Nobody can drag them down, them being One Direction of course. Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson took the world by storm in the summer of 2010 after their success on the popular T.V. show, X-Factor UK. The four-piece band have since continued to stay at the top. With stadium tours for their four albums that debuted at No. 1, one can only expect the best of their newest album, Made in the A.M. Pre-released singles have paved the road for success for this album, but Made in the A.M. may in fact be the boys’ 5th and final album.

One Direction, one of the world’s most popular bands, has confirmed that they will be taking a well-deserved break beginning in 2016. This has led world-wide fans to believe that the highly-anticipated Made in the A.M. is the boys’ last album. This is, in fact, their 5th album in 5 years. If this is true, even though the band has stated that it’s not, then their 5th album is set up to go out with a bang. “Drag Me Down”, an unannounced single from the album, hit #1 on the iTunes chart only moments after it was released. Days later, a music video was released and currently has over 200 million views on YouTube. On October 16th, another single, “Perfect,” was released and a video was uploaded on YouTube within the week. A week after the album was released, Made in the A.M. is one of the top albums on the iTunes and Billboard Top 100 charts and here’s why.

The new album consists of songs like “Drag Me Down” and “End of the Day” that can get anyone pumped up and excited. “Drag Me Down” talks directly to One Direction’s loyal fans. A very eventful year for the band could’ve lost them many ‘Directioners’, a play on words for One Direction’s fans, but they didn’t leave their side, even after a member of the band, Zayn Malik, quit in March 2015. “Love You Goodbye,” a song released 3 days before the album was set to hit stores, is a stripped-back, soulful song written by Louis Tomlinson. The heartbreaking ballad is about seeing a girl one last time before they break apart from each others lives. Even the instruments and sound effects give you a feeling that you just want to hold on to that moment forever. “If I Could Fly” is another somber and powerful song. It also has a great message, relaying to fans that it’s okay to have your flaws because the person who loves you most will love you just the same. Freshman Rose Langrehr says, “I really like ‘If I Could Fly’ because it’s a slow paced song and it allows you to hear the power and emotion put into it.”

One Direction proves that they are really diverse when they add some sass, humor, and harmonies into their songs. They also provide their own background vocals. In “Never Enough”, a jam-out song about how the boys can’t get enough of a girl’s personality and beauty, One Direction adds a cappella in the beginning, and continue to use the rising genre of music in the background of the song. “Perfect” is the second single from Made in the A.M. and is possibly written about Harry Styles’ ex-girlfriend, Taylor Swift. Verses of the song reference Swift’s own songs, “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “Style,” which are both rumored to be about Harry Styles himself. He keeps the fans in anticipation, never revealing who the song is about, but a smirk on a TV interview humors the fans and pretty much gives them the answer they’ve known. In “Wolves”, a track only available on the deluxe album, the boys add a few harmonies here and there. Instead of the usual ‘one-man singing’ gig, Liam Payne joins with Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, or both guys, to create a sound from One Direction that has never been heard before.

Even as a die-hard One Direction fan, I have to admit that some songs were not up to par. The preview for “Hey Angel”, the first track on Made in the A.M., did not appeal to me, at all, and even when I bought the song it still wasn’t appealing. “Hey Angel” isn’t terrible, but it’s pretty bad. While the beginning guitar and drums sound like it’s coming through a static-y radio station, the lyrics have some meaning, I guess, but I have yet to find the silver lining. However, Rose disagrees. “It’s one of my favorites!” she exclaims. “ ‘Hey Angel’ has such a cool beat and the boys all sound really good in it. The lyrics also just make me smile.”  Another song, “Temporary Fix”, was hard to get into at first, literally because the boys just jumped right into singing and didn’t give you time to adjust to the beat. But now, “Temporary Fix” is my go-to song if I just wanna let it all go and dance till I drop.

I have to say, One Direction’s newest album Made in the A.M. is pretty good. At the moment, it’s my favorite album from the band, and of course they had their little bumps, but doesn’t every artist? Trying out new things on this album right before they go on break was a pretty bold move, but a smart one at the same time. This album will surely leave a mark on the music industry while they’re working on separate projects. This newest addition to One Direction’s list of accomplishments and their very loyal fans pretty much guarantees even more success for when the band returns in 2017.