After five years and four albums debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, One Direction still manages to have fans all over the world in hysteria. On July 31, the band unsuspectingly dropped their latest single, “Drag Me Down” from their upcoming album. After letting the shock of a new single sink in, I am certain that “Drag Me Down” will keep the already relevant band in the spotlight for quite some time.
The new song is a far cry from the “bubblegum pop” image that the now-20-somethings have been labeled for the past five years. However, the different sound is most certainly a positive development under these circumstances. From the change, the band has derived a greater respect from older demographics. The edgier sound has been compared to the English rock band, The Police. Although the sound takes some getting used to, when you listen to songs from 1D’s latest album, "FOUR," such as “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “No Control,” the similarities make the transition less alarming.
Change was also imperative following the abrupt departure of former band member, Zayn Malik, on March 25. Since then, all eyes have been on the band and whether or not they will keep creating new sounds or will fade out like many boy bands before them.
Right now, One Direction does not seem to be going anywhere. The remaining four members have never seemed more committed to each other, writing their music and performing the new songs to the fans. They are currently in the middle of the U.S. leg of their stadium tour with no indication of weariness or a finish line in sight.
Certainly, their upcoming album will be the true test to see how they fare without Malik’s strong vocals. Nonetheless, I consider them up to the test. In less than 24 hours, “Drag Me Down” hit No. 1 on iTunes in 82 countries and sold more copies than their first single “What Makes You Beautiful” sold in its first week.
The rest of the world may have made up their mind on how they will perceive One Direction, but these guys have made it clear that any preconceived notions will not drag them down any time soon.
