The Show (Niall Horan album)

Last updated

On 22 May 2023, Horan announced a 50-date tour promoting the album, which is set to visit Europe, Oceania and North America. [29] Horan later added seven more dates due to high demand.[ citation needed ]

Critical reception

The Show
Niall Horan - The Show.png
Studio album by
Released9 June 2023 (2023-06-09)
Studio
  • Chickering (Nashville)
  • EastWest (Hollywood)
  • Golden Age (Hollywood)
  • Juicy Hill (Nassau)
  • Little Fan (Auckland)
  • Mmm (Auckland)
  • Playpen (Calabasas)
  • Richmond Sound (London)
  • Skyline (Joshua Tree)
Length30:39
Label Capitol
Producer
Niall Horan chronology
Heartbreak Weather
(2020)
The Show
(2023)
Live from Spotify Studios
(2024)
Singles from The Show
  1. "Heaven"
    Released: 17 February 2023
  2. "Meltdown"
    Released: 28 April 2023
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 83/100 [30]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [31]
Clash 8/10 [32]
I Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [33]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [34]
The Line of Best Fit 6/10 [35]
MusicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [36]

The Show was met with critical acclaim by the music critics, it received a score of 83 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on seven critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [30] Roisin O'Connor of The Independent called the album "the apotheosis of Horan's classic rock sound, which he has been carefully honing ever since his solo debut" and "beautifully cohesive". She wrote that it "finds Horan moving towards the lusher production sound of his former bandmate Harry Styles. Laurel Canyon references mingle easily with Eighties synth-pop and Noughties guitar rock". [34] Writing for Clash , Hannah Sinclair found that Horan "does not disappoint with his latest eclectic release" and that the album "explores deeper meanings to previous work after having time to reflect on life during our multiple lockdowns", summarising that it "is undoubtedly Niall Horan's finest and most mature album to date – and was certainly worth the wait". [32]

Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone opined that The Show is "full of laid-back Laurel Canyon-inspired ballads, heavy on the mellow, full of feelings about looking for sanity in a time of personal turmoil", remarking that it is "touching to hear [Horan] get so intimate on his own" and complimenting the "empathy" he brings to "power ballads" like "Heaven". [37] Caitlin Chatterton of The Line of Best Fit wrote that "Listening to the album in full reveals [the first two singles] as the standout tracks by a healthy margin" and that the remainder of the album "is often hampered by its predictability" despite being "far from a bad record". [35] Rachel Martin, reviewing for Fault magazine, stated that the album was "Horan’s most vulnerable and mature songwriting to date", and adding that the singer "takes cent[re] stage [...] a place he’s rightfully earned." [38]

Commercial performance

In Horan's native Ireland, The Show debuted at number 1 on the Irish album chart. [39] In the UK, the album debuted and peaked at number 1, becoming Horan's second solo number 1 album in that country. [40] In the US, The Show sold 68,000 copies in the first week of release, debuting at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 1 on the Vinyl albums chart. [41] The deluxe version of the album, The Show: The Encore, was released in November 2023 and entered the UK Albums Sales Chart at number 39. [42]

Track listing

The Show track listing [43]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Heaven"
  • Ryan
  • Little
3:06
2."If You Leave Me"
  • Ryan
  • Bunetta
2:59
3."Meltdown"
  • Ryan
  • Little
2:33
4."Never Grow Up"
  • Little
  • Ryan
  • Bunetta
3:29
5."The Show"
  • Little
  • Scott [v]
3:11
6."You Could Start a Cult"
  • Little
  • Ryan
  • Bunetta
3:20
7."Save My Life"
  • Horan
  • Allen
  • Ryan
Ryan2:57
8."On a Night Like Tonight"
  • Ryan
  • Matt Zara [a]
3:07
9."Science"
  • Horan
  • Needle
  • Bryer
  • Scott
  • Little
  • Scott [v]
2:45
10."Must Be Love"
3:09
Total length:30:39
Japanese bonus track [44]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
11."Heaven" (Acoustic)
  • Horan
  • Jesso
  • Ryan
  • Little
Ryan3:04
Total length:33:43
The Show: The Encore additional tracks
No.TitleLength
11."You Could Start a Cult" (Encore version with Lizzy McAlpine)3:14
12."The Show" (Encore version with John Legend)3:11
13."Heaven" (Live from Electric Picnic)3:11
14."If You Leave Me" / "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Live from Electric Picnic)5:17
15."Meltdown" (Stripped)3:44
16."Save My Life" (Live from Electric Picnic)3:08
17."On a Night Like Tonight" (Live)3:38
18."Science" (Live from Spotify Studios)2:56
19."Something in the Orange" (Live from Spotify Studios)4:02
Total length:01:03:00

Notes

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Release history

Release formats for The Show
RegionDateFormat(s)LabelEditionRef.
Various9 June 2023 Capitol Standard [72]
3 November 2023
  • Digital download
  • streaming
The Show: The Encore [73]
5 April 2024
  • 2×LP
  • CD

See also

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