Irish pop singer and former One Direction member Niall Horan livestreamed a free concert on Instagram on Thursday as part of the "Together At Home" series, playing an acoustic set on guitar and urging young people to stay inside during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Global Citizen, the World Health Organization (WHO), and a group of dedicated artists helped launch the "Together At Home" virtual experience on Monday.
Chris Martin kicked off the initiative to unify the world and to combat loneliness while social isolating to help stop COVID-19 from spreading. John Legend, Charlie Puth, and Common also volunteered their time with sets on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Horan, who went solo in 2016 and is beloved by fans for his sense of humor, kicked off his performance by comparing his outfit to the Bananas in Pajamas cartoon.
"[I wanted to] shed a little bit of light for those who are self-isolating like I have been doing," he said. "If you’re not, get home and don’t be out in the streets catching this virus and potentially spreading it."
"I’ll keep doing it until I’m told that it’s safe to do otherwise," Horan added.
He shouted out Taylor Swift for calling on her fans to self-isolate.
"Now is not the time to be hanging out with your mates — do it on FaceTime," Horan said.
After joking about drinking his 15th cup of tea, Horan emphasized the importance of self-isolating to protect the elderly and immunocompromised.
"My 89-year-old grandmother –– my family are talking to her through the window of her house and on the phone, which I’m sure some of your family are doing the same," he said.
Horan encouraged Global Citizens to take action to end the global pandemic before accepting song requests from Instagram users.
He played "No Judgement" and "Nice to Meet Ya," off his new album Heartbreak Weather, released on March 13. He also left room for hit songs "This Town," "Black and White," and "Flicker."
Before signing off, Horan reminded everyone of the importance of practicing good hygiene.
"It’s such a simple task," he said. "It only takes 20 to 30 seconds, soap and water, simple. Use hand sanitizer and please be safe. Love you all a lot, hope you look after yourself."
Look out for the next round of artists and performers on Friday for the "Together At Home" series:
- Julianne Hough will be live on Instagram at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET
- Hozier will be live on Instagram at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET
- OneRepublic will be live on Instagram at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET
- Celeste will be live on Instagram at 1:30 a.m. PT/4:30 p.m. ET
- Steve Aoki will be live on Instagram at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET
You can see all of Global Citizen's COVID-19 coverage here.
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