Niall Horan candidly admitted he feels ‘nearly a jealousy’ when watching his former One Direction bandmate Harry Styles achieve stratospheric solo success.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, the 32-year-old Irish singer reflected on his own career trajectory compared to Styles and Louis Tomlinson.
“Watching mates release stuff is fuel to the fire, there’s nearly a jealousy to it,” Horan said. “My solo career has been a nice slow build, which is the idea because the aim is to have a bit of longevity — my favourite artists have had 50 year careers.”
Since One Direction’s hiatus in 2016, Styles has become a global superstar, winning three Grammy Awards and headlining massive stadium tours including a record breaking 12 night residency at Wembley this summer.
Meanwhile, Horan is preparing to release his fourth studio album Dinner Party on June 5, following the success of The Show in 2023.
Asked about the possibility of a One Direction reunion, Horan remained cautious but hopeful, “God knows, I mean look at Harry there, look at Louis, the boys are flying, so God knows. But everyone still asks about it, it’s exciting.”
The band’s only public reunion since their split came at Liam Payne’s funeral in October 2024, after Payne’s tragic death at age 31.
Zayn Malik had left the group in 2015.
Despite speculation of tensions, Horan has praised Styles’ recent single Aperture, calling it “a banger.”
Still, he joked he was “too busy” to attend Styles’ upcoming wedding to actress Zoë Kravitz, who recently debuted a diamond engagement ring.
For Horan, the envy he feels toward his bandmates is less about rivalry and more about motivation.
“I love walking the dog around the place,” he said, “but this is what I was born to do.”
