Niall Horan’s ‘This Town’ becomes bigger than any One Direction single
Harry Styles’ ‘Sign of the Times’ and Zayn’s ‘Pillowtalk’ have both also reached five-times platinum status
Niall Horan’s first solo single, This Town, has officially become bigger than any One Direction single in the US after earning a new five-times platinum certification.
The song reached the milestone on September 29, exactly 10 years after its release and Horan’s solo debut. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certification means This Town has accumulated five million equivalent units in the US.
The new certification also puts Horan alongside two of his former One Direction bandmates. Harry Styles’ Sign of the Times and Zayn’s Pillowtalk have both also reached five-times platinum status, making the three songs the most highly certified debut solo singles from members of the group in the US.
This Town peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Pillowtalk reached No. 1 and Sign of the Times peaked at No. 4. The RIAA certifications are based on combined sales and streaming units rather than chart position.
Horan’s achievement is particularly notable when compared with One Direction’s own catalogue. The group’s highest-certified single in the US is currently What Makes You Beautiful, which is four-times platinum. As a result, This Town now holds a higher RIAA certification than any single released by the group.
However, This Town is not the most highly certified solo song by a former One Direction member. Styles’ Watermelon Sugar has reached seven-times platinum, while As It Was has been certified six-times platinum in the US. Both therefore remain above Horan’s latest milestone.
The other former members have yet to match the five-times platinum mark with their debut solo singles. Liam Payne’s Strip That Down is currently three-times platinum, while Louis Tomlinson’s Just Hold On, recorded with Steve Aoki, is certified gold.
Released on September 29, 2016, This Town marked the beginning of Horan’s solo career while One Direction was on hiatus. Ten years later, the track has reached a certification milestone that surpasses the US certification of every One Direction single.
