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    Niall Horan: A Year In Review

    Victoria ChristianoBy
    LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 20: Singer Niall Horan performs onstage during the 2016 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

    One Direction may be on hiatus but that hasn’t stopped Niall Horan from keeping quiet. In fact, we’re extremely blessed that Niall has been so active throughout 2016.

    Shall we review? 

    Backpacking in Asia

    After One Direction officially went on hiatus, Niall decided to go backpacking across middle-eastern Asia. Traveling with only a few close friends, this left Horan under the radar for about a month or so. Fans were definitely sad as he’s not known for being a quiet one – but he certainly made up for it as he shared a few photos from his trip on Instagram.

    (Little did we know that he was actually gaining inspiration for his solo album)

    A lot of Golf

    If you know Niall at all, you know that his love for golf goes head to head with his love for One Direction. It’s something we find incredibly endearing – not just because his fangirl moments are as cute as a puppy, but because he always finds a way to incorporate charity selflessly.

    I’m thrilled to team up with Justin to host our Horan & Rose Gala event. It’ll be great to raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research UK Kids and Teens. It’s a charity I feel very strongly about. And as a golf fanatic, teaming up with Justin who is a major winner, Ryder Cup hero and great friend… I’m so excited.

    The event in total ended up raising over £800,000 for Cancer Research UK Kids and Teens – but Niall didn’t stop there. Just before the big Pro-Am with Justin Rose, the irish heart throb paid a visit to a group of brave young souls; ones he deemed to be “really inspiring.”
    He spent the entire day bowling with them, connecting with them and making them laugh. But most of all, he had helped them forget, even if for only a little while, the pain they have to endure every day of their lives.

    “They had been through so much but they were all so strong and positive. I’m so glad we’ve been able to raise so much money for Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens. Cancer is the biggest killer of children, teens and young adults in the UK – which is why it’s so important to raise awareness and help find cures to kinder treatments for these awful diseases.” 

    Simultaneously, Horan had also designed a first ever limited edition charity t-shirt in support of The Kate and Justin Rose Foundation for Irish Autism Action. 100% of the proceeds were donated to both charities, increasing the amount of success to help those in need. He even signed a handful of shirts to help make it more fun!

    Hold on, we’re not quite finished yet…

    You can’t ever begin to doubt Niall Horan’s love for golf – because in the midst of all these tournaments and outings and events, he set up his own golf management company with none other than Mark McDonnell off of Modest! management fame. His management will essentially consist of talented youngsters who share the same passion for golf as he does.

    Soccer Aid with Louis Tomlinson

    For the 10 year Anniversary of Soccer Aid, a charity event to benefit UNICEF’s work for children, Niall and Louis stepped up to participate in a game of footie. Seeing that both of their track records with charities are impeccable, it didn’t come as that much of a surprise. However, 1D fans were still thrilled they received some Nouis action for the first time in months – despite being on opposing teams.

    The charity event raised a whopping £5,391,398. It was a beautiful day all around.

    The release of This Town

    Coming as a bit of a surprise, this was easily the highlight of Niall’s 2016.

    (And everyone else’s, let’s be real). 

    While the singer was in Minneapolis participating in the 2016 Ryder Cup, This Town was dropped. Out of NO WHERE. It all began when Radio Disney accidentally tweeted about it a day early and the entire fandom lost it.

    It was the first time in a long time where we received some new music from the boys, let alone just one of them. So naturally, everyone was on edge – but in an exciting way. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been, the adrenaline rush you get when your favorite band/artist puts out a new song will always remain the same. You remember everything about that moment; where you were, what you wore, who you were with, etc.. It’s essentially the moment when the song becomes a part of you.

    Niall didn’t recognize the strength of his own voice nor the impact it would have on the world. Not because of how beautiful This Town is written or because his voice is definitely one to be heard, but because it’s pure honesty. It’s raw and it’s something that comes from him and him alone. It provides a connection between him and his fans and that’s much more important than any promotion can offer.

    Once This Town was released, things began falling back into their old ways. The television appearances came, the red carpet appearances, radio interviews, performances day in and day out – it was as if nothing had ever changed to begin with. It felt like home. He felt like home.

    You can watch all of Niall’s performances of This Town below:

    A few extras:

    It’s been one hell of a year with you, Mr. Niall Horan. Not a day goes by where we don’t feel blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you for giving us This Town, thank you for constantly being there for us and thank you for remaining so humble. But above everything… thank you for being you. You have come such a long way since the start of One Direction and we couldn’t be more eager to see what 2017 brings. You should feel very proud of yourself.

    Make sure to keep up with Niall’s latest!

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    Are you as much of a Niall lover as we are? Which was your favorite moment of his? Tweet us at @CelebMix or @CelebMix1D! We always love hearing from you. 

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