奈尔·霍兰

Niall James Horan ( NY-əl HAW-rən; born 13 September 1993) is an Irish singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist. He rose to prominence as a member of the boy band One Direction, formed in 2010 on the singing competition The X Factor. The group released five albums and went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.

After the band declared a hiatus in 2016, Horan signed a recording deal as a solo artist with Capitol Records. He has since released four albums: Flicker (2017), Heartbreak Weather (2020), The Show (2023), and Dinner Party (2026). Flicker debuted at number one in Ireland and the US, and reached the top three in Australia and the UK. The album's first two singles, "This Town" and "Slow Hands", reached the top 20 in the UK and US. Heartbreak Weather was released in March 2020, and reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Horan released his third studio album, The Show, in June 2023, which reached number one in Ireland and the UK, and spawned two singles — "Heaven" and "Meltdown". Dinner Party was released in June 2026, and spawned three singles — "Dinner Party", "Little More Time", and "End of an Era".

In addition to his music career, Horan has worked as a coach on The Voice, co-founded a golf management agency, and advocated for various charitable causes, including autism support and cancer research fundraising.

Early life

Niall James Horan was born on 13 September 1993 in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. He has an older brother, Greg, who was born in 1987. His parents, Bobby Horan and Maura Gallagher (née Nolan), divorced when he was five years old, so he and his brother lived with their mother for a year. After spending a year apart from their father, they later decided to move in with him. Niall Horan had asthma as a child. He attended Coláiste Mhuire secondary school.

Greg received a guitar for his 15th birthday which he only used once and then it "sat around for a while" until Horan himself picked it up. Horan taught himself how to play by following YouTube tutorials. His aunt discovered his singing ability one day when she was in the car with Horan as he started singing, and she had initially thought that the radio was on. As a teenager, he performed at the Mullingar Arts Centre during a fundraiser for the local football team, the Shamrocks. He also had a support slot with former X Factor contestant Lloyd Daniels at the Academy club in Dublin.

Career

2010–2015: The X Factor and One Direction

In 2010, at 16 years old, Horan auditioned for The X Factor in Dublin. He sang Ne-Yo's "So Sick" and received positive comments from the judging panel, which consisted of Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole, Katy Perry, and Simon Cowell. Horan was then put through to bootcamp. At bootcamp, he failed to qualify for the "Boys" category. After a suggestion from guest judge Nicole Scherzinger, Horan was put into a group with four other boys who had also failed to progress as solo contestants. This made them eligible for the "Groups" category, and because the judges felt they were too talented to send home, they agreed with Nicole Scherzinger’s suggestion to form a boy band. Horan along with Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik formed One Direction. Styles came up with the band name, which he thought "sounded good". They became the last contestant eliminated on the show, behind runner-up Rebecca Ferguson and winner Matt Cardle.