One Direction: Take Me Home

The vocally versatile boy band's polished, upbeat, cheerleader-friendly second album doesn't deliver any surprises.

Si Hawkins

November 13, 2012

  • English
  • Arabic

One Direction
Take Me Home
Sony
****

The popularity of boy bands is often bewildering to those of us not in their target demographic, but One Direction's rise is particularly startling.

They were seemingly just another group created by a UK talent show, but their debut album, Up All Night, was the first by a British act to debut at No 1 on the US charts, and many now refer to them as the biggest band in the world. If you typed the letter "o" into Google a few days after last week's US election, the first result was not "Obama".

Unsurprisingly, there are no dramatic changes on One Direction's second album. Vocally versatile, the youthful quintet happily leap from frat-boy punk-pop (Kiss You) to Katy Perry-style confections (I Would), but also hark back to their homeland. There are musical nods to The Clash and Queen, while two lower-key tracks co-written by the popular English singer Ed Sheeran reference tea and "the showers that are British" - the album's most amusingly awkward lyric.

Generally, though, this is polished, upbeat, cheerleader-friendly pop: the sound of a gleeful American high school breaking up for the holidays.

GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

Tomorrow 2021
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

HEADLINE HERE
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TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5

The biog

Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages

Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”  

Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”

Favourite film:  “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”

Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”

Tips on buying property during a pandemic

Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.

While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.

While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar. 

Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.

Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities. 

Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong. 

Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.

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