Niall Horan Kicks off "Late Late Show" Residency

Niall Horan’s residency on The Late Late Show kicked off in the best possible way with a performance, a sketch, a some cute throwback clips. The night began with Horan sweetly waking up pal James Corden from a deep sleep, which the host appreciated but found a bit creepy. “Why are you in my bedroom,” a rumbled Corden asked. “It’s Niall week James, we’re going to spend the whole week together!”

But it was only five a.m., so Corden, though thrilled, kindly asked Horan to be excited in the studio, not his home. Once safely on the couch, Horan talked about his upcoming second album, which he said was plotted out like the storyline of a breakup. “I kinda tried to like tell a story throughout the track listing,” he said, revealing that the album title, Heartbreak Weather, came to him first.

Was it from a perspective of his own broken heart? Well, yes, though he didn’t specify who shattered his ticker. Horan also talked about how exciting it was to be launching his upcoming tour with good friend Lewis Capaldi opening the shows. “It’s the perfect scenario, isn’t it?” he said. “I get to tour the country in arenas and a mate of mine who’s also pretty alright famous as well he’s gonna come with me.”

It’s the perfect scenario, Corden suggested, unless they just end up getting each other into trouble every night. “The old Celtic thing, the Scottish/Irish thing seems to flare up every time we meet,” Horan said, admitting they decided to have a chat and “one big blowout” before they hit the road because there’s no way they can get up on stage every night if they go wild at every date.

Because he’s a good friend, Corden, of course, dug up Horan’s first performance on Britain’s X Factor singing a bouncy cover of Coldplay‘s “Viva La Vida,” which made Niall hide his face in shame. “I honestly think it’s my favorite performance on the X Factor that I’ve ever seen,” Corden laughed. Horan, however, said the clip, literally, haunts him every day. “But I wouldn’t be here without them,” Horan said.

The former One Direction singer also dished up “Nice to Meet Ya,” a rockin’ track lifted from the forthcoming Heartbreak Weather, due out Friday (March 13). Horan trended on social media after the performance, in which worked his electric guitar like a pro.

Heartbreak Weather is the followup to Flicker, which led the Streets Talkin 200 following its release in 2017.

Watch Horan’s first night on The Late Late Show below.