The last time Niall Horan performed a headlining show at Madison Square Garden was in 2012 as a member of One Direction. A lot has changed in his career and the world since then. In 2016 he won the 1D arms race to become the first member of the boyband to release a solo single (“This Town”) after the band went on indefinite hiatus; in 2017, his first solo album, Flicker, went to number one on the Billboard 200. Then he released a second album, Heartbreak Weather, that had the unfortunate distinction of coming out within days of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. It wasn’t until the world opened back up and he released his third album, aptly titled The Show, that Horan decided to make his MSG comeback. From his remarks, it was clear he wasn’t entirely sure that he could sell the venue as a solo act. But at his first sold-out concert on Thursday night, attended by The A.V. Club, it was clear that betting on himself paid off.
“I don’t know how I’m going to do this show,” he admitted early in the evening, becoming tearful over the “dream come true” of performing at the venue. (Up in the rafters, there’s a banner dedicated to ex-bandmate Harry Styles’ 15-show MSG run.) Throughout the night he reiterated his gratitude to the fans for getting him to this stage again and again. He made sure to acknowledge that concerts are expensive, humbly expressing appreciation that the audience would spend their hard-earned cash to see him play. He charmingly read signs, bantered with the crowd, and hugged an 81-year-old grandma. He even gave a shout-out to one fan named Megan who tweeted in 2022: “Niall sell out msg I’ll be front row.” “If I could I would,” Horan replied at the time. When he did sell out, he made sure to get Megan a front-row ticket.
“The Show” itself was a blast. Of all the former members of the band, Horan best carries the pop-rock legacy of One Direction. His music is slick, fun, and breezy; a solo rendition of 1D’s “Night Changes” delighted fans and slotted in perfectly with the rest of his work. But Horan—who, back in the day, was the only member of the group who could actually play an instrument—has grown as a vocalist, musician, and songwriter in the decade-plus since he auditioned for The X-Factor. You can see that in the dancy, upbeat rock numbers, but it’s especially evident during his pared-down acoustic set where he did songs like “You Could Start A Cult” and “This Town.” He sounded great, and the slower songs played well in an arena setting without stifling the show’s momentum.
Horan has had an extraordinary career for a 30-year-old artist, topping charts, meeting idols and presidents, and playing on some of the biggest stages around the world. Yet there was an ebullient energy to his Thursday night performance, specific to his first headlining gig at Madison Square Garden. From the spirited opening “Nice To Meet Ya” to his closing encore hit “Slow Hands,” Horan gave it his all, and clearly had fun doing it. “There’s so much love for this city and this arena, for obvious reasons, the history,” he gushed at one point. “But it is the most famous arena in the world, and I just can’t believe I’m back here again… it’s pretty cool!”