With talk of Harry’s third album coming sooner than expected and images of Niall in the studio, it’s safe to assume that we will soon have brand new music from the boys to enjoy. The last album dropped by any of the members of One Direction was Zayn’s Nobody is Listening in January 2021, an 11-track masterpiece that filled the void of new music we were craving. However, with covid-19 restrictions on concerts and shows starting to lift worldwide, making it easier for artists to tour their music, it seems that we are likely to be graced with new songs to sing along to from some of the members of the band in 2022. 

The big question is: what will they sound like? Will Louis stick to the Britpop influenced, guitar ladened tracks? Will Liam move away from the R&B sounds of LP1 to a more acoustic sound à la his songs for One Direction? Below, we’ve made predictions for what each of the boys’ new albums might sound like. Let us know if you agree!

Niall Horan

Niall’s debut album, 2017’s Flicker, was an acoustic dream with soft, slow ballads such as ‘This Town’ and ‘Paper Houses’ setting the tone. Taking inspiration from folk-pop, with a sound that could be described as not too dissimlar to Mumford and Sons, it was well received. The experimentation with rockier songs in the form of ‘Slow Hands’ however was an excellent steppingstone for his sophomore album, 2020’s Heartbreak Weather. Describing the tone of the album on the Zach Sang Show, Niall talked about the influences, stating he was “leaning in on that 80’s/90’s thing” a bit more, a sound he’d grown up influenced by. With songs like ‘No Judgement’ and ‘Small Talk’ paving the way for a more grown-up sound with smooth rock undertones, it gives us an idea of what’s to come.

Playing on the experimentation with electric guitars and strong riffs, I think we can expect to see Niall following a similar path to Heartbreak Weather, with sounds similar to Toto and other soft rock bands of the 80s. Maybe an increase in strong bass lines to give way to a retro take on modern music, similar to that of the Jonas Brothers comeback. Either way, I think Niall will stick to what he knows works best—and what we love from him too. 

Liam Payne

2019’s LP1 is packed full of the singles that made Liam into one of the most commercially successful members of the band. ‘Strip That Down’ and ‘Get Low’ are recognisable for their R&B inspired beats, similar to the rest of the album. However, the album was dogged by negative reviews, citing the lack of personalisation Liam put into the body of work and the hyper sexualisation it presented. Liam himself seemed to agree with this, telling the Daily Star Online in 2020: “Getting back in the studio I really am looking at what the messages are I want to say rather than just going through the motions of making a song…it’s a rejuvenation rather than going down that route again. The music I am looking at now is a lot different.”

So, if Liam is planning a move away from the songs he created for LP1, what can we expect? As one of the main songwriters during the band’s time, creating tunes like ‘What a Feeling’ and ‘Wolves’, his ability to create powerful, upbeat songs is not to be disputed. Will we see him leaning back into the singer-songwriter style of music One Direction were producing for Made in the A.M? Will we see him dig deep to produce the sort of heart-breaking, thought evoking lyrics he made for the band? One thing is clear: whatever he comes up with next for LP2, we cannot wait to listen. 

Harry Styles

If 2017’s Harry Styles was his breakout, 2019’s Fine Line was Harry’s cementation into pop super stardom. His debut album, which experimented with soft-rock sounds more than what we were used to from his time in the band, was admittedly still him finding his feet. Speaking to National Public Radio, he said of the debut album: “When I listen back to the first album now, although I still love it so much, I feel like I was almost bowling with the bumpers up a little bit. I can hear places where I was playing it safe.” Considering that, his sophomore album was definitely him putting the bumpers down. Inspired by the 70’s sounds of Carole King, Fleetwood Mac and Harry Nilsson, he created an unapologetic album about sex, break-ups, being true to yourself and cunnilingus specifically on ‘Watermelon Sugar’. The album was arguably a summer dream in the form of a pop-rock album, perfect to perform to the masses.

So, what does that mean for his impending third album? We already know he’s set to shoot a new music video any day now and given his Coachella announcement, it seems we can expect it by the summer. Would that mean more summer anthems, akin to ‘Canyon Moon’? Or would he like to experiment further with that 70s sound he seems to feel at home with? We all know he’s a fan of Shuggie Otis and Patti Drew—could he be tempted to ramp up the bass lines and add a hint of funk to this album? Whatever he produces, it is sure to keep us on our toes. 

Zayn Malik

As the member of the band with the most separate sound to the others, influenced by early 2000s R&B, Zayn’s music has arguably appealed to a larger demographic of listeners thanks to the smooth beats he’s become known for. His three albums have largely been consistent in tone and sound, meaning that we can comfortably predict the sound for his next. 2016’s Mind of Mine was a burst of Zayn’s creative abilities that we hadn’t seen from him in the band, a debut to set him apart from the off. 2018’s Icarus Falls was a concept album that delved further into his dealings with fame, love and his time in One Direction. 2021’s Nobody is Listening was arguably his most intimate album to date, showcasing the Bradford native’s experimentation with spoken word in ‘Calamity’ and paying homage to his culture with verses sang in Urdu, Malik’s second language, on ‘Tightrope’. If there’s one thing all three albums have achieved, it’s a reminder of how well established he is in that genre of music.

Though it doesn’t seem like we will be expecting new music any time soon from him, partially owing to the current issue with his record label, we can make guesses at what it will sound like when it does eventually drop. More sensual songs ladened with his honey-like voice, more references made to sex and drugs and the pitfalls of fame. But maybe we can expect some changes too. More poetry and spoken word laced into his songs perhaps. A look into his newfound role as a father. Fresh challenges within the public eye. One thing is for certain though, if his past albums are anything to go by; he certainly won’t disappoint.

Louis Tomlinson

The oldest member of the band arguably had the hardest time finding his feet as a solo artist. Experimenting with pop-dance singles initially, he then leant into the work of his favourite artists for influence, such as Oasis and Arctic Monkeys, whose indie rock sound was one he wanted to recreate in his own music. Tweeting in 2019, he said that he wanted to stop writing to fit a “specific formula”, saying: “Maybe I should start with what I love and work from there.” It’s this awareness that brought us his debut album Walls in 2020, which encompasses that northern style of indie-rock and presents it in a more mainstream way. With songs like ‘Kill My Mind’ and ‘Habit’ sounding like they could easily be at home on an Oasis record, marked by heavy drums and guitars, he established himself far away from the pop sound of the band. 

What does that mean for his next album then? Citing artists such as Sam Fender as one of his main sources of inspiration, I think we can expect him to push the Britpop sound he’s developed even further—both lyrically and instrumentally. We’ve seen how emotionally charged he can make his lyrics in ‘Two of Us’; we’ve seen how well he can compose a love song in ‘We Made It’. For his next album, I think we will see a more refined and polished take on the indie pop sound he loves, with more hard-hitting subjects covered in his songs, akin to Fender. Whatever he produces, it’s sure to be met with love and adoration from us all.