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If you’ve started to miss One Direction after eight years of indefinite hiatus, a new boy band is here to fill the empty spot in your heart — kind of. August Moon, the fictional group at the center of Anne Hathaway’s new movie The Idea of You, may not grow into a music staple in real life, but they have become very real in viewers’ hearts (and playlists).
While The Idea of You has only streamed on Prime Video for a few days, August Moon already has a dedicated fanbase name (the Moonheads), over half a million monthly listeners on Spotify, and a small but mighty catalog that harkens back to boy band glory days.
The film’s lead actor Nicholas Galitzine fronts August Moon as Hayes Campbell (yes, he can actually sing), and also features Jaiden Anthony as Adrian, Raymond Cham Jr. as Oliver, Viktor White as Simon, and Dakota Adan as Rory. The cast and crew have cited many inspirations in the creation of August Moon, from *NSYNC to Taylor Swift. But naturally, the fans flocking to August Moon are being reminded of One Direction.
Because Bustle understands the need for important journalism, here are August Moon’s seven bangers and ballads, subjectively ranked by the level of 1D vibes each song gives off.
7. “Taste”
Make no mistake, “Taste” is an absolute earworm, taking cues from Doja Cat’s “Say So” and Kylie Minogue to create a disco-pop bop. But One Direction never made a song like this. In fact, no famous boy band really has, meaning “Taste” gives August Moon a unique flavor.
6. “Dance Before We Walk”
August Moon goes from a ’70s disco to an ’80s roller rink on “Dance Before We Walk,” inspired by the pulsing power-pop of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” and Dua Lipa’s “Physical.” It’s a certified party and workout anthem, but more sleek and modern than anything 1D touched in their heyday.
5. “Go Rogue”
Technically, “Go Rogue” is one of Hayes’ first solo outings, inspired by his relationship with Solène (Hathaway). As a result, it sounds like the kind of mature track 1D members Niall Horan or Louis Tomlinson might take on, with its folk influence and dramatic tone.
4. “The Idea Of You”
To be clear, Galitzine’s solo acoustic version of “The Idea Of You” could masquerade as a classic One Direction ballad. (The duet version with Anne-Marie could pass as a Zayn solo track.) The simple ode to love that can’t work under the circumstances would be an ideal closer for a 1D album.
3. “Closer”
August Moon performs “Closer” at Coachella so Hayes can get Solène’s attention. It’s later revealed that interrupting the show to play this song is a bit the band does when a member wants to impress someone in the audience, and 1D loves to do cheesy bits on stage. Even the other singers’ silliness is peak 1D behavior. It also helps that “Closer” could easily slot into their early albums.
2. “I Got You”
“I Got You” has all of the quintessential One Direction ingredients: warm acoustic production, soaring boy band harmonies, and a motivational message that could also function as the romantic proposition that fans dream of getting. It’s reminiscent of their 2012 single “Little Things” — but without the weird lyrics about your thighs.
1. “Guard Down”
If you told me that “Guard Down” was a song that One Direction left in the vault (à la Taylor Swift) while recording their first two albums, I would believe you. It feels like a mature evolution of “What Makes You Beautiful,” getting slightly salacious without alienating fans, like “Stockholm Syndrome.” The music video, with Hayes and the band as hot professors in plaid uniforms, also feels very 1D-coded. It’s no wonder that Solène flew to New York in a heartbeat after watching him in that video.
