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Niall Horan & Ed Sheeran Sang a One Direction Song Together, and Yes, It's Perfect

Sheeran is longtime friends with Horan after the duo collaborated during the One Direction era.

By Jessica White

It's always a blast when powerhouse musicians collide, and Niall Horan had his Dublin crowds going ballistic after bringing Ed Sheeran onstage for a duet performance of "Little Things."

How to Watch

Watch the Season 26 premiere of The Voice on Monday, September 23 at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock. 

Horan has been tearing down the house in each venue he's visited for his ongoing tour for his album The Show. Horan's tour has been such a smash success that he added additional dates in Ireland and the U.K. Horan had a treat in store for his Dublin crowd on August 23 when he chose Sheeran as a surprise guest. Better yet for their song choice, Horan and Sheeran chose a throwback classic that made every One Direction fan in the crowd explode with joy: "Little Things." The romantic love ballad was made famous by One Direction in 2012, but was actually written by Sheeran himself. Horan couldn't have selected a better track for the energizing set.

See the performance here on Horan's Instagram.

Horan and Sheeran's duet of "Little Things" is a must-watch for Horan fans, One Direction aficionados, and Sheeran stans alike. Watch a clip from the set below.

Niall Horan and Ed Sheeran's emotional performance of "Little Things"

The energy was infectious during Horan's sold-out concert at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on August 23, which served as a befitting homecoming for the Irish singer-songwriter. After running the gamut of tracks from his recent album, Horan was excited to reveal he had a surprise guest in store for the Dublin crowd.

"Please give it up for my good friend and the great Ed Sheeran," Horan announced. Horan's news was instantly met with a roar of excitement from the crowd. It took a while for the audience to quiet down as Sheeran joined Horan on stage with his guitar. And the frenzy didn't end there. While most of Horan's lineup features his original music, he occasionally graces audiences with a single from his days as a globe-trotting One Direction star. That's why the crowd went wild when they heard Horan wanted "a little bit of nostalgia, a song that this guy wrote."

RELATED: Niall Horan's Thoughtful Birthday Surprise for a Superfan Will Make Your Day

Split of Niall Horan and Ed Sheeran

Sheeran is longtime friends with the members of One Direction and penned four songs for the band: "Moments," "Over Again," "18," and "Little Things." After hearing the first trill of "Little Things" on the guitar, the audience snapped to attention, singing along word-by-word to the beloved ballad. Sheeran encouraged the crowd to take it away after reaching the chorus as the frenzied reception took him and Horan aback. As Horan and Sheeran giggled with delight, they realized all they had to do was play the guitar — the audience had the lyrics covered.

RELATED: Look Back at The Voice Coach Niall Horan's Career

Following the ground-breaking set, Horan took to Instagram to share a video from the performance and show his industry buddy some love for the beautiful surprise. "Thank you @teddysphotos for coming out to play with me tonight in Dublin. Another great memory," Horan captioned the post, which garnered thousands of likes and comments from Sheeran and One Direction fans amazed by the throwback performance.

Watch the Season 26 premiere of The Voice on Monday, September 23 at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.