"History" is a song by English-Irish boy bandOne Direction. It was released on 6 November 2015 as the third and final single from their fifth studio album, Made in the A.M., as well as the band's final single before their hiatus in January 2016. "History" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart.
The song was chosen as the third and final single from Made in the A.M. after the commercial success that followed the band's performance on the finale of British The X Factor. The song was released by Syco Music on 6 November 2015 and served as the band's last single before their hiatus.
Music video
The music video was published on the band's Vevo channel on YouTube on 26 January 2016. The video features clips of the band throughout the years, highlighting their tours and personal anecdotes. The video ends as the band walk off in separate directions. It was later confirmed that the band were originally supposed to run back together at the end of the music video. Ben Winston, who directed the video, also added "The ending wasn't supposed to look like they're just walking off in different directions, it was kind of like a 'see you in a bit, guys.'" In 2017, the deleted clip was unveiled online.
Critical reception
Madeline Roth of MTV News commented that "littered with hand claps and campfire singalong vibes, “History” is both nostalgic and forward-looking at the same time" and that "the song is "the perfect goodbye to their fans". Brennan Carley, writing with Spin, wrote that "utilizing hand claps, acoustic guitar, and Harry Styles’ sweet, standout harmonizing, the song’s proof that each of the remaining four 1D singers will be just fine on their own". Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone wrote that the group went "rootsy" with the song while adding that "the quartet harmonize above acoustic guitars and hand claps" and that "the boy band’s latest veers sharply from the more anthemic, arena rock sounds of their most recent singles". Lucy Wang, writing for Time, wrote that the song is a "crooning, bittersweet anthem" and "a celebration of the British boy band’s five-year journey alongside its fans".
