Spilling On... One Direction

In what direction do five gay guys walk? Yeah you've heard the joke.

One Direction.

The British-Irish boyband that made waves in the USA last fall is arguably the biggest group in the world at the moment. Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson all tried out as solo contestants in 2010 on the British X-Factor and were made into a group by the infamous Simon Cowell. The rest, of course, is history.

One Direction is best known for their smash hit "What Makes You Beautiful" from their platinum selling debut, Up All Night. Their sophomore album, Take Me Home, went on to go number 1 in more than thirty five countries.

They are an attractive quintet. The girls go wild for them everywhere they go. We watch their every move. Their relationships cause  a tabloid frenzy. Most are well acquainted with baby-faced womanizer, Harry Styles, and the long list of older women he woos. However, I'm not here to gossip.

A notable piece missing from One Direction coverage, is the analysis of their talent itself. What do we think of their voices? Who is likely to breakout and have the big solo career, a la Justin Timberlake? What can we expect from them (musically) in the future?

Well, beware fans, I am about to give my honest opinion of each group member.

 Liam Payne 

I know, most people would expect me to break Harry down first since he is the press favorite, but I am deciding on Liam for multiple reasons.He is above and beyond the most talented member of the group. I applaud the Huffington Post for being one of the few news outlets to tell the truth. Look to see "Most Talented" Liam initially tried out for the X Factor in 2008 at the tender age of 14. He got yeses from all judges and had a great voice to work with, but was not ready to be in the spotlight. He returned in 2010 at age 16 to sing Michael Buble's version of "Cry Me A River" at auditions and received a standing ovation. I was impressed, he could've been something respectable. Check out his solo videos on YouTube.

Unfortunately, music mogul, Simon Cowell only saw dollar signs and put him in a group with four other not so great singers, forming One Direction. Liam carried the vocals throughout the live shows, and frankly, without him, One Direction would've be toast. He has a wide range, hitting the lowest notes and the highest with a strong falsetto, and a well-supported, warm, emotive arm voice that rarely wavers on pitch. Recently, the group has been decreasing his vocal role and I do not believe it has worked to their benefit. We haven't seen him sing a song by himself in two years, and rightfully so. He'd show up the others. He is my choice for breakout star. 

Harry Styles

Oh, Harry. He's the tabloid favorite. He has made his mark around town, flirting up a storm with women twice his age. Cougars everywhere are going crazy over the floppy haired, barely legal singer. He has the charisma, but does he have the vocal ability? Harry has a raspy voice that was likable at One Directions' Judge's Homes performance on the X Factor. He had a good solo audition... However, the weaknesses in his voice gradually came to show. He is not very pleasant to listen to live and had an awful time getting down his solo in "What Makes You Beautiful." Maybe he should spend more time on his voice and less on the ladies.

Niall Horan

Niall is also a fan favorite. He's the Irish one of the bunch. His accent and laidback personality make him quite likable. His audition wasn't very great. There weren't major pitch problems, just a clear lack of training since the notes weren't supported. Fortunately for him, his fun personality makes up for his vocal flaws.

Zayn Malik

Zayn is a polarizing figure among the fanbase. Most will agree that he is best looking, but his vocals are highly disputed. I will come out and say I am no fan of his voice. His "runs" are excessive and often pitchy. They attempt to cover up the lack of breath support he has while singing. I could never see him having a solo career. In my opinion, his audition was terrible, and I continue to wonder how and why he got through to the next round.

Louis Tomlinson

Then there's Louis. Oh Louis. As nice as a person he seems, he can't sing. His audition was ear-splitting. The pitch was way off and his tone was incredibly nasal. No person in his right mind would've let him through based on that. This made me question Simon Cowell's integrity.

Yeah, that was pretty harsh, but it was about time someone tells it like it is. Attractive people should not get an easy pass on talent. Many tween girls will still believe that some of them are the best singers on the planet. So why doesn't the press talk about their talent, rather than their looks?

Unlike past boybands, One Direction has insisted on keeping things "equal" while also suppressing the the vocal talents of their strongest member.