It’s hard to believe it’s been one year since we welcomed Niall Horan’s sophomore album Heartbreak Weather into our lives.
While the past year has been volatile, we don’t want to know what it would’ve been like without this album. From dancing around our bedrooms to “New Angel,” sobbing to “Still,” or imagining our future wedding to “Black and White,” the Heartbreak Weather era has absolutely treated us well.
Heartbreak Weather went No. 1 in the UK and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in the US. Sonically, it was a departure from Niall’s debut album Flicker; Heartbreak Weather checked all the pop-rock boxes that complement the softer, slowed-down songs on his previous album. A well-rounded discography is what Niall was looking for, especially when it comes time to tour again, noting the joy he and his fans felt during the upbeat songs at his live shows.
Although Niall made the difficult decision to cancel the Nice To Meet Ya Tour in April 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, he opted for virtual charity performances and a global livestream concert back in November at London’s Royal Albert Hall — keeping the health and safety of his fans and touring team in mind. All of the money from the virtual concert even went to his touring team and the We Need Crew fund.
The album is a cohesive body of work that also tells a story of heartbreak, a theme that many artists write about. However, what makes Heartbreak Weather so special is the vulnerability in the lyrics. In the bonus track “Dress,” Niall sings: “I keep staring at that white little number / The one in the picture / When we lose our temper / You’d look at it for hours / But do you still want it?” The ability to write so sincerely is a testament to Niall’s dedication to creating an honest record, but it also has something to do with his relationship with his fans.
While Niall is famously private about his personal relationships, there is mutual trust between him and his fans that other artists wish they could have. He looks to them for feedback, he’ll go reply to them in tweet sprees, and he’ll even spend hours on end on Instagram live with them. He could bottle up his most personal songs and keep them in a vault forever, but he is comfortable enough to share them with the world, but maybe most importantly, his fans.
Heartbreak Weather was released during one of the most unprecedented moments in the world, and it brought solace to millions, and we can’t thank Niall enough for that. We’ll be counting down the days until we get to dance around an arena to these songs on tour. Happy anniversary to Heartbreak Weather!