I imagined the song writers were like "lets just put some words that kind of rhyme together and call it a day" and I hate that. but the bridge redeems the whole song. The melody in the bits right before the chorus are finally center stage. The harmonies are on point, and you finally feel the teen emotion that you've been longing for (...maybe thats just me). Though all the talk of breaking is a little bit foolish here. I initally thought it was a weaker track, but its grown on me in the same way Gotta be you grew on me.

favorite line: "I wish it was me with my hands on your waist while we dance in the moonlight" WHY ISN'T THIS MY LIFE. FOREVER ALONE.
standout 1Der: no one really stands out all that much. If i'm picking I'd say Harry.

7. Tell Me A Lie - One Direction, One Direction Fans, and the Boy Band Gods need to thank Kween Kelly Clarkson for writing this song and giving it to these boys, because Hallelujah this song is pop heaven. If I had life my way, this would have been their next single after "More than this". Its just perfect. As soon as I heard it I knew that Kelly had written it (she's so distinctive in her writing style/sound). And Zayn SLAYS ON THIS TRACK. Holy Cow, he's just snatching wigs all over the place. His voice is so PERFECT for this chorus I can't even finish this sentence. His voice is ridic on this. and proves that his range is better than mine (which is gross) because I struggle to sing along with him him in my chest voice. If they dont sing this one when I see them on tour, I will kill a cat.

favorite line: "tell me i'm a screwed up mess, that I never listen, listen"...and the whole chorus.
standout 1Der : ZAYN. end of.

8. Taken - Liam's opening on this song. Amazeballs. Seriously. His voice sounds SO GOOD when its so low. It sounds so mature. This song in general is a pretty mature effort from the boys. Its sounds like a song that Boyzone or Take That would have done back in the day. and Harry on the chorus, so gooood. Its simple, but it works. My only fault here again is with a bit of the song writing. Zayn's bridge sounds great vocally, but you can literally hear the breakdown of thought that went into it. "Thank you for showing me, who you are underneath". Okay. "Thank you, I dont need another heartless misery". Still good. "You think i'm doing this to make you jealous, and I know that you hate to hear this, but this is not about you anymore"....huh? WHAT? just...why. its like they literally couldn't think of anything that even sort of rhymed or made sense, so they put that shit in there. but thankfully you dont really dwell on it too much haha.

favorite line: "It's like I'm finally awake, and you're just a beautiful mistake" UGH SO HURTFUL, BUT SO GREAT.
standout 1Der: Liam. Followed very closely by Harry

9. I Want - When did One Direction turn into Mcfly? When Tom Fletcher wrote this song I guess...and I dont hate it AT ALL. Tom's distinctive (now vintage since their own style has changed so much now) Mcfly style/sound is evident from the beginning, with the heavy piano and live instrumentation. Its what I always loved about Mcfly (still love them) and it works surprisingly well for 1D here. Its so bitter and brilliant. Its weird because its one of the only songs where Liam doesn't start the song, and I dont know how I feel about that haha. Harry sounds good, actually, but I just prefer Liam's verse and voice on this kind of song. He's totally the Tom of the group.  And then Zayn's bridge is perfect as well. He's like the bridge-meister. and his unneccesary but complete neccessary runs to end the song are tasty. Ugh, this song should be longer, so I can enjoy it even more.

favorite line: "dont you know that I can't stand when girls say"
standout 1Der: Liam. Doing work on the second verse. and also the quiet solo bit before the last chorus. Zayn's a close second though he almost steals it with the bridge

10. Everything about you- Okay, this is a weird one for me. When I heard only the chorus in the previews I was like, vom. so generic and repetitive. But then when I did my first album listen though, I wasn't paying attention to the track numbers or names and the beginning of this caught my attention so quick I did a double take. I just love the build up of this song. Not gonna lie, i'm still a little let down by the chorus, but overall the verses more than make up for it. and I love again that every member gets their own little solo. The second verse is great because of the harmonies at the end of the phrases. And the lyrics are cheesy and cute. all things I like...but like seriously, i love this song.

favoirte line: tie between "other guys see it but dont realize  that its ma-ma loving" the low harmony is fantastic and the syncopated rhythm of "I still feel it every time". Harry, SO GOOD.
standout 1Der: None really, but not for a bad reason. They are just all equally good and fun. I guess I love Harry's part so I'll say him.

11. Same Mistakes - this is another ballad where 1D sounds too wise for their years. But its. so. freakin. good. They all have writing credits for this song...I WANNA SEE THE RECEIPTS. PICS OR IT DIDNT HAPPEN. I just dont believe it, but I love it. Just so many emotions. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't listen to this during my all nighter during finals and didn't cry during Liam's bit in the second. so what? come at me, bro. I had a lot of feelings that night. and then Zayn's warbling over the last chorus. je meure, je meure (translation: I DIE, I DIE). This, Taken, and More than this, are the kind of songs that you blast in your car with the windows rolled all the way up and cry, kind of like "I wanna know what love is" by Foreigner. So its obviously a good thing.

favorite line: "Wake up, we both need to wake up, Maybe if we face up to this, we can make it through this". There's, like, hope, and despair all tangled up. HE'S TRYNA FIND LOVE IN A HOPELESS PLACE. UGH, SING IT LIAM.
standout 1Der: Liam/Zayn. Zayn brings the emotion to the last third of the song ("WHEN NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE". ugh, i'm crying). and Liam slays the second third into the quiet bridgy thing.

12. Save You Tonight - Oh Louis :) I just want to hate this because its generic RedOne club shit (which is generally my jam anyways), and the lyrics are so cheesy, cheesier than any other animal bi-product...but its Louis. He finally gets his moment shine, like the whole damn song. Its just so precious, because Louis is so precious and the most harmless member of this group after Niall. And also the lower harmony on "but for you I'll be superhumn" is pretty great.  I can't hate it. I only love it more every day.

favorite line: haha I hate all the lyrics. jk. I like "you should open your eyes but they stay closed"

standout 1Der: King Louis. Awww.

13. Stole My Heart - THIS. IS. MY. JAAAAAM. Stole the tune from Dynamite, but I dont even curr, this is probably the song I play the most. Goodness, Liam's voice is actually seductive during the verses its amazing. Its such a perfect ending to an album I can't even handle it. Harry's chorus is so fun, and i love the "eh eh eh" (probs Zayn) throughout the background. The only questionable part is in the bridge when Zayn sings "As we lay on the ground I put my arms around you"...how exactly did we get from the dancefloor, to the ground. like actually on the ground. And i'm almost positive that it should be "as we lie on the ground" but whatever. I'll let it go for the epic dance party that is this song. Gah just love.

favorite line: "Cause your friends, they look good but you look better". This is probably my favorite line in the whole album. Just so direct, but so nonchalant.

standout 1Der: Liam. Killing everyone within a one mile radius. SO GOOD.

So basically, its a complete album with very little fillers. Grade: A-

Can't wait to push 10 year olds outta my way so I can get to the front at their concert!!! Yay March 2nd!!

*Having some of the best pop producers/song-writers known doesn't hurt though

Things I hate

...hate is a strong word. Whatever.

1. this haircut:

Sorry if we're friends and you have this haircut...I guess now you know how i really feel. Like...doesn't half of your head get really cold? what is the point? You can't wear a headband, you basically always have to wear it down to understand it. It looks good on...no one.

2. Nose-pickers at Clemons.

 Okay so I understand that sometimes your nose wants to dance because its got a little boogie in it. that's fine, happens to the best of us. But what makes you think its alright to start digging for gold when you have someone sitting directly in front of you?? You may think I'm just studying my life away, but its pretty damn hard to concentrate on the message of the gender roles in Much Ado about Nothing when you're feeling free as a bird and have all five fingers up your nostrils. and also it makes my life really uncomfortable. Like...What do I do? Do I stare at you with a disgusted look on my face? Because that makes me look kind of weird, being that i'm staring at you instead of doing my work. But realistically, my peripheral vision is so on point that even if my head is buried in my books, i'll still be able to see you from the corner of my eye. Litterally the worst kind of catch-22 (to study, or to watch someone pick their nose). Either way, this is not your home. This is Clemons library, i'm trying to do SERIOUS WORK. STOP KILLING MY STUDY GRIND...just kidding, who goes to Clem to get work done hahahaha...but actually though stop picking your nose. its gross.

3. Toby from Degrassi

...Ugh was't he just the worst?? There was literally nothing appealing about this kid.

EDIT: Just kidding. This kid was worse.

Rick the psyco. HE SHOT JIMMY (aka Aubrey "Drake" Graham) 

4. Vegetables

...probably should get over this one.

5. Rain

I know that we need it for the environment and for things to grow and such. But rain is seriously the most despicable form of precipation out there (if you were wondering, "mist" is second...you just can't dress for mist). It used to be because I had permed hair and rain/water/moisture always just made a mess of it. But now that i'm a natural girl (Thank you, Chris Rock), I realize its a more deep-seated issue. Rain depresses me like no other. If I wake up on a rainy morning, chances are I'll be inexplicable upset for the whole day. It usually starts with me not actually waking up and oversleeping because everything is gray and dark, so I just stay in bed and fall asleep again. It also gives rise to two other things I hate: waterlogged shoes and wet pant leg bottoms.

6. Baby-hands on regular sized people

Okay, hate is a strong word in this case. They just make me uncomfortable. But if we're friends and you have them, I've already explained it to you so we're cool. I can see past it. It isn't like a make or break thing ("Okay, so just show me your hands, and then I can verify that we are friends and not just frequent aquaintances").

8. Vomit

I. Cannot. Deal.

9. English Discussions

So many english majors, so many feelings...and a whole lot of bs-ing. As someone who can barely read/write/formulate original thoughts, I'm clearly not made for this kind of environment. I'm just not hipster enough for it *kanyeshrug*