Slow Hands (Niall Horan song)
"Slow Hands" is a song recorded by Irish singer-songwriter Niall Horan, released as a single on 4 May 2017 by Capitol Records.[2] The song was written by Horan, Alexander Izquierdo, John Ryan, Julian Bunetta, Ruth Anne Cunningham and Tobias Jesso Jr., while the production was handled by Bunetta.[3] It was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on 9 May 2017[4] as the second single from Horan's debut solo album Flicker (2017).
"Slow Hands"
4 May 2017
3:07
- Niall Horan
- Alexander Izquierdo
- John Ryan
- Julian Bunetta
- Ruth-Anne Cunningham
- Tobias Jesso Jr.
Julian Bunetta[1]
"Slow Hands" peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Horan's highest-charting single in those countries.
Critical reception[edit]
In Billboard, Taylor Weatherby noted "Slow Hands" focuses on a "funkier guitar vibe", compared to Horan's previous single "This Town." She also opined "the subtly-sexy song" shows an "edgier side of Niall."[12] Colin Stutz from the publication, added, "The combination of a thumping beat and Horan's raspy vocals makes the song hardly even sound like the same guy who sang ["This Town"]. But what "Slow Hands" shows is that Horan definitely won't just be sticking to the sweet singer-songwriter sound on his solo debut."[6] Rolling Stone's Althea Legaspi also noted Horan "goes for a more muted sound. Above a stomp-and-clap beat and muted guitar, Horan allows his lower register to showcase his more seductive side on the track."[5]
In The Irish Times, Jennifer Gannon wrote that "it’s no radical departure, Niall hasn’t decided to go Gaga but it’s a step in a more Sheeran-style, crowd-pleasing direction. A gentle, foot-stomper about a lady with a magic touch, a lady who knows what she wants, she wants to get her hands all over Niall's "dirty laundry" and not in a bringing your washing home on a Sunday way. This isn't Timberlake's Sexy Back, it's Horan's Sweaty Back."[13]
Billboard's critics' list placed it second on "Every One Direction Solo Single, Ranked" in May 2017, stating that the "secret" highlight "[is] the way Niall's vocal on the first verse is ever so discretely chopped on the recording to a clipped staccato, a mysterious move that forces the singer into a less-is-more delivery that ends up being much more indeed."[14]
Chart performance[edit]
"Slow Hands" charted within the top 10 in the charts of Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The single became his second top 20 entry as a solo artist on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 11 and surpassing his preceding single "This Town", which reached number 20. On 15 September 2017, the single was certified Platinum for combined sales and streaming equivalent units of over a million units in the United States. On the chart dated 7 October 2017, the single reached number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart.[15] As of December 2017, it has sold one million copies in the US.[16]
Live performances[edit]
Horan has performed "Slow Hands" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[17][18] On 29 May 2017, the singer performed "Slow Hands", "This Town" and premiered the track "On the Loose" on The Today Show.[19] On 4 June 2017, Horan performed the song during the One Love Manchester benefit concert for the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing.[20] On 5 June he performed on BBC One's The One Show.[21] The singer also performed "Slow Hands" at the Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2017.[22]
On 22 June 2018, Horan performed the song with American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, at the first London show of her Reputation Stadium Tour at Wembley Stadium, as a surprise guest.