Niall Horan recently made headlines with his rise to the top of the Billboard 200 chart with his debut solo album, “Flicker.” The hit was released through Capitol Records on Oct. 20.

Horan is the third member of One Direction to reach a No. 1 solo album, a feat for bands that’s only accomplished by The Beatles. Horan follows former bandmate Zayn Malik with “Mind of Mine” and bandmate Harry Styles with his self-titled debut. The Beatles produced multiple solo No. 1 records from George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

One Direction is making music chart history even while on hiatus. With no experience in the industry as solo artists, the four members and one ex-member seem to be doing just fine. “Flicker” topped the charts and sold 152,000 copies last week. Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne have yet to release their solo albums, which means One Direction has the potential to break The Beatles’ record.

Everyone doubted the solo success of One Direction’s members when the band broke up. People had no faith that the biggest pop band in the world could break off into five successful individual artists. What people will deny until charts prove otherwise is that, with Horan’s No. 1 debut solo album, One Direction just got one step closer to being The Beatles of the millennial generation.

Tying a huge Beatles record legitimizes One Direction and defends the boy band’s impact on the industry. Payne’s solo album will most likely be a No. 1 album as well, with his singles dominating the charts right now. If that record also hits No. 1, The Beatles will lose their title, and One Direction will make history.

Even Paul McCartney admitted to Sky News the groups’ similarities in 2013: “I like One Direction. They’re young, beautiful boys and that’s the big attraction… But they can sing, they make good records, so I think that’s what I would see in common (with The Beatles). Girls love them.”

Some people in the industry are against the comparison because they think The Beatles were way more popular in their time and also played their own instruments, wrote all their own songs and were musical innovators. While these statements may be true, there is no denying the individual success of One Direction’s members.

I personally wasn’t sure how their solo careers would unfold, as I was a huge fan of the fivesome-turned-foursome. I was so used to the group’s sound, their album cycle and their evolution, that the boy-band-loving girl in me was scared to see the paths they’d forge they’d take as solo artists. I am especially pleased with how successful they have been, especially Styles, who’s exploring a completely different sound.

At the end of the day, the charts ultimately prove similarities between One Direction and The Beatles. The times are different, and The Beatles changed the music industry in ways we couldn’t even imagine. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the One Direction members are the new Beatles, but I would say they are impressively making themselves out to be The Beatles of our generation.

Phoebe Smith is a senior public relations major. Her column appears biweekly in Pulp. You can email her at phsmith@syr.edu or follow her on Twitter @phoebesmithh5.

Published on November 1, 2017 at 5:22 pm