As I’m writing these words, I’m listening to Niall Horan sing in a raspy, highly expressive croon about lost love in his surprise single, “This Town.” For anyone who doesn’t understand why the new song is a big deal, Horan is the first of the four One Direction bandmates to release a song since the band started their indefinite hiatus at the beginning of the year. Horan announced on his Twitter on Sept. 29 at approximately 11 a.m. EST that he had a new single to share with fans, effectively marking the band’s transition from solely group artists to individual artists who are now openly pursuing their own interests.

While band members Harry Styles and Liam Payne have worked publicly on projects – whether within the acting industry or music industry, respectively – Horan has mostly fallen under the radar with his recent endeavors, though he has made a few references in interviews that he was in and out of the studio collaborating with other artists. Therefore, to say that his single is completely unprecedented would be incorrect, but its sudden appearance certainly ought to turn a few heads since there is no confirmation as to whether he is still with the band’s label Syco or if he has transitioned to a new label entirely that will focus on his individual image rather than the highly contrived, micromanaged band image. Still, there is still confusion over whom he is signed with since he was linked to Sony over the summer and was then linked to Capitol Records on the day of the release.

Nonetheless, I’ll admit that I was mostly surprised by Horan’s release because of the timing. A day prior to the song’s release, AnOther Man Magazine released a complete magazine spread that included photos and interviews regarding Styles’ latest endeavors and detailing his work in the upcoming Christopher Nolan film, “Dunkirk,” as well as talking about what the future will bring for him as he ventures off in his own pursuits.

The magazine photo spread effectively distanced Styles, who is now said to be signed with Columbia, from the band without doing so in a negative connotation – he still spoke fondly of his time in the band and has not ruled out collaborating in the future – and certainly made an effort to redevelop his “womanizer” image from his previous team by showing him as more down-to-earth and less of a gender stereotype. However, if nothing else, it seems like the band’s previous team still leans on when their projects are released. Thoughtfully placed them at the end of the month, the news about both projects will be relevant enough to also make headlines as we transition into October. Additionally, arranging them within a day of each other gives the illusion that the band members are now rivals. However, they quickly resolved those fan fears.

Amidst all of the speculation and excitement to see what each of the band member’s does with their newfound time, one thing is certain – Horan’s “This Town” is an absolute tune. I have already watched the video a handful of times and purchased the song on iTunes, and I recommend that you do the same.