One Direction have little to worry about when it comes to their rivals trying to steal the boyband crown. Their upcoming album Four hit number one on 65 iTunes charts across the world two whole months before it’s even released, waiting to add to the 94 official chart-topping positions they’ve already achieved in their career so far.
However, if its lead single ‘Steal My Girl’ is anything to go by, the five-piece are a little vulnerable when it comes to potential love rivals. "She’s been my queen since we were sixteen/ We want the same things/ We dream the same dreams, alright?" Zayn warns on the opening line - and it’s the perfectly-quiffed crooner who takes centre stage for most of the track.
Co-written by Louis and Liam, along with Ed Drewett, Wayne Hector, Julian Bunetta and John Ryan (the ‘Best Song Ever’ dream team), ‘Steal My Girl’ begins with a jubilant Elton-meets-ABBA piano line, before it flits between the bouncy riff with added skittering electronics, and light bass guitar strums. It’s a minor departure from what we’ve come to expect from a One Direction lead single, but not so much that it would feel out of place at one of their sold-out shows.
The premise is simple: these guys are head over heels for their childhood sweethearts (“I got it all ‘cos she is the one/ Her mum calls me ‘love’, her dad calls me ‘son’, alright.”), and this is a stadium-sized caution for prying scallywags to stay away. Even if "every jaw drops when she’s in those jeans, alright."
Zayn shines on the mid-tempo anthem - especially when he climbs into his magnificent ‘You and I’-styled high note for the final chorus - while Niall’s “I know, I know” on the bridge, and the epic “Na, na, na, na, na” refrain instantly lodges itself in your brain. Sure, it’s pop by numbers, but it’s very, very good pop by numbers.
Is this the more mature sound One Direction have been teasing? No, but it’s a solid transitional song that will likely lead into the slightly more ‘Fireproof’ adult contemporary crossover vibe for the remainder of Four. Do we think this is another number one hit for the group? Of course it is! It swoops, it soars - and most importantly, it’s insanely catchy.
