Album Review: "Four"—One Direction

One Direction is a band with one of the more confusing fan bases of recent memory: the mix between tween girls, 40–year–old women, and collegiate LGBTQ communities is eclectic, to say the least. This diversity evidently influences their song choice in their new album, “Four,” where they feature what can only be described as NSYNC’s version of an Irish bar song, “Act My Age,” and R&B-esque slow jams like “Once in a Lifetime.” In “18,” the band croons about the girl that they have loved since they were 18 and young. This is good for laughs, if nothing else; Harry Styles turned 20 only several months ago. This being said, this album also has numerous tracks virtually indecipherable from each other until one of these odd surprises pops up. Other tracks, like “Clouds” or “Fools Gold,” are almost unlistenable and much like songs on their other albums. Nonetheless, “Four” allows the band to go in new directions (pun intended) and take on a slightly more mature tone—“Spaces” especially accomplishes this. While there are many missteps, like the possibly anti-feminist “Steal My Girl,” failed attempts at maturity, and an incorrect definition of the disorder on the track “Stockholm Syndrome,” many of the songs are so catchy that whether you like this album or not, you will find yourself singing it.