One Direction/Twitter

One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' Sounds Like... [Fill In The Blank]

Does 'Drag Me Down' really sound like 'Pony,' or am I just tripping?

We all know that One Direction pulls references from other songs -- from Journey, to The Who, to The Clash. Spinning old classics and giving their modern music a glint of the past has kind of become their thing.

But when One Direction dropped their surprise single "Drag Me Down" on Friday (July 31), we weren't hearing hints of classic rock. Instead, 1D is bringing us something more updated -- less rock 'n roll, more pop.

Nevertheless, bits and pieces of some of our current artists are shining through. If you haven't noticed, there are a lot of comparisons to Maroon 5 going around on Twitter -- the chorus features the signature nasally sound of Adam Levine, and the production swirls together pop rock with beat drops and hand claps just like the catchiest of Maroon 5 tracks.

However, a lot of kids can't put their finger on what "Drag Me Down" sounds like. They're name-dropping everything from Michael Jackson to Ginuwine’s "Pony." So, since everyone loves a reference point, here's what people are saying One Direction's "Drag Me Down" sounds like:

'Drag Me Down' sounds like...

  1. Ginuwine's 'Pony
  2. Gavin Degraw
  3. Justin Bieber
  4. Magic!'s 'Rude'
  5. Nick Jonas' 'Chains'

    Yo, for real though.

  6. An eternal orgasm
  7. Something off the Yu-Gi-Oh! soundtrack
  8. Acoustic trap music?????
  9. The gospel
  10. A murder movie
  11. An entirely different band
  12. Jack and Jack
  13. A bit sexual
  14. Reggae EDM
  15. Unseasoned chicken :(
  16. Halsey
  17. '70s-era Michael Jackson
  18. '90s-era Backstreet Boys
  19. NSYNC
  20. Maroon 5
  21. Opening credits to a white girl movie
  22. Justin Timberlake
  23. Strawberries dipped in melted milk chocolate
  24. Zayn