Niall James Horan (born 13 September 1993) is an Irish singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the boy band One Direction. In 2010, Horan auditioned as a solo artist for British televised singing competition The X Factor. After being eliminated as a solo performer, Horan joined four other contestants to form One Direction. The band has released five commercially successful albums, performed on four worldwide tours, and won a number of awards.
Following the band's hiatus in 2016, Horan signed a recording deal as a solo artist with Capitol Records. His singles "This Town" and "Slow Hands" from his debut studio album Flicker (2017) reached the top 20 in several countries. The album debuted at number one in Ireland and the United States, as well as charting within the top three in Australia and the UK.