Niall Horan planning country-inspired music with a little help from Shania Twain
ZAYN tried R&B, HARRY did rock, LIAM’s gone urban and LOUIS turned to dance.
Now the fifth and final ONE DIRECTION member, NIALL HORAN, has sussed out where to take his own solo music — and he’s got the right person to help him.
Niall has formed a bond with country music icon SHANIA TWAIN in a bid to take his music in a wild west direction.
The pair recently spent time in the studio together swapping tips after being introduced by their mutual producer Jacquire King.
Canadian Shania — regarded as the best-selling female country singer in history — taught Niall the ways of the country world.
He revealed: “I have spent a bit of time with Shania in the studio.
“The guy who produced her album, Jacquire King, is doing a lot of my album, so I spent a lot of time with her, and she’s great.
“I am learning about it and I think it’s really cool.
MOST READ IN BIZARRE
“The whole country singing in the States is really cool.
“I know these guys and I am learning about their ways.”
Niall has released two solo efforts so far — an acoustic singer-songwriter number in This Town and upbeat NICK JONAS-style pop hit Slow Hands.
The latter went to No1 on iTunes in 44 countries upon release and is well on its way to becoming a huge hit across the Atlantic.
But the Irish singer says that Shania-style Nashville sound is also part of his plans for his upcoming debut album, which he has been plugging away on for months.
He explained: “I grew up on the likes of THE EAGLES and my mum had GARTH BROOKS and Shania in the house all the time and in the car when I was growing up.
“Country is the heart of the kind of music that I like. When you hear my album you will hear flavours of folk and country and stuff like that.”
Shania’s experience will stand Niall in good stead.
She has bagged five Grammys over the years and sold more than 85million records around the world.
And if Niall covers Man! I Feel Like A Woman as a bonus, I won’t be complaining.
— SHE’S in Cannes to launch her own diamond range but RIHANNA didn’t need jewels to shine on the red carpet.
The singer looked like a hip Miss Havisham in this ivory gown as she arrived at the Okja screening yesterday.
Rihanna debuted her collaboration with gem giants Chopard in a champagne-soaked bash the night before, perhaps explaining her sunglasses.
She was joined by BELLA HADID and Bollywood superstar AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN, dressed like a princess.
I wonder how she dealt with a trip to the toilets?
- SLAVES had to cut their Brighton Pier gig short on Thursday after hundreds of people stormed to the front. They said they had to finish at The Great Escape festival early as there was a danger of “structural collapse”.
NAOMI'S LOOSE TIME TWO
SHE is used to mixing with fashion royalty at the world’s most lavish parties.
But NAOMI CAMPBELL says she’s most at home sitting alongside RUTH LANGSFORD and COLEEN NOLAN on the Loose Women panel.
The supermodel appeared on the ITV show last week and, despite turning up 15 minutes late, she is already making plans to go back.
During an exclusive chat ahead of her Fashion For Relief Cannes gala, Naomi said of the gang: “They were really nice. I really liked them.
“It would be nice to go back and visit them.
“That was one of my favourite shows I’ve done in London for a long time. I think it’s a great show and they’ve all got great vibes, those ladies. I liked them a lot.”
Naomi’s career horizons have broadened so much lately that she could even be tempted with a cameo in a soap.
She said: “It depends on the role and what it is but I don’t say ‘no’ to anything.
“I always look into everything and research if it’s right. I’m open.”
I can see her selling fish and chips with Ian Beale in EastEnders.
Cara chameleon
CARA DELEVINGNE may be a top model – but in a change to her usual persona, she didn’t seem up for photos at Cannes.
At a bash for picture agency Magnum, she would not let guests snap her.
Bosses laid down a ban so if anyone did try it on, their mobiles would be seized.
But Cara did feature in one shot – photobombing a snap featuring model pal DAISY LOWE and Strictly friend ORE ODUBA.
A source said: “No one was allowed closer than five metres to Cara.
“She conversed with Daisy while they were in two separate areas.”
But Cara reached over to stroke Ore’s hair as the pair compared styles. Brave man.
- X FACTOR star SAM LAVERY will be hoping her debut single – self-penned Walk Away – makes mentor SIMON COWELL regret not signing her to his Syco label after she was booted off the show in seventh place last year.
KATY SWISH IS SWIFT DISS
THE biggest feud in showbiz is back.
KATY PERRY appears to fire back at nemesis TAYLOR SWIFT on new single Swish Swish, which is full of lyrics nodding to their long-running spat.
Katy sings: “A tiger don’t lose no sleep, don’t need opinions from a shellfish or a sheep.” The “tiger” seems to refer to Katy’s hit Roar while the “sheep” brings back memories of her 2014 tweet about Taylor, where she wrote: “Watch out for the Regina George in sheep’s clothing.”
She also quips, “Funny my name keeps coming out your mouth,” adding: “Karma’s not a liar, she keeps receipts.” What’s more, Swish Swish is a duet with NICKI MINAJ, another star who has battled with Taylor in the past.
But actress RUBY ROSE rode to pal Taylor’s rescue on Twitter yesterday.
She wrote: “I think with everything going on in the world to go from rebranding as political activist only to ditch it and go low . . . is . . . a bummer. Not gonna lie, Nicki is great on it and basically the only part that doesn’t sound a mess.”