It’s been a little while since One Direction broke up (sorry - went on hiatus) and our hearts are still a little bit broken.
But news that Niall has released his own material as a solo artist? That’s enough to perk anyone up.
A stripped-down performance of This Town in a new "1 Mic 1 Take" video has also landed on YouTube if you want to check it out. And OF COURSE you want to check it out – those ears aren't painted on.
"I'm excited to announce I have signed a record deal with Capitol Records USA and released my first solo song.
"Thank you to all the One Direction fans for your love and support as always.
I'm looking forward to the next part of this journey together," Niall said when the surprise track dropped.
Aw, thanks Niall.
Niall's the first of the 1D boys (other than Zayn Malik, obvs) out of the tracks with solo material, which is pretty impressive.
And, according to him, all the boys are working on their own things. Which could mean four / five times the amount of 1D goodness to go around, right? RIGHT? Come on guys, we're putting as positive a spin on this hiatus business as we can.
As for the video, it's pretty Ed Sheeran – make of that what you will. We like how he looks like he really, really means every word, and as for the moody black and white - it's dreamy.
Niall caused a bit of a stir when he announced that he'd moved away from Syco, Simon Cowell's label, to Capital Records. "Et tu, Niall?" We imagine Simon saying, perhaps shaking his fist in one of his many mansions, as the news came hot on the heels of Liam Payne's defection.
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