Niall Horan returns with his third career single, “Too Much to Ask.” The results are pleasant and respectable, but not monumental.

Words that come to mind when the name Niall Horan is mentioned and GO! One Direction.  Irish. Blonde. Handsome.  Voice.  Horan has plenty of pros working in his favor.  Who wouldn’t want to be Niall? He returns with his third career single, “Too Much to Ask,” following “This Town” and “Slow Hands”. The results are respectable, but not monumental.

“Too Much to Ask” features moody sounding production, led predominately by piano. Niall Horan delivers nice, lower register vocals.  Overall, he has a pleasant voice, but there’s not a tremendous amount of character. He showcases more personality on the second verse and onward.  His most expressive moment? Definitely when he loses his f-bomb virginity – on a song that is! The chorus is catchy enough, but don’t call it infectious necessarily.

The biggest rub of this particular song is that it’s kind of a bore.  Unfortunately, this has been the problem with Niall up until now. “This Town,” his debut single, was by far the least interesting.  “Slow Hands” was an improvement, adding suggestiveness to the mix, but still not quite a tour de force. While “Too Much to Ask” showcases more potential for Horan, it’s still not a home run unfortunately.

Final Thoughts

So, how does “Too Much to Ask” stack up? Ultimately, it’s another respectable song from Niall Horan. The problem is, it’s just not particularly rousing.  There’s nothing groundbreaking or game changing.  Undoubtedly, Niall is a great looking dude with a pleasant voice.  However, he’s yet to prove he’s a great looking dude with a great voice.  Better yet, Horan has yet to take his artistry to the next level.  That’s what could really build a case for the Irish heartthrob.

Niall Horan • Too Much to Ask – Single • Capitol • Release: 9.15.17 

Photo Credit: Capitol