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updownlately · 11 months

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i'm the definition of 'wreck' (if you look into my soul)

| leah williamson x reader | angst | 2.4k | inspo: time by nf / everywhere by niall horan | a/n: i tried to write angst, no idea how that went but here's what i got. technically since no names were named you can imagine any player from the arsenal wfc as 'her' but i wrote this with leah in mind bc well im a lw6 simp

~~~

It's been like this for weeks. This push and pull. The little things that work just a little harder each time to knock you over the edge. To be honest you don’t know how much of it you can take. And what’s worse is you know you’ve got nobody but yourself to blame.

It’s when she’s leaving your shared bed early in the mornings, long before either of you need to be up. It’s the way she’d retire to bed later than she probably should, long after you’ve headed up, risking less sleep just to avoid contact.

It shouldn’t be like this. Love shouldn’t be like this. It shouldn't be missed date nights, keys grabbed after every fight, doors slammed, sometimes more nights a week spent at hotels than your own bed. Yet, it’s all you’ve ever known and the only thing you carry in your heart. This sad, broken, pathetic attempt at love is really all you have to offer.

In all honesty, you were shit at this relationship thing, though no one could blame you. They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and yet you’ve begged and prayed that it would. And yeah you technically have control over your actions and should better yourself, but you’ve tried and failed over and over again. You’ve tried to improve, work on yourself, create a better version of you, but in the end, when everything’s burning and there’s napalm in the air and rubble all around you, all you’ll ever know is to grab your weapon, fire, and run.

It’s left you alone, failed relationship after failed relationship. You swear you’ve tried. Tried to work on communicating, on breathing deep breaths before your anger builds up, on talking about your fucking feelings. Regardless, it’s never enough for yourself. You run, you hide, you lock yourself away until there’s nothing to find.

So when weeks and months pass and you see her each day with the light finally returning to her eyes you can’t help but be glad that she got rid of you.

And when you feel so broken seeing her and her family after a game won at your home pitch, you quietly gather the shattered pieces of your heart and make your way toward the locker rooms with nobody but yourself to blame.

It's only as you pass the friends and family section that you can pick out her mother’s voice and your name being said in conversation, with a follow up question on how you’re doing, something you really don’t deserve after how you’ve treated her.

You’re very much aware that no matter how many times you fix your damaged heart and dull all the sharp edges, that you’ll still end up hurting those around you. So you speed up ever so slightly, shielding your already broken heart, cradling the pieces that had fallen ever so gently as they break further in your hands, careful not to cut anybody along the way. You swear you drop some pieces in your hurry, but with your rush you tell yourself you’d come back later to grab them (spoiler: you never do).

You end up showering and changing before anyone else has even made it back inside. Making a pit stop to confirm your departure and the following days’ schedules with your manager and coach, you check the time and head to your car.

It's late afternoon and while that helps expand your options for lunch, it also means you have one too many hours left in the day to survive before you can let yourself head to bed. Contemplating on how to spend the rest of your day, it’s your tiredness that makes the final decision.

You grab a quick lunch, choosing to not head home and instead to the gym for a workout. It may not be one of your wiser decisions to have an extensive training session today, but with the free time on your hand and the voices in your head, there’s really no better option.

Meeting up with your trainer, which by the way bless his heart for booking you at the last minute, you gather your gloves and handwrap and head towards the equipment. It’s as you run through your normal warm-up that you reflect on how pathetic your life’s become.

For the past three months, you’ve damn near ceased to exist. Yeah your body’s still here, you’re waking up in the mornings, attending practices, playing in games, all the good stuff really, but you know you’re not there. A feeling you’re all too familiar with. The lack of care of what happens to your body, the way your slide tackles and play gets just a tad bit more dangerous each game, the way you keep training, choosing to ignore the idea of a recovery period, the way your car’s more comforting to you than the apartment you own. You’ve been here before and it wasn’t a good place then and it sure as hell isn’t now, but it's all you know and the only thing that’s never really left, so you’ll cherish it for as long as you can. You know that if anything and everything leaves, as they always seem to do, you’ll still have your companion in the darkness.

The sane part of you realizes how far gone you are, it tries, tries so helplessly hard to pull you back, remind you that you can be okay, but this time? This time you’re sure you’ve given up on trying to remember that. So you’ll do what you know best. Let it consume you. Let it destroy you. Pick you apart piece by piece. Let you slowly forget the feel of a sunny day and a good practice with the team. Rid you of the joy that comes with the pretty sunsets London Colney sometimes has to offer. And this time you’ll let it all happen with open arms, truly, honestly, finally exhausted.

An hour later when your trainer’s calling it a day and forcing you to take a break, you listen, if only to spare yourself a lecture. You grab your stuff, shower, change, and head out. You’ve still got a couple hours left to kill, and with your training bag and boots still in your car, it’s not a difficult decision of where to go.

Opening your car door and entering, you can feel the day catch up to you, your body readily sinking into the driver's seat, almost protesting against your mind. You know you’ll be feeling these workouts tomorrow, but your mind’s not done racing yet.

Lacing your boots a short while later, back at the training grounds, you grab your spare ball and warm-up once again, going through the motions. With how many hours you’ve spent at the grounds alone, you’ve developed a pretty consistent solo training session. It's the peace of being alone, a football at your feet, and a near-perfect grassy pitch at your disposal that your mind slowly begins to slow, finally tiring.

You thought you got lucky, a finally tired mind and the hour changing to one acceptable enough for sleep, but then your phone rings, an all too familiar caller ID flashing the screen.

Eight pm after a match in the afternoon is an odd time for your coach to be calling you and with curiosity getting the best of you, you scramble to answer the phone. Running through the pleasantries, you gently prod the reason for his call.

The answer you get isn’t what you were expecting really, but then again, it was a miracle it had taken this long for it to be said.

“Your contract’s ending soon. wrapping up the third and headed into the final year. Any thoughts on your future?”

The tone in Jonas’ voice causes your heart to sink. This club had been home to you since you had left your own. Arsenal had accepted you with open arms from the start, being your saving grace when you had thought you were going to be subjected to living a broken life at a place that never felt like home. When they had renewed your initial two year contract into another four, you had been elated for your future. You had never felt more excited to be tied down to a place before. taking a silent deep breath, you push back the memories of that day and swallow your emotions effortlessly.

“Depends. What's my future at Arsenal looking like?”

“You tell me. You of all players know that chemistry in a team is what makes a team run, what makes a team successful.”

His response tells you everything you need to know. You know he wasn’t oblivious to what had happened. How your outgoing personality had slowly stopped being exactly that. The way that you had pulled away from your teammates, treating them like nothing more than colleagues rather than friends, treating your job as what it simply was, your job. But you never expected him to have let it impact your presence on the team. You knew what you were worth and what you brought to the table. You weren’t a goal scoring machine, or defensive unit, a tough protective wall. You were you. You played all your minutes like they were the last you’d ever play, heart left of the pitch (not that there was much left of it anyway). You were content with setting your teammates up, leading the league in assists. You were a decent tackler, winning more than two thirds of your face-offs on the regular. You knew your worth on the team, and your agent reminded you of it often enough too, mentioning the potential offers you could have from other clubs regardless of how many times you’d told him you didn’t plan to leave.

“Our on pitch chemistry hasn’t changed. My on pitch chemistry hasn’t changed. We’re still a unit on the field Jonas and you know it. You know I have the utmost respect for you and this club, don’t let me think any differently.”

“A handful of clubs have reached out. Their offers are tempting to say the least.”

As much as it hurt you to say the next few words, you knew that taking any other stance would leave you stuck, broken for the umpteenth time. “I trust you to make the best decision for the club. At the end of the day, I wish nothing but the best for Arsenal.”

The ‘with or without me’ goes unsaid but from the few years that you’ve worked with him, you knew for a fact that he had heard the unspoken words. As Jonas lets you know that while a decision had to be made, there wasn’t an immediate rush, you know for a fact that you’ll likely not be calling London home again. And when you both agree to reconnect a week from now, you’ve already accepted your fate.

It’s an unusually silent drive home for you. The brief break you had earlier from your mind is long gone as you make a mental note to get in touch with your agent first thing tomorrow morning.

The post goes up after your last match of the season. While Arsenal had qualified for the Champions League once again, the team had gotten knocked out in the semis for the tournament, ending their season a few days early. It’s between the break of club football and world cup prep that your departure is announced, with no real destination said. If you hadn’t known that London wasn’t home for you anymore, the lack of a response besides an occasional story about the post from a few of your teammates solidified it.

It's when Bayern upload their new signing post with you holding up your new jersey that the final nail in the coffin is hammered in. The way your move suddenly becomes real. The comments being said online. Speculation on why Arsenal decided to let you go despite your importance to their success. Why Bayern was who you chose. Why there was no lengthy farewell. The people were digging for any crumbs, any notions on why you may have left, but it was only you and your teammates that really knew, and you all chose to keep mum.

It’s with the acceptance that you’re leaving do you feel absolutely unwanted and lost. And while you’d felt lost in your life before, it had never been like this. Feeling lost was when you were younger and couldn’t find your mother while at the toy store and when you had gotten your first failing mark in school. Feeling lost was when you were asked to leave your childhood home after coming out, no idea where to go. It was when you still got night terrors from the fights that your parents used to have even when you thought you had healed. But being lost had never felt like this. It had never reminded you that you had lost the only good in your life. That the only family you had ever loved didn’t want you anymore. That you hurt all those around you, people you promised to protect and love. That you had a gaping hole in your chest from a gun that you had fired.

So as the weeks pass and the world cup comes and goes and you notice yourself slipping just a little more each day, you let it play out. You don’t know what your breaking point is but at this point you just don’t care enough to not find out, especially since you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.

When you leave your bed early in the mornings, long before you need to be up just because sleep wasn’t coming to you and retire to bed later than you should just to avoid having to lay in a bed alone, you blame yourself. When you come home to an empty apartment in a new city, the loneliness amplified by the darkness you choose to adorn your apartment with, you have no one to turn to but yourself. And when you interact with your new teammates solely for work in fear of hurting them too, you remind yourself that you’re broken, only able to spread your misery rather than feel joy.

It never was supposed to be like this. Existing wasn’t supposed to be like this. But now it’s all you know and all you have. So when you wish you yourself could leave your body and soul behind, it wasn't hard to understand why she left you.

At the end of the day, when everything's done and gone, you at your core were a mess you didn't know how to control, a wreck of a soul, barely alive.

#woso imagine #woso x reader #leah williamson imagine #leah williamson x reader #woso fanfics #angst #arsenal wfc x reader #x reader #reader insert #my writing #fic #itdow #leah williamson

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allwaswell16 · 7 months

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A One Direction fic rec of fics that involve football (soccer) as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

—Louis/Harry—

⚽ Learning to Breathe by youcomecrash

(E, 110k, uni) He’s playing football at one of the top universities in England and he should love everything about his life right now, but instead he’s moving backwards

⚽ Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by @1diamondinthesun

(NR, 84k, high school) the American high school AU loosely inspired by She's All That.

⚽ Bring Your Body Baby (I Could Bring You Fame) by @theboyfriendstagram

(E, 84k, famous/not famous) A self-indulgent AU that takes place over the summer of 2015. 18 year old Harry hates pining after people he can't have, and 23 year old footballer Louis loves flirting with people even though it never means anything.

⚽ Way in the World by flowsque / @mortediunfiore

(M, 74k, both players) the one where Harry has a knee injury and an embarrassing crush on Manchester United's pretty number ten.

⚽ Caught In Your Gravity by @lululawrence

(NR, 62k, Ted Lasso au) an AU inspired by a 30 second trailer of Ted Lasso that doesn't actually have much in common with the show at all.

⚽ so grab your passport and my hand by @infinitelymint

(M, 32k, strangers to lovers) The one in which Louis plays football and Harry sings a lot, and somehow that means they're meant to be. They'll figure it out soon enough.

⚽ Higher, Further, Faster by hazzahtomlinson / @itsnotreal

(E, 31k, uni) the one where Harry decides to go to college regardless of what his team warns him about and has to face the consequences, some of which aren’t so terrible after all.

⚽ Dive (series) by @allwaswell16

(E, 21k, famous/famous) Newly retired football star, Louis Tomlinson has left Manchester for Malibu. Along the way, he finds music, friendship, and love in the form of his pop star neighbour and the very fit movie star hiding out next door.

⚽ Hold My Breath by @zarah5

(M, 19k, injury) It's possible — possible — that his three-week ban from the football pitch makes Louis just a tad antsy. Surely it's not so bad that it warrants punishment in the form of his friends signing him up for a yoga class?

⚽ time slows down whenever you're around by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze

(E, 14k, flower shop) Louis plays "soccer" and falls for the wrong boy and Harry works in a flower shop and falls for Louis — again.

⚽ burn this flame by rainbowninja167 / @rainbowtitania

(E, 13k, famous/famous) When Harry gets invited to play in a celebrity charity match with Louis Tomlinson, Manchester United's star player, he's determined to impress him with brilliant football skills. The only flaw in Harry's otherwise foolproof plan? He has absolutely no football skills, brilliant or otherwise.

⚽ Come In and Change My Life by lightswoodmagic / @lightwoodsmagic

(E, 12k, neighbors) Harry and Louis become friends when Harry looks after Louis' cat during away games, until one night at a party changes everything between them. It's just a shame Louis' going to be away for the FIFA World Cup for three months.

⚽ Want you more than a melody by @softfonds

(E, 12k, mpreg) It's 2016, and Harry's life couldn't be better. His band is about to release their third studio album, he's dating the hottest football star on the planet, and tour is going to start the following year.

⚽ Just One Touch by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom

(E, 11k, Dr Harry) When footballer Louis Tomlinson needs to get match fit in a hurry, team doctor and best mate Niall Horan prescribes an unusual form of treatment.

⚽ Down the Field by @creamcoffeelou

(M, 9k, coach Louis) Louis, a pro football player of Chelsea, is forced to retire after a severe injury to his foot.

⚽ every day and tomorrow night by @justanothershadeofblue

(E, 8k, high school) Harry stares. The new boy is beautiful, there’s no other word for him.

⚽ Eat Your Vegetables by @bananaheathen

(M, 8k, famous/not famous) In which Louis is a celebrity footballer and Harry is the new team nutritionist.

⚽ Glass Heart by @musketrois

(G, 7k, coming out) “26-year-old West Ham footballer Louis Tomlinson was seen getting acquainted with 24-year-old pop sensation Harry Styles and others. Although it is not unordinary for these two professions to be social, we can’t wait to see what this budding relationship will bring to London’s social scene.” -Celebrity Blurb 25 March, 2017

⚽ Down To Be a Distraction by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(E, 6k, famous/famous) The English national team is on the brink of winning the UEFA final and it all hinges on a penalty kick from team captain and national hero Louis Tomlinson, who was forcibly outed in the press right before the tournament.

⚽ Game Changer by @neondiamond

(E, 6k, mpreg) A couple months before playing in his first long-awaited World Cup, Louis finds out he’s pregnant. Harry’s there for the ride.

⚽ The Air From My Lungs by Kikiberoski16 / @larrysballetslippers

(E, 5k, uni) Harry doesn't like to take showers in public for reasons he isn't willing to share, until Louis, the hot football captain, rocks his whole world.

⚽ the stars are coming home by lsforever / @kingonafiftymetreroad

(G, 5k, established relationship) After three years together and nearly a full year of marriage, Harry has finally been permitted to sit in for one of the team’s practices.

⚽ every night with us (is like a dream) by moon_rose25 / @darkinfinity

(T, 2k, established relationship) A look into the life of a professional football player dating a physical therapist.

⚽ 2,870 Miles by @sadaveniren

(G, 1k, mpreg) Harry hated the BT Sports commentators, but considering he couldn’t fly to Baku while eight months pregnant this was all he had if he wanted to watch his husband in the Europa League final.

—Rare Pairs—

⚽ love and kickin'!verse by camiii

(E, 140k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw) the fic where Nick has no interest in football but is dragged to a football match, Louis is the Arsenal player that catches his attention, and maybe there are some redeeming qualities to the game after all.

⚽ Devoted by @nouies

(E, 5k, Louis/Alisson Becker) A collection of drabbles about Louis’ life as the housewife of a professional football player.

#ficrec #1dficvillage #trackinghappily #trackinghome #tracksintheam #hltracks

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acesofspadess · 9 months

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This Is The Voice

a/n: everyone needs some more Niall

summary: you're the mega mentor, and Niall doesn't know that

“This is the last knockouts ill ever get to coach and im really excited because our mega mentor this season is one of the greatest singers and people of all time.”

“Shes a legend in the industry.”

“She is an EGOT”

“So the mega mentor this season is……… Y/N L/N! Or Horan to Niall”

BLAKE

“Well this like a full circle moment for me. You were here as Adams advisor in the first season and now you are mega mentor in my last season.” blake looked down at 29 year old you who was reminiscing. “What does that say about our relationship.”

“That whenever you're here I lose.” you laughed at him as he shook his head. “You let yourself lose to an 18 year old Blake.” his eyes widdend at that, “Oh man, i forgot you were only 18. I feel so old. And now your married too.” he shook his not wanting to think about it any more.

—-----

KELLY

“You still havent seen Niall yet?” Kelly and you had a moment to chat before the artist came in. “no and I feel so bad. I've been super slow on my answers to his text. I just want to hold him.”

I've know Y/N since she was around 18, we got to perform together in Vegas almost 12 years ago.

“Im so glad it's Blake’s last season. Hes just had a very good vibe.” Kelly filled you on some behind the scenes.

“Oh thats good, he really can be a pain sometimes.

And I've also been able to work with her and tour with her and learn from her. Shes so young and has taught a lot of artist with singing and being on stage. I love that all these artist are gonna get that same experience today.

—---------

CHANCE

There was a knock on your dressing room door and you opened it to see Chance. “Y/N!” He cheered as he opened his arms up for a hug. You laughed and thanks the heavens you werent wearing heavy makeup as he was wearing white.

Y/N… shes a legend in the industry. Grammy award winning artist.

“And when was the last time i saw you?” you laughed at his question. “Probably Grammy’s 2020…?” he shook his head, “how could i foget miss album of the year.

Her being a top tier artist for so long and having so many experiences is something that we could all grow from.

After Chance had run down his artist for you, you waited for them to come in and laughed at whispers you heard. “Well hello there, I love your hair.” you told Nariella whose hair was similar to your ginger colour. “I actually got the idea from you.” you both laughed and whispered an ‘i like you already’.

I just think its so amazing for her to be here and represent black women and girls. Shes definitely someone i look up to.

—---------

NIALL

It was finally time to see your love. Niall was supposed to be meeting Riley… but you didnt let that happen. You were facing the camera, your back facing the direction Niall would walk through.

“Riley Tate-”

You turned around at the sound of his voice and he immediately stopped talking. “Hi love.” you were smiling so hard at his reaction to seeing you before he scooped you up in a hug and twirled youn around.

“Why are you here- wait. Your da mega mentor?” his accent was thicker because of the surprise and you loved it.

I mean to work with Y/N L/N the queen of pop… im getting goose bumps thinking about it now, its just amazing being in her presence

Thats your wife Niall

Say it again

“Well now that your here i was going to ask you if you wanted to come to a golf course with me.” Niall had his head on her shoulder and he could feel the laugh that came from her at his words.

Shes an absolute legend, and she teaches me something everyday, i cant wait for her to teach my team.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Alright love, Gina, shes really shy, reminds me of you when you came to write for the band.”

Niall laughed his beautiful laugh as you hid your face in your hands. “Don't remind me.”

“You might have to tell her to speak up.” you nodded at the information and were ready to see her. “And then she sings, and a different person comes out, a lot like you.” you cooed at his comparison seeing how much Gina meant to Niall.

“Now Kates kinda got the jazzy, Amy Winehouse-y vibe.” you ‘oo’ed’ at the information. “Lets see what they got.”

You watched as they walked around the corner and saw them subtly freak out at seeing you. You got up from your seat with the help of Niall(not that you needed it but he always held his hand out for you).

“Look who ive got!” Niall cheered from behind you as the girls gave you hugs.

I saw the ginger hair and Niall leaning on her and was like- please… ITS Y/N”

“How are you?” you asked hugging them both.

I was not expecting Y/N to be in the room with Niall. I was very starstruck.”

“Im gonna sing ‘somebody that i used to know’,” Gina shared her song and you marvelled at the softness of her voice. “Im very close to my dad, and he was a DJ and that was a song he always loved.”

“Thats beautiful Gina truly.”

Listening too her sing brought chills to your skin.

You cheered as she finished and let Niall say what you know hes been holding in. “And that sass that youve got this week.” Niall admired with a little laugh. “Really?” you loved how she went from this marvellous singer to this soft spoken girl. “I wasnt expecting that.” Gina thanked Niall before she looked at you and you shook your head.

“You gave me chills seriously, the only thing is ‘for lack of better wording’ understanding your words.” you watched as she took the advice and applauded her silently knowing if you were in her possician you would have certainly started crying.

“Yeah keep those words separate. Its very easy to go-” and you watched as he broke off his words in example. “You know what I mean. So give your self a bit of space.”

“I like that bub. I like that a lot.”

You listened to him sing the words slowly and closed you eyes in sereness. “That staccato.” you pitched in. “her first audition to right now,” he looked at you threading his fingers with yours, “completley diffrent person.” you laughed softly squeezing his had. “I was just like you when i started, you can ask him.” he kissed your temple lightly in admiration, “she still is. Cant give her a compliment without her hiding away. Huh, beautiful?” you did as he knew you would and tucked your face into his neck. “See.”

You turned your head to watch Gina and Kate play fight as theu swapped places. “I really wish you guys liked each other.” you joked sitting up properly. “I know so much hatred in here.” Niall joked back with you adjusting in his seat. “Its just awful.” Niall lost it, throwing his head back in laughter, letting you hear his laugh again. That would always be your favourite song.

~~~

“Ooh we've got a guitar.” you saw the shaped guitar and immediately fell in love. “Its my baby.” Kate spoke. “Gonna have to get me self one just like that,” you all laughed before Niall looked at the gap between your seats and pulled your seat closer to his. You grabbed his hand and kissed it before looking back up at Kate. “what song are gonna sing love.” you asked as Niall sat back in his seat. “Im singing ‘Call Me’ by Blondie.”

“Oh lets hear it.”

Kate had the stage presence of a lifetime. “Very good!” you clapped proudly. “Thank you.” you smiled as Niall began to speak. “My favourite parts are when its chilled.” You agreed with him softly as he continued to speak. “Dont stay with the-” Niall sang in a high pitch for example and you nodde your head. “Towards the end it gets a bit crashy for me. I wonder if there's a way of toning it down?” he looked to you for advice. “Tone down the crashing for more like ‘TOMS’ or something like that?” you offered and he took it. “Yeah so we can offer some more jazziness.” he agreed while drumming in the air, “you wanna come back up Gina?” You smiled widely hearing the softness and joy in his voice when he talked to her. “Im thrilled to pieces. I asked a really close friend of mine when were younger, who is now very successful, what is the best piece of advice you can give me. He said ‘have fun’. So i hope your having fun and getting to meet people that youll remain friends with forever.”

You watched Gina and Kate turn to each other and you hugged yourself. “Awwe that makes me so happy.” Niall grabbed your hand and held it in the air. “And one day you might marry them.” you all laughed before Niall spoke up again. “You're the best ladies.” you watched as they walked away and Niall rested his head on shoulder again. “I love you. You're amazing.”

“I love you too Ni.”

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Niall taglist:

@youcan-nolonger-run @ravenclawdirectioner

@luxiorchive @maeflowers653

#nialler #cute niall #niall horan x reader #niall horan fluff #niall horan fanfiction #niall horan #niall horan smut #niall fanfic #niall one shot #one direction #solo niall #niall 1d #niall james horan #niall horan fic #niall the show #niall horan x y/n #niall imagine #niall horan x you #the show 2024

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dailyniallnews · 11 months

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The former boyband member Niall Horan on his new album, headlining the Electric Picnic, turning 30 and taking on the world, says Louise Bruton

Sunlight pours in through the large bay windows of the Westbury Hotel and Niall Horan is a little tired. In Ireland for less than 36 hours, he’s fitting in this interview and a surprise appearance for 80 of his biggest Irish fans, all in the build-up to the release of The Show, his third solo album. Once upon a time the five-star hotel would have been mobbed by hyperventilating fans, but today he got in unnoticed.

“If someone had said to me in 2013, ‘Do you want to go for a coffee?’ I’d go, ‘No, you’re joking? That’s nuts.’” Over an Americano, a low-key Horan relives the hysteria of once being in the boyband One Direction. Since the group’s formation on The X Factor in 2010 and their indefinite hiatus announced in 2016, the Mullingar man wasn’t able to walk down the street without people pulling over in their cars to take a gawk, let alone meet pals for coffee. Unsure if he developed a fear of being surrounded, he recalls that he “nearly became a bit of a recluse”.

Going unnoticed doesn’t mean that Horan’s star has faded. With his previous albums reaching the top of the charts in the UK, the US and Ireland, and charming everyone so much as a coach on NBC’s The Voice that he’s back for the next series, he’s on top of his game, but he has learnt how to live under the radar.

“When the band stopped I went travelling in Asia for four months, just staying in shite hotels and hostels and I could do more than I expected,” he says. That trip encouraged him to reconfigure how he moves through the world. Dividing his time between his homes in Co Westmeath, Los Angeles and London, he lives as much of a normal life as he can when he’s off the pop star clock. “In this world you give people a handshake, they take your arm off, so I just keep my private life private,” he says.

In London he travels on the Tube and in Los Angeles he claims that the paparazzi only want his photo if there’s some “other famous fella in the bar”. He doesn’t play the game of going to certain restaurants just to be seen. “It’s a shame, though, because some of the nice places in LA are like that,” he says. “You have to take that risk sometimes to get a bit of grub.”

This September sees two big events that capture the stark difference between his private and professional lives — headlining Electric Picnic and turning 30. In Stradbally he’s looking forward to experiencing “the Irish love again” from the main stage, but it’s his 30th birthday party happening later on in the month that has him jittery.

“This sounds mental, coming from a pop star, but I don’t really like attention,” Horan says, so he’s “splitting the adulation” with his best friend from home. Thousands of fans screaming at him? Grand. His closest friends and family singing Happy Birthday to him? Nerve-racking.

That milestone birthday has him feeling reflective. “At my age you start to think a little bit more,” he says, joking that he’s probably 65 in showbiz years. “I don’t remember overthinking much, or ever, up until the pandemic.”

The first lockdown was the longest he has ever taken off from work. Hunkering down in London and with no pubs to go to, he was “in the best shape” of his life. He also became official with his girlfriend, Amelia Woolley, and took stock of who he is. “The last five years have been more formative than I was expecting,” he says, and it’s no surprise that this maturity syncs up with leaving the bubble of One Direction. “I had to do a lot more growing up than your average 16-year-old.”

With his peers Lewis Capaldi and Selena Gomez releasing documentaries on their struggles with fame, does he wish that he did anything different with his career? “I think if I’d had any way of a dodgy experience, I’d probably say I would change a few things, but I’ve always had a good experience with it,” he says.

“I was well supported. It’s all about the people you have around you, I think. Coming from a small town and wanting to take over the world,” he pauses to punch the air like a rock star, “in my head at the time I was ready, but most 16-year-olds are probably not.”

The Show is a different beast from 2017’s lustful Flicker and 2020’s self-explanatory Heartbreak Weather. For one he’s in love, but more thought has gone into this album. Horan’s newly considered approach to songwriting makes vulnerability look easy. “I’m in a good place in my head,” he says, but he’s hesitant to call this a happy album.

“When you’re happy I feel like that scares some writers,” he says. Bursting into a rendition of Pharrell Williams’s song Happy, he notes that if you’ve historically done cheery songs you have to show the full “umbrella” of happiness. So instead of taking the sunny route, he writes in a relatable way about the work that goes into feeling good and falling in love.

“There are artists out there that get so introspective that you have to pull out a thesaurus to see what they’re talking about,” he says, and that’s why his latest single, Meltdown, works so well. With an anthemic quality built for festivals, the chorus guides people out of a panic attack. “I was big on writing a song about feeling anxious at 180 beats per minute. The song is fast and

I wanted that because that’s what that feeling feels like,” he says, mimicking a shortness of breath. “It has to feel rapid and then the chorus just comes and it slows down.”

It’s apparently based on a few personal scenarios, and he suggests that good communication has always been a skill of his. “I think I’m a good talker,” he says, exaggerating his candidness. “I have no problem telling you how I feel. Do you want to hear it?”

Busy, at peace and taking nothing for granted, Horan’s new material is a true representation of where he is in life. With a busy year ahead with festivals, turning 30 and a freshly announced 2024 world tour, it’s time to stop thinking so much and get on with The Show. Or, as he puts it more directly: “Let’s get out and have a f***ing good time.”

Niall Horan’s album The Show is out on Thu. Tickets for his tour next year are now on sale

#niall horan #the show #4june2023

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rainbowsunflower · 1 year

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just Niall being the cutest human on the voice 🥺

#niall horan #the voice #niall horan gifs #coach niall horan #my gifs #ot5 #trackinghome #1dsource #1d #one direction #dailyniallnews #apureniallsource

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undertheniall · 11 months

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Niall and Gina winning The Voice

#SO FUCKING PROUD OF BOTH OF THEM EVEN THO NEIL IS WEARING THE UGLIEST OUTFIT HAHAHAHA #niall horan #niall horan gifs #gina miles #niall horan the voice #the voice 2023 #the voice gifs #kelly clarkson #blake shelton #chance the rapper #coach niall #team niall #sorry about the gifs being so laggy i think i have some weird video rip

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shefanispeculator · 7 months

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The 'Voice' coach opens up in PEOPLE's latest cover story about marriage, raising three boys and staying inspired in her peaceful new chapter

Gwen Stefani can't quite believe it: She's turned into her parents.

"When I was young, I'd walk home from school and see my mom in her shorts doing her gardening, and my dad would be cutting the trees and make me pick up the branches. I'd be like, 'I'm never having a tree at my house,'" she recalls.

Yet these days, when she and her husband Blake Shelton are at their home near Tishomingo, Oklahoma, the rocker tends to far more than just a lone tree.

They have sunflowers. Zinnias. Even plots of corn. "I just had the most incredible dahlias ever," says Stefani, 53, beaming as she describes herself as a "garden flower nerd" after her PEOPLE cover shoot in Los Angeles. "When we get to Oklahoma, we're constantly working — and it's a different kind of work. It's probably what my mom was doing back in the day, and now I get it!"

Stefani — who wed Shelton in 2021 — still feels surprised by the decidedly un-Hollywood turn her life has taken in the past decade.

"I didn't see any of this coming with Blake. This was just a big old 'What?' It was an amazing gift to experience love like that for the first time," she says of falling for the country superstar, 47, and his down-home life after meeting in 2014 on the set of The Voice.

"He's changed my life ... when I [started dating] Blake, that's when I felt home, like, 'Oh, this is where I'm supposed to be, with this guy."

A doting stepdad, Shelton introduced Stefani and her boys (their dad is the rocker's ex-husband Gavin Rossdale) — Kingston, 17, Zuma, 15, and Apollo, 9 — to a more adventurous world outside the glare of Hollywood.

"I am not really a dirt person, a bug person, I don't like that much humidity," jokes Stefani. "But it's so beautiful [in Oklahoma], and you kind of feel like you're going into this vortex. Nature — and God — is all right there."

The peace she's found has reinvigorated her passion for music and creation. Throughout her 20s and 30s the singer hustled nonstop in music, fronting the rock band No Doubt before going solo and embarking on multiple international tours while raising her boys.

Looking back, she feels protective of her younger self. "I took Kingston on a world tour [when he was 9 months old]. I would have to nurse him, then get onstage, come off, and he would twirl my ponytail," she recalls. "That's when things got really hard for me emotionally. That time is so precious, and you don't want to miss anything."

At the time, Stefani says she powered through with a personal goal in mind: "When my kids were teenagers, I really wanted to make sure that I was home for them — and here we are," she says.

Shelton announced he was stepping away from The Voice after 23 consecutive seasons last fall, and it "was a huge family choice," says Stefani. "I am happy for him because he has space to do all these other hobbies and things he wants to do."

When the show offered her a coach chair alongside John Legend, Niall Horan and Reba McEntire, Stefani felt uncertain.

"I was really weirded out like, 'What's it going to be like without Blake?' But we are having so much fun," she says. "At the end of the day, coaching these humans who are so gifted ... I love it."

Aside from working on NBC's singing competition show, Stefani is also writing and recording new music. "I'm never going to write anything that's not just completely reflective of what's going on in my life," she says. "Before I wrote my first song, I was this dyslexic girl who didn't know how I fit in. Then I was like, 'Oh, this is my magic power.' I'm so honored that I got the gift to be able to write music, and I take it super seriously."

She's also leaning into her other first love: beauty. In March 2022 Stefani launched her makeup line GXVE — and she's found purpose in helping others feel confident.

"Everybody pretty much knows that at one point my life fell apart. It was terrible, and there's so many people out there that have gone through the same thing. When that happened, I had to literally start over again. It was a reset of my life," she says of conceiving the brand while navigating her divorce from Rossdale in 2016.

"There are so many people that are around my age that want to still feel pretty and feel good when they wake up in the morning. It gets harder," she adds. "I think with makeup, it doesn't matter what age you are. It gives you that confidence, that feeling of creativity."

She's feeling more fulfilled than ever these days, but after decades of juggling a packed schedule Stefani acknowledges life can still feel "chaotic."

"It's literally schedule, schedule, schedule. [But] there is a balance," she says. "For me the only way that I've gotten this far is with my spiritual faith and being able to take time out to pray. You see the miracles, and that's inspiration and fuel to keep it going."

For all the details on Gwen Stefani's return to The Voice and her life in Oklahoma with husband Blake Shelton and her sons, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

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sam-loves-seb · 6 months

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weekly tag wednesday

thanks for the tag @deedala @energievie @metalheadmickey @mmmichyyy !!

🔤 Name: sam

🎶 Last song you listened to: october by happy landing

🎵 Artist on Spotify giving you the feels right now: niall horan is having a moment in my spotify stats rn bc i've never really listened to his music before but i'm watching The Voice this season and he's adorable as a coach so i figured i'd give him a shot and i'm vibing hard with a couple of his songs rn

👯‍♂️ Fave Blorbo Moment: fav blorbo moment is when mickey turns down ian's bullshit promise ring stunt in 10x09, like i know it's a sad scene but i could write a thesis on how that moment is the pinnacle of mickey's character development so. yeah.

🍟 Your guilty pleasure snack: nachos

🌮 What food are you craving today: chicken quesadillas

📖 Last fanfic tab you opened: 'take a breath, pull me close' by simmazeing -- a very lovely husbands era fluff piece that i thoroughly enjoyed

🖌️ Favorite fic project you've created: for the shameless fandom i think it's gotta be my whumptober series because some of my new favorite pieces have come out of that project. but it did just finish yesterday, so ask me this again in a month and see where i'm at

👩🏼‍🎤 Next tattoo you want (or would consider if you're not a tattoo person): idk i think like, wildflowers or something? i like the idea of them on my ribs. or the inner upper arm. i don't know. i have one tattoo rn (a small heart on my hip, my sister has a matching one on her wrist) but i want more at some point

🧐🆓 What's living in your head rent free this week: funny if you think i have any working braincells left after finishing whumptober. (jk it's daily pictures of my week old baby nephew)

tagging: @suchagallabitch @callivich @lingy910y @mickeysgaymom @sickness-health-all-that-shit @michellemisfit @gallawitchxx @rereadanon and anyone else who wants to play !

#tag game #weekly tag wednesday

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niallsgoldhoop · 1 month

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sweet spot

a niall horan short story — coming soon baseball coach, one night stand (plus a couple more)

i’m so excited about this and i’m going to start working on it to come out starting in april!!!

of course it’s gonna be very, very smutty and SHEW

see you soon 💖

-a

#niall #niall horan #niall james horan #one d #cute niall #niall 1d #niall imagine #niall the show #niall fanfic #one direction #short story #wattpad #writing #oneshot #niall smut #smut

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apureniallsource · 1 year

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Niall Horan is ready to put on a Show.

The former One Direction member and current Voice coach's third studio album, The Show, was born in lockdown following the release of its predecessor, Heartbreak Weather, in March 2020. After getting the chance to "sit still for the first time in probably 10 years," Horan wrote the title track, which he says "kickstarted" the rest of the record.

"The chorus is basically saying we should be grateful for what we have," Horan tells EW. "I think during the pandemic, we lost a little bit of that control we like to have as humans — then that just provoked so many bigger thoughts in my head. It opened a stream of ideas."

None of which, fans might be surprised to learn, entail emotional agony. "There's no heartbreak on this one," Horan says. "If you're coming for a heartbreak love song, I don't think you'll get it here." This, he explains, is the major difference between his latest, "more mature" outing and his previous work.

EW caught up with Horan to find out what else we can expect from The Show and his upcoming tour.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I read that track 6, "You Should Start a Cult," was inspired by you and your girlfriend watching true-crime shows. Was there a specific show that gave you the idea?

NIALL HORAN: That's all we watch — true crime — so I couldn't even tell you what the show was, but I just thought that would be a great title for a love song, and to flip it on its head. I just got to writing a love song that sounded so extravagant, and the lyrics were gonna be huge. It's quite a small song, but some of the statements are quite large. And I love the irony of having a title like that — it sounding very angry, but it's not. It's a love song, at the end of the day.

What makes The Show different from your previous albums, Flicker and Heartbreak Weather?

It's probably the progression over the last seven years — you know, from my first album through to the second one. I think they were all good albums for where I was at that time in my life, and I think this is perfect for [where I am now]. I would say this is probably the more mature-sounding album. There's no heartbreak on this one, which allows you to write different types of songs. That's probably the biggest difference.

Do you find it more fun to write love songs versus heartbreak songs? Or did you miss writing heartbreak songs on this album?

I think they're two completely different concepts. Writing is all about where you're at and "saying what you see," to use a cliché. It's very easy to write a heartbreak song when you're heartbroken, and easy to write a love song when you're in love.

Do you have a favorite song on the album?

I struggle with this. I made it a 10-track album on purpose — to make sure that, hopefully, when people get to 10 they want to go back to the top and listen to the first one again. You know, instead of having a 16-track album and hoping that it's nearly finished. I've got a few favorites. They've all got a different vibe and a different concept and a different musical element that makes 'em good. If I was to pick one now, I'd probably say "You Could Start a Cult." That or "The Show." Probably "The Show," actually.

Are there songs that didn't make the album that might see the light of day on something in the future?

I definitely had some tough decisions to make. I wanted to love every song. I don't know. I'll start writing again at some point, and if I can outdo what I have left over, then fair enough. There are a couple lying around that could be made into something, but as of now they're not going anywhere but my emails or my drafts.

It's been so long since you've been able to tour. What are you most looking forward to?

Just seeing the fans. I spent so much of my career seeing them every night. I'm ready to get back out and play the album I never got to play live, and play this new one, and just create a show — a really good one. I'm already trying to put plans together for how the set would look. I'm just excited to feel that buzz again. It's strange for me that I haven't been on a proper stage in, like, nearly five years. When you think about it like that, it's like, "Oh God, I need to get back on the road."

You mentioned you'll be playing some of Heartbreak Weather on the tour as well. Any chance you might bring some guests on stage?

Oh, yes, for sure. Any city I go to, if I'm friends with an artist from that city and they happen to be there, I'll always see if I can get them to come up and sing one of theirs or one of mine with me. I think about shows like in L.A., with my collaboration with Julia [Michaels]. It could make for a really good gig. Don't want to say too much, 'cause Julia might say no. So that could change, but that would be my ideal: maybe someone I know from Chicago, or someone I know from San Fran, or whatever...

Who would be your No. 1 pick to perform with?

Springsteen would be pretty sick. Imagine being up in Asbury Park and playing with Bruce Springsteen. I performed with Taylor [Swift] before at Wembley Stadium, and that was magic. Obviously, I would love to do it again. She's a busy lady at the moment.

I mean, she's been bringing people out on her Eras Tour, so you never know.

She knows where I am.

The Show is out June 9.

#niall horan #the show #10may

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