One Direction’s “Drag Me Down” Single: Review Revue
If you haven’t noticed the insane amount of excitement coming from the Directioners, One Direction surprise-dropped their “Drag Me Down” single in the wee hours yesterday (July 30). The tune marks their first without Zayn Malik, and is the first taste from their upcoming fifth album.
In our post on the song, we stated: “But on a serious note, ‘Drag Me Down’ comes across perhaps like the first One Direction song that might appeal to an audience outside of the band’s screaming core fan base. There’s just something about a sensitive bloke singing about redemption, no? Nobody, nobody can drag them down.”
So how do other music industry critics feel about One Direction’s new tune? Read what they had to say down below!
:: Billboard gave the track three and a half stars and compared it to Backstreet Boys’ “Larger Than Life”: “One Direction is prodding at some intriguing sonic textures here, but they’re far from unrecognizable. For those worried that a four-member incarnation of the group can’t get the job done, ‘Drag Me Down’ assuages those fears by keeping the overall quality level high.”
:: The Verge also weighed in: “‘Drag Me Down’ is a slight departure from the music the band was making with Malik in tow, which tended toward power-pop and classic rock on their later records. There’s a bit of The Police in the loping, reggae-lite bass line and guitar riffs, and the song’s structure is cribbed from the last few years’ finest EDM-pop crossovers.”
:: The Telegraph noted this: “Malik had the highest vocal range in the group, leading some to believe that the remaining One Direction members would struggle to reach the notes and solos he previously recorded with them. In Drag Me Down, Harry Styles sings the highest notes, to mixed reaction from their fans.”
:: While Seventeen couldn’t stop fangirling: “But it IS a big deal because as much as we love new music from One Direction, behavior like this is dangerous for our health! Especially considering they’re rocking an even edgier, mature sound, the song is ~basically~ a love song to their fans, and Harry has picked up Zayn’s high note crown. YES. There are Harry high notes GALORE!”
:: Irish Herald had this to say: “In true One Direction style, Drag Me Down is a catchy love song with a poppy beat. With lyrics like ‘I got a river for a soul and baby you’re a bow / Baby, you’re my only reason’ it’s sure to get their fans swooning.”
:: Lastly, Pop Crush shared this: “There are some definite elements of Maroon 5 and Bruno Mars’ ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’ (so really, Sting & The Police) in the song’s DNA — a likely sign of end-of-summer radio domination.”
Are you digging this new 1D track? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!
