Niall Horan’s “This Town” is certified five-times platinum exactly 10 years after its release, tying Harry Styles and Zayn’s debut solo singles. MESA, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 10: Niall Horan attends TikTok In The Mix at Sloan Park on December 10, 2023 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for TikTok)
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Niall Horan launched his solo career exactly 10 years ago with “This Town,” a simple acoustic pop single that sounded different enough from much of the music One Direction had been making before the group went on hiatus – and that was the point. “This Town,” which arrived on September 29, 2016, was meant to point the singer in a new, ahem, direction, and it worked brilliantly. A decade later, the tune has reached a new commercial milestone that places Horan alongside two of his former bandmates.
Niall Horan’s “This Town” Is Now Five-Times Platinum
On September 29, 2026 — exactly 10 years to the day after “This Town” was released and Horan began his solo career — the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the track five-times platinum, meaning it has shifted a total of five million equivalent units in the United States alone.
As “This Town” improves from quadruple platinum to quintuple platinum status, it ties with several other tracks as the highest-certified of the five debut solo singles from any member of One Direction.
Niall Horan Ties Harry Styles And Zayn
Three of the boy band’s five members now also claim debut solo singles that have been certified five-times platinum in America. Zayn reached that level with “Pillowtalk,” the first track released by a One Direction member after he became the first to leave the group. Harry Styles later matched him with “Sign of the Times,” and now Horan’s “This Town” joins that group.
The three songs peaked at different places on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., but over time, they’ve performed similarly in terms of units moved – and that’s units, which combine sales and streams, not just purchases. “Pillowtalk” debuted at No. 1 on the ranking, while “Sign of the Times” reached No. 4 and “This Town” stopped at No. 20.
Liam Payne’s first solo single, “Strip That Down,” currently stands at triple platinum status, while Louis Tomlinson’s “Just Hold On” with DJ Steve Aoki has only managed a gold honor and has yet to go platinum.
Only Two One Direction Solo Songs Are Certified Higher
“This Town” is not the most highly certified solo hit produced by a former One Direction member, but when looking at each of the five tracks with which the men began solo ventures, it is tied as the biggest.
Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” has hit the seven-times platinum level in the U.S., while “As It Was” trails by one platinum plaque. Those are currently the only two solo singles from the five singers certified above “This Town.”
“This Town” Is Certified Higher Than Any One Direction Smash
As “This Town” advances and adds another million units to its U.S. total, the single passes anything One Direction released during the years the boys were together. The group’s highest-certified single in America remains its debut smash “What Makes You Beautiful,” which is quadruple platinum. It’s possible that the RIAA simply needs to update the totals attached to One Direction’s most popular tunes – numbers don’t grow until record labels request them and provide confirmation data – but for the moment, Horan’s own solo tune has outpaced his work with the outfit that made him famous.
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