One Direction’s ‘Best Song Ever’ Lives Up to All the Hype
By Cecilia Gigliotti
Writing Apprentice
Twain Studios
Prepare yourselves for the “Best Song Ever.”
It’s here! Yesterday, dubbed “1D Monday,” was the day 18,911,507 Facebook fans and countless offline Directioners had long awaited.
Six teaser trailers, many image excerpts, and probably 50 anticipation-filled Facebook posts later, One Direction’s new single, “Best Song Ever,” premiered, complete with an “oh oh oh, yeah yeah yeah” chorus and a hilarious, high-energy music video.
The hysteria-inducing British-Irish quintet and their headquarters (1DHQ) have, in my opinion, milked the whole release for more than it’s worth. For example, they reposted the video today at 12:18 p.m., provided viewing and downloading links, and teased their American fans, “USA! 45 mins to go until we hit 24 hours on the ‘Best Song Ever’ video premiere.”
Forty-five minutes until the video has been around for one day. Really?
But all the hype works. Crushing waves of “Directioners” flock to their concerts, their every Facebook post gets tens of thousands of likes in mere minutes, and they’ve wormed their way into teenage small talk and casual conversation.
We apprentices at Twain Studio have found ourselves comparing the 1D boys and discussing the quality of their music over lunch. And although I would not call myself a die-hard Directioner, I find their songs catchy and sing-along-able and I think they’ve got some great ideas, many of which are exemplified in the “Best Song Ever” video.
First off, I love the concept of the opening two-minute skit: two fast-paced Hollywood producers, supported by a wacky production team, bent on making money and winning lots of awards with a movie starring our favorite guys. This satire is helped along by the members of 1D playing all the roles: Louis and Niall as the producers; Zayn as “The Sexy Secretary” in wig, skirt, and heels; Harry as “Marcel,” the nerdy marketing manager; and Liam as “Leroy,” the peppy and flamboyant choreographer.
It’s hilarious, and it shows that they can poke fun at their own industry, that they’re aware of the ridiculousness surrounding them as pop stars, that they know their own minds. The whole scene is a wonderful hook. And it made me like the song more.
Then they all shed their disguises and rock out – although the alter-egos do make funny reappearances throughout. And Harry gets rather, erm, close to the “secretary” at times. The rest of the video, once the song actually starts, consists of footage of the boys hanging, running, jumping, and dancing around in their trademark fashion.
It might be rather less compelling, but the energy of the opening scene and the song carried me through and kept me singing along.
All this is merely a glimpse of what’s coming in the band’s first big movie, One Direction: This is Us, set to come out later this year. I do believe this is one I – and all you readers – will have to see.
Write to the Point! 