Niall Horan Reveals His Spotify Playlist That Is Already Inspiring Album No. 4 (Exclusive)

Niall Horan spoke exclusively with PEOPLE ahead of an intimate Spotify performance, where he played songs from his upcoming third album The Show

Millions of fans have Niall Horan on their Spotify playlists. But who does Niall Horan have on his?

"I usually listen to my Spotify Wrapped — there's a lot of Bon Iver in there, there's a lot of T. Swift," he tells PEOPLE, just minutes before he's set to take the stage for an intimate Spotify show in New York City. "Do you know what I do have? I have a playlist called Fourth, which is already thinking about my next record, like influences. It's not direct like, 'I'm going to write this song,’ more like sounds, things, guitars. I've 'Kyoto' by Phoebe Bridgers, I've got Dijon, 'The Dress.'"

For many artists, thinking about album No. 4 before the release of album No. 3 might be getting ahead of themselves. But for Horan, 29, the release of The Show, his third album, has been such a long time coming that he can't help himself.

The singer-songwriter says he's been itching to get back in front of a crowd, especially considering his second record, Heartbreak Weather, was released just as the pandemic took hold, forcing him to cancel a planned tour.

Related: Niall Horan Announces The Show Live on Tour 2024 — His First Headline Run in 6 Years: See the Dates

On Tuesday night at Power House, he was able to do just that, as he performed hits both old and new at a small show for a few dozen of his top Spotify listeners, who were also able to send in questions for a Q&A session with the star.

"Tonight is very intimate, which is amazing, because they'll hear the album in its purest form, without all the bells and whistles and production," he says. "So I actually think this is the perfect way to hear a record for the first time, really, in its original form, in the way I wrote the songs."

The new songs that made Tuesday's setlist included already released singles "Heaven" and "Meltdown," plus the ballads "The Show" and "Science," the acoustic ditty "You Could Start a Cult," which Horan said was the last track he wrote for the record, and the groovy "On a Night Like Tonight."

The musician also, despite telling the crowd he was suffering a sinus infection, threw in a pitch-perfect cover of Zach Bryan's "Something in the Orange," plus hits like "Slow Hands" and "This Town." (Fans of his former band One Direction will be tickled to hear that upon finishing the set, "Daylight" by Harry Styles played over the speakers as fans trickled out.)

Horan — who is fresh off a win following his first season as a coach on The Voice — says much of The Show was inspired by the pandemic, and the way that the lockdowns forced him to look inward.

"Watching the news at six o'clock every day was… It definitely provoked other thoughts, internal stuff that I would never really think about,” he says. "During the pandemic we were mostly pissed off because we lost all of our control that we like to have. It was taken out of our hands. So I think there was a sense of gratitude for what we had before. I think we've all changed now because of it."

He continues: "Everyone's like, 'Jesus, I’ll never take anything for granted.' I’ll go everywhere. If someone says we're going for a drink on a Tuesday, I'll go. So I think there was a lot of that seeped in, being grateful, and being grateful for what you have, who you have. That made an impact on the record, I think… It's the biggest cliché in songwriting that songwriting is a form of therapy, [but] it absolutely is. All you have to do is listen to this stuff and then you get a fair idea of where I’m at."

The amiable Irishman also looked to influences like Damien Rice, Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey and R.E.M. to help craft his sound, which he says is "experimental" this time around, but still feels unique to him.

Related: Niall Horan Says Contestant Gina Miles Is 'Beyond Gifted' After Winning 'The Voice' (Exclusive)

"I've tried different sounds, but the record doesn't feel like it’s anyone else's record, it still feels like a Niall Horan record, which is a good thing," he says. "I've been able to develop, but not scare too many people away I don't think. Although the album's not out yet, so we'll find out!"

Though he's currently basking in the excitement of release week, Horan will look next to life on the road, as his massive international tour in support of The Show will kick off next year (his first headlining run in six years).

"I can't wait to get out and see the fans in big rooms," he says. "The fact that we're playing Madison Square Garden and it's nearly sold out is beyond my wildest dream. I love it. It’s a hobby to me, and I'm glad it's my hobby."

The Show is out on Friday.

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