Up Late With One Direction! The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Traveling to a different city each week and performing in ice skates and silly costumes, it can be easy to lose track of what is truly important. When I saw that One Direction released its latest music video for "Midnight Memories," it was a wakeup call for this hen. While I've been writing about the cold and expense of Scandinavia, or not writing at all due to vitamin D deficiency, I've been overlooking pop music and my installations of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."Priorities straightened, I've pecked out my 2 cents on 1D's latest. Watch the video then read about the good, the bad, and the ugly!

The Good:

• The lads make it clear they're going for a more mature, more rock sound in their music. They're no Rolling Stones, but song by song, One Direction is breaking away from the poppy boy band mold without losing their mass appeal. Now that they are so popular, it seems they have a bit more freedom with the music they put out.
• No blatant auto tune. The boys still prove they can sing and that's how they made it in the first place.
• Looks don't hurt either. All five are looking pretty fresh.
• Singing with the old women on the scooters. I've never been so jealous of the elderly.
• London's pretty at night.
• They still come across as normal lads. Unlike many pop music videos taking place in the most expensive clubs, the gang is at a house party and a kebab shop. I got to house parties and kebab shops, too! 
• That brazen dog trying to lick Zayn.

Who's the lucky gal who gets 2?

The Bad:

• Stealing a police boat? None of you are Justin Bieber, nor is that the image you want, gents. 
• Standing on top of the Tower Bridge is so dangerous! Don't give impressionable teens terrible ideas.
• The song rips off a hook from a classic Def Leppard song. I don't ask a lot from boy band pop music, but at least give me a half original beat.
• Just because it's the title track of the album doesn't necessarily mean it's the best song for a single. There are multiple other tracks that at least don't have a Def Leppard hook.
• Where the HELL is the Zayn power vocal?!
• When I sing in a kebab shop, I'm asked to stop or at least glared at. I don't know how realistic the response is from the staff and patrons. Or maybe I'm not as talented vocally as I think.
• While I still like their work, this unfortunately is my least favorite One Direction video at which I've pecked. It's not bad, but both the song on the video are both so average. The song steals an already identifiable rock beat and the video is nothing but the boys running amok...again. 

Terrible idea.

The Ugly:

• The people at that lame-ass house party. If One Direction is at a party, it would be packed with a mob of people trying to break down the door. 
• Niall taking a big bite out of the pre-shaven kebab meat. Woof.

Not my kind of memory.

Keep reading! Like One Direction? Read The Hen's peck at One Direction's "Best Song Ever!"

Like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? Read about Britney's solid advice!