One Direction’s new album, “Four,” has everything you need and more. The band has clearly come a long way since their debut album, “Up All Night.”

With clever, catchy lyrics and a groovy well-produced sound, the new album will be playing on repeat for folks worldwide.

Unlike the typical boy-band album stereotype, not all 16 songs – 12 on the standard edition – sound the same.
Clear influences from artists such as The 1975 and Ed Sheeran are present on the album.

“Four” consists of a pleasant mix of road trip jams, guitar solos and sensual serenades. An apparent switch of vocals is an additional highlight.

Directioners are well aware that Harry Styles and Liam Payne normally take the lead in the solo department; however, times have changed.

Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan are featured in various songs throughout the album.

The band’s lyrics continue to mature, album after album, specifically in a song “Change Your Ticket,” where the boys sing, “Come get back in bed/ We still got time left/ This don’t have to be over,” or in “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” with lyrics like “Are you sleeping baby by yourself?/ Or are you giving it to someone else?”
The sound of “Change Your Ticket” has a clear resemblance to “Girls” by The 1975.

Love ballads are a requirement for any respectable boy-band album, and “Four” does not disappoint. Specifically, “18,” “Fool’s Gold,” “Once in a Lifetime” and “Spaces” all speak to a romantic scenario.
Ed Sheeran co-wrote “18,” which has a sound quite similar to the boys’ earlier song “Little Things,” also written by Sheeran.

“Four” certainly contains “pop” style music. Songs like “Girl Almighty” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” are guaranteed to have you out of your seat, busting a move and singing along to all of the words.
In fact, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” makes for an excellent road trip jam, along with “Act My Age,” which starts with a musical tune similar to what is played in Irish pubs.

Numerous guitars and drum beats create irresistible, catchy songs that will force you to bob your head along to the tune, including “Ready to Run” and “No Control.”
For those who have been living under a rock for the past four years and are brand new to the One Direction world, this album is worth your time.

If you do not wish to purchase the entire album and are looking to purchase only a part of the album, four of the 16 will do your iTunes library right: “No Control,” “Night Changes,” “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.”

All boy-band preconceptions aside, this album deserves a listen at least one (or 20) times.