With everything going on in the world, there has never been a greater need for One Direction (1D). I mean, they were the boyband for a generation of teenage girls for the better part of the 2010s. Sure, there was Big Time Rush and The Wanted, but neither band quite reached the British-Irish group’s level of fame. Their first album, Up All Night, hit the coveted number one spot on the Billboard 200 by the end of March 2012, mere weeks after its U.S. release.
Screaming teenage girls were a guarantee at any show on every tour the five-piece went on, stan Twitter pages were born and questionable fanfiction about the band was written. One Direction was more than just a band — they were a cultural icon and a staple in the early 2010s.
And then March 25, 2015 happened.
In the middle of the band’s On The Road Again tour, crucial member Zayn Malik left the band to pursue a solo career. The newly four-piece band’s soon-to be-hiatus was inevitable. After releasing their fifth and final album, Made in the AM, One Direction went on what was supposed to be an 18-month hiatus in November 2015.
That was nearly five years ago, and since then, both Harry Styles and Niall Horan have made successful solo careers for themselves. The two former bandmates have released two albums and completed solo tours. Harry has taken a more classic rock approach, his sophomore album getting rave reviews from Stevie Nicks, whereas Niall went a more Mumford and Sons route, while Zayn Malik, now having dropped the last name from his act, has also released two studio albums — but has yet to tour. Both Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson have released their own albums as well. Payne’s sounds like a standard club set of songs, and Tomlinson discusses the pain of losing not only his mother Johanna in 2016, but his younger sister Fizzy in 2019.
Jeez, if only I knew adulthood meant having to stream five separate albums to listen to One Direction.
Could a One Direction reunion be in the works? I mean, your band only turns ten once (let’s just ignore that the hiatus has lasted as long as the band did as a group).
It all started with activity on the official 1D Twitter, and updating Spotify photos. Rumors only grew once Liam Payne said something was in the works to the U.K.’s The Sun, with the added disclaimer that he wasn’t sure what he was allowed to say about it. A handful of days later, Payne posted to his Instagram story that he would be FaceTiming with former bandmate Niall Horan. This sparked more whispers that the group was getting back together for a special ten-year plan — which only grew louder once former bandmates and band Twitter accounts began following @ZAYN. Other than Liam’s loose lips, and a rumored group Facetime call, no official statement has been made. Despite the lack of confirmation, rumors of a reunion range from a documentary with prior concert footage to a Zoom concert.
In the midst of a global pandemic, it’s safe to say I’m not the only person excited at the thought of a 1D reunion. The original five-piece brought so much joy during the worst years of my life, so it seems fitting they would reappear during an unprecedented time where everyone’s mental health is beginning to circle the drain. It’s not just a reunion us Directioners want — it’s the reunion we need.
If the rumors are true, I’m so sorry for the fangirl I’m about to unleash.
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