One Direction, ‘Little Things’ – Song Review

One Direction follow up ‘Live While We’re Young,’ the insanely catchy first single from ‘Take Me Home’ with a markedly different song. ‘Little Things’ is an emotional ballad, largely consisting of the boys’ voices over a gentle, lilting acoustic guitar. And that’s it. They could not have gone in any more opposite of a (one) direction with the second single from their second album.

It’s very much about Harry, Zayn, Liam, Louis and Niall, and what their voices can do with an Ed Sheeran-penned song. They’ve been down this road before, as Sheeran also wrote ‘Moments’ from ‘Up All Night,’ and yes, it sounds like 1D covering a Sheeran song. But for whatever reason the universe has decreed, an adorable boy band singing a singer-songwriter’s intimate, extremely vivid composition about loving a girl… just works.

It’s a sweet song that all Directioners will be left wishing their favorite member of the fivesome is singing to them.

The lyrics are very intimate, detailing the crinkles by her eyes, the dimples on her back at the bottom of her spine and her love for nighttime tea. In the chorus, 1D declare that they are in love with her. Swoon. Like seriously. The song goes so deep it reaches marrow, which is not a trait normally associated with boy bands.

It’s a step away from frothy, fun, slick and sleek boy band pop, in favor of a heartfelt, emotionally weighty ballad. Yes, 1D does it justice.

For the last 20 seconds, the lads harmonize gloriously on this delightfully sleepy song.

The song is a vehicle that let’s their individual vocal styles shine, and they can sidestep that nonsense about being puppets who sing studio-created and overly treated songs. This feels like it’s “their” song, since it’s their voices driving it, and nothing else. It’s stripped down and bare, with the vocal cards laying face up on the table. We like when 1D gets sensitive.

It won’t make you dance, but it might make you feel loved and that’s just as important, especially when you are 15.

Listen to One Direction, ‘Little Things’