A Track-By-Track Guide To One Direction’s New ‘Perfect’ EP 

The band has released a four-track EP, including a never-before-heard song and a Big Panyo remix.

Directioners, we have a new theory about why One Direction’s upcoming album is titled

— it’s because those guys literally must never sleep.

The Brit band has been hard at work lately, prepping their fifth studio album, shutting down Justin Bieber competition rumors, and assuring us their impending hiatus is nothing more than a well-deserved break. On top of all that, there was that whole issue of having to cancel a concert in Belfast Tuesday night (Oct. 20) after Liam Payne fell ill. Later that night, though, the guys mended any broken hearts by abruptly releasing the dreamy black-and-white video for “Perfect.”

And now, they’ve offered up yet another treat to tide us over until Nov. 13: a new EP. The four-track

EP arrived late Wednesday night and features a never-before-heard song called “Home,” as well as TWO new versions of “Perfect.” There’s a lot to chew over here, so let’s break this baby down track by track.

First up, we have the bare-bones take on “Perfect,” featuring a lone acoustic guitar. The guys’ vocal tracks are completely unchanged, but the minimalist production lets us hear some subtle details that were easily missable on the original version, like the way Louis Tomlinson’s voice cracks a little in the first verse. Ultimately, it’s a more romantic take on an utterly lovely pop song that lets you appreciate their harmonies without any background clutter. I’m way into it.

The upside of this brand spankin’ new track is that it’s legitimately great! The downside is, it’s unfortunately not going to be on

(boo!). This is the kind of song that makes you feel warm and loved and safe. Lyrically, it’s a lot like “Don’t Forget Where You Belong” and “Through The Dark,” with its sound assurances (fun fact: it was co-written by Liam and Louis, as well as frequent 1D collaborator Jamie Scott).

“It’s all right, calling out for somebody to hold tonight/ When you’re lost I’ll find the way, and I’ll be your light/ You will never feel like you’re alone, I’ll make this feel like home,” the guys sing. And you believe them. Also, it must be said that if anyone thought 1D’s sound was going to suffer without Zayn Malik’s impeccable high notes, suffice to say Harry’s got that covered — just listen to the bridge. Totally Zayn-esque.

After serenading us with the stripped-down version of “Perfect,” the guys bring the tune back with this stylish remix. I’m not going to lie, I was a little worried about them trying to turn this into some kind of warped-speed club banger… that just would’ve felt out of place. But this version hits the “perfect” (sorry) stride. Norwegian DJ and producer Matoma lends his signature tropical house flourishes to the remix, giving us a version that’s danceable but not heavy or cheesy. The strings in the bridge are a particularly nice touch.

“Drag Me Down – Big Payno x AFTERHRS Remix”

So… there’s a lot happening here. For the unfamiliar, yes, Big Payno is indeed Liam Payne himself, and for his remix of

’s lead single, he recruited Miami rapper LunchMoney Lewis to contribute two verses of varying perplexity. After his first verse — which includes pun-ny lines like “We crossed paths like an intersection/ Now we both headed in one direction” — a heavily Autotuned bridge takes over, leading to a far, far more menacing chorus.

This is definitely 1D like you’ve never heard them before, especially when Lewis comes in guns blazin’ for his second verse, during which he somehow manages to make you go “whoa” by dropping two n-words, AND making you “aww” with the line, “When I touch down in London town, I be sippin’ tea with Simon Cowell.”

Basically, this tweet gives you an entirely accurate idea of what to expect here:

Directioners, what do you think of the Perfect EP? Let us know in the comments!