Niall Horan rides One Direction rep to sun-soaked glory at ACL Fest

Did we … did we make the wrong One Direction guy a superstar? Niall Horan, the longtime co-worker of former Moody Center resident Harry Styles, took his turn at a solo Austin gig on Sunday at Austin City Limits Music Festival, and it was a delight.

Through a charming, sun-soaked set on the American Express stage, Horan proved that 1 million teenage girls were right about him. Clear-voiced when he wasn’t yelping with wild charisma, the affable Irish pop singer worked through tunes from his third solo album, “The Show,” which came out this summer. Songs like “On a Night Like Tonight” and “Heaven” sparkled with retro-tinged, summer-dream shimmer. Onstage, to literally no one’s surprise, Horan was confident and cheeky, sticking his tongue out here and there and pumping his fist after a couple numbers.

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A group of fans at the stage barricade waved Irish flags. During the title track from the new album, the camera showed a young woman crying on the big screen. A cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” slotted right into the joyful weekend reverie.

“I doubt you’ll know this one,” Horan said at one point, a winking prelude to One Direction song “Story of My Life,” which indeed elicited seismic recognition. Simon Cowell knew what he was doing when he put those lads together, after all.

“I love this town. This is such a great city,” Horan told the crowd, adding that he’d always wanted to play ACL Fest. “I know it’s hot, but you’re used to it, I’m not. If I faint, pick me up.”

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(Horan will be back for a 4:15 p.m. Sunday set again for Weekend Two.)

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Niall Horan rides boy band rep to sun-soaked glory at ACL Fest