Niall Horan is looking back at the song that started his solo career as This Town marks 10 years since its release.
The singer celebrated the anniversary on Instagram, sharing throwback photos and videos from the early days of the track, including a behind the scenes look at how its cover artwork was photographed.
This Town was released on September 29, 2016, becoming Niall’s first solo single following One Direction’s hiatus.
“This Town was released 10 years ago today. It was the first song I released out on my own and it’s so special to me for so many reasons,” he wrote.
Looking back at the release, Niall said the song stood out from much of the pop music being released at the time because of its stripped-back sound, built around his voice and an acoustic guitar.
He also reflected on how fans around the world connected with the track, which has since surpassed one billion streams.
“To reach over a billion streams and see you all singing it back to me all these years later, is absolutely unbelievable,” he wrote.
The song went on to reach No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It later appeared on Niall’s debut solo album, Flicker, which arrived in October 2017 and included tracks such as Slow Hands and Too Much to Ask.
The album marked the beginning of Niall establishing his own sound outside One Direction and went on to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Since then, he has continued his solo career with albums including Heartbreak Weather and The Show, while This Townhas remained part of his live performances over the years.
A decade after first releasing the song, Niall also suggested there may be more planned to mark the anniversary.
He told fans he has been working on “a few special things” that will be revealed soon.
“It was my song and now it’s ours,” he wrote, before thanking those who have continued listening to the track over the past 10 years.
Source: Khaleej Times