Niall Horan has returned with his new single “Heaven,” his first piece of solo material in nearly three years.
The new track was recorded in southern California and co-written by the star, John Ryan, Tobias Jesso Jr., and Joel Little. The latter also produced the single.
“One thing I’ve learned over the years is that society loves to pressure us into reaching certain milestones by a certain age,” Horan said in a press release. “Whether that’s getting married or anything else, that really should be based on our own instincts. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to let go of those expectations and just follow my heart.
“The chorus of this song is saying that what I have in my life currently is amazing. So it would be crazy to ruin that by giving in to outside pressures.”
In the run-up to the track’s release, a snippet of the song shared on Horan’s TikTok account amassed over 100 million views since October 2022. He teased the release further in the week before its unveiling by sending fans around the world boxes containing a candle, lyrics from the chorus of “Heaven,” and a QR code that led to the website heavenwontbethesame.com.
“Heaven” is the first track to be taken from Horan’s upcoming new album, The Show, which will be released on June 9. Just before that record arrives, the star will make his festival debut at Boston Calling on May 26, kickstarting a run of festival appearances over the summer, which also include Pinkpop and Isle Of Wight.
Horan will also appear on the new season of The Voice, sharing his wisdom and musical knowledge as one of the coaches on the show. Season 23 will premiere on March 6 on NBC.
In 2021, the musician teamed up with pop star Anne-Marie for a charity cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere.” The cover served as the official single for BBC Children In Need and featured a star-studded backing band, including Ed Sheeran on guitar, Griff on synths, Yungblud on bass, and additional help from Lewis Capaldi and Sam Smith.