How I Became a One Direction Fan

No one who knows me will really be surprised by this turn of events.  In fact, they'll probably wonder why it's taken me so long to get to this point.  In hindsight, it does seem like it was inevitable.  I have a weakness for boy bands/girl groups as well as for British singers.  (Hence, I also have become a Little Mix fan.)

When 1D first became popular, I was dismissive.  At that point, they were still teens and singing extremely thought-provoking lyrics such as, "the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed."  I mean, how many guys was I overwhelming on a daily basis with my hair flipping?  Who knew my hair had such power?  Don't get me wrong, I can handle cheesy, but this went too far.

I also resented the fact that they didn't dance.  Did they not know that if you wanted to be the member of a boy band that you needed to do some choreographed dance moves?  My first boy band love, NSYNC, understood this very well.  Their dancing was always on point and sometimes they even wore matching outfits.  I think 1D has probably been wise to stay away from overalls, but hey, look at how much group unity is conveyed in this photograph.

Source

And ultimately, I just wasn't that into a lot of their singles.  I'll admit, "Best Song Ever" and "Kiss You" are extremely catchy.  However, some of their other big hits ("Night Changes," "Story of My Life," "Little Things") didn't really appeal to me. 

Several years passed and the inconceivable happened: Zayn left the band.  While I love his ex-fiancée Perrie, I was never a huge fan of him personally.  I didn't know too much about him but it seemed like he was involved in a fair number of Twitter feuds which didn't appeal to me.  I wondered if the world's biggest boy band could withstand his departure.  But then a couple of months ago, they released their first single and video without him.  And it was pure pop perfection:

This song is so good that I can no longer deny 1D's appeal.  I totally get it, pre-teen girls of the world; I'm sorry it took me so long.  I can only hope that the rest of their upcoming album will be half as amazing as this song.  And I'll admit, now that I've fallen down this rabbit hole, I've found some other songs from their previous albums that I'm fond of: "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," "Happily," "Strong," "Fireproof," "No Control."

Some may look down on my newfound fandom.  That's fine because "nobody can drag me down (nobody, nobody)."

5 Songs You Need to Hear (Part II: Christmas Edition)

I've been thinking about the passage of time, lately. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I turned 28 yesterday, which coincided with an old high school classmate of mine writing a Facebook post about how our 10-year reunion is happening next year. I don't think I feel old, but I can sense the flow of time, dribbling on in its irreversible way.

But some things never change. One of those things is Christmas. More specifically, Christmas music. You might add a new song here or there to your list of faves, but you keep the old standbys in your heart, drawing them out when "that time of year" rolls around again. And it takes you back to all those moments in your life when that song became YOUR song. The song that WAS Christmas. And natch, you want others to experience that joy, too.

Therefore, BEHOLD! Becky's 5 Songs: Christmas Edition.

#1
My Only Wish
by Jessica Simpson

I first happened upon this song a year or two ago, and I have to say, I find it delightful and fun. I hope you do too.

#2
All I Want is You This Christmas
by *NSync

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Backstreet Boys girl through and through, but I'm a big proponent of giving credit where credit is due. And the one thing *NSync has on my beloved BSB is the fact that they released a Christmas album. And not just any Christmas album. An AMAZING Christmas album. I like to think that if the Backstreet Boys DID release a Christmas album, it would be unquestionably better than this one, but until that time, there's this. And let's be real, basically the entire album is great, but if I had to pick a fave...this one would be it.

#3
Emmanuel, God With Us
by Amy Grant

Speaking of bomb diggity Christmas albums, Amy Grant is seriously the queen of Christmas music. There is no such thing as a bad Amy Grant Christmas song.  I remember listening to these songs  when I was a kid and I'm reasonably sure, at the ripe old age of 28, I will never tire of them. This one is one of my faves. It really captures the mystery of Christmas.

#4
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
by The Choirboys

Oh, this one. I cannot even tell you how much I love The Choirboys Christmas album. These kids sing like baby angels. I can't handle it. I love them. And if I am ever in England over Christmas, I'm going to find out where they are performing and go watch. Because angel babies.

#5
It's True
By Sara Groves (feat. Toby Groves)

You might think you have a heart made of cold cold stone, but that's just because you haven't heard this song before. Sara Groves knows just how to yank your heartstrings out. And she can do it all by herself, but in case you have any lingering doubts about that, she also included the voice of her little boy on this track to remind you that it's perfectly acceptable to weep uncontrollably into your sugar cookie batter. Composure? What composure? Sara Groves eats your composure for breakfast.