Niall Horan is winning over leagues of classic rock fans after his brand new BBC Radio 2 Piano Room performance goes viral, amassing more than 155,000 views in little more than three weeks.
But what’s got the rock audience falling head over heels for this ex-boyband member? It all comes down to his daring song choice: an old-school hit an absolute world away from his One Direction days – “Desperado” by The Eagles.
Curious to see how it turned out? Music Man readers can check out the performance in the video above…
And, in case you haven’t heard The Eagles’ original in a while and are itching to compare the two versions, just hit play on the band’s official live performance below…
With buttery vocals and impeccably emotional tones, Niall’s bluesy voice is backed by a solo piano, before taking full advantage of the BBC Concert Orchestra, who haunt the song with blissful strings and woodwind harmonies; brass players soon enter the mix to take this rendition to a whole new level.
As the performance unfolds, Niall emanates the soft power of a man who’s survived the terrific ups and downs of the showbiz industry and is now in a place where he can sing whatever song strikes a chord with him, shame-free, self-assured, and with an energy that proves how much he’s matured since his One Direction heyday. It’s a night-and-day transformation, and it’s got the world slowly realizing how much he’s been outshone by his 1D bandmates.
One top commenter beneath this viral vid spoke for hundreds of fans when they wrote: “Anyone who says Niall Horan can’t sing is just lying to themselves. He is so underrated. He deserves better recognition & praise. His vocals are always on point and sooo beautiful. And the note changes he does? Epic. I wish more people could see how amazingly talented he truly is.”
Classic rock fans have completely changed their minds about Niall, with one viewer writing, “As a long time Eagles fan, I have to say Niall did an outstanding job on this song!” and another admitting, “One of the best covers of Desperado by the Eagles I have heard.”
This wasn’t the only song Niall performed for the Piano Room this year. His original solo tracks “Nice To Meet Ya” and “Little More Time” also received an orchestral rendition, though neither has made even half the impact Niall’s Eagles cover did, judging by the view counts.