Niall Horan, Former One Direction member and current judge on “The Voice,” released “Meltdown,” the second accompanying single for his third studio album “The Show.”

Immediately, the track’s instrumentals stuck out to me. With the high-energy guitar and drums alongside his fast-paced vocals, it mirrors “As It Was” by former bandmate Harry Styles. The songs blend together not only instrumentally, but lyrically.

While “Meltdown” touches specifically on anxiety, “As It Was” discusses bittersweet feelings of loneliness, with the ultimate embracement of change over time. The instrumentals of the pre-chorus of “Meltdown” can easily segue into the outro of “As It Was.”

Sonically, the instrumentals reflect the frenzied, racing feelings of anxiety. Horan described it as “being in that freaking-out moment” on Instagram. Lyrically, the song describes the feeling of anxiety racing through Horan’s mind, but knowing that deep down things will turn out okay. The song feels like Horan is giving his millions of fans a warm hug. 

The intro, “When it all melts down, I’ll be there,” is an instant supportive message that lingers throughout the chorus. It is sung acapella as well, making the message of the song clear from the get-go. 

Throughout the rest of the lyrics, Horan details experiencing anxiety as he sings about losing his mind, life going sideways, and hitting the wall. However, he leads up to the chorus of support with a reassuring pre-chorus, “Nights when one broken glass turns to total collapse, just know this too shall pass; I’m tellin’ you now, tellin’ you now.” 

Simply put, “Meltdown” is a song you’ll want to get up and dance to, and is easily a mood-booster on days when you feel like you want to melt down.

“The Show” is due for release on June 9, 2023.