Five Directions the boys are... not back in town

“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world”

  • W.B Yeats, ‘The Second Coming’

In late 2015, one of the cornerstones of teenybop culture collapsed, scattering its debris across the global pop stratosphere. This, my friends, was the announcement that One Direction were parting ways and going on hiatus for an undetermined amount of time, confirming the greatest fear of dedicated Directioners.

Since then, their teenage-girl dominated fan demographic have not been the only ones eagerly awaiting their return. The pop world held its breath as these five boys branched out in their own respective directions to solo projects.

Traditionally, the individual careers of boyband members which emerge after the initial breakup are constructed from a series of clichés, originating in the ghosts of 90s boybands past. To cite but one example — the trope of the rebel breaking up the band to go on to have a largely successful solo career neatly parallels the paths of veteran boybanders Justin Timberlake and Robbie Williams. In both of these cases, Williams and Timberlake remain the most memorable stars of their respective former groups, Take That and N*Sync — let’s still admit that Take That are an incredible act who deserve all of our respect and admiration. One Direction, on the other hand, have shown a unique outcome in which all five seem to have the beginnings of relatively successful solo careers, even two years after their hiatus.  

Whether you can’t shake your 14-year-old Directioner days, are listening to ‘Slow Hands’ on repeat as a guilty pleasure, or are simply a full blown Directioner, loud and proud, we can all surely see the value of a full cultural evaluation of the careers of these doe-eyed young men.

Zayn Malik

Following a premature and downright bitter departure from the band in March 2015, Zayn Malik was the first former member who emerged from the stalls to establish himself as a solo artist in the race to success. Refining himself to the mononym ZAYN (10/10 for originality), he signed with RCA records shortly after the schism.

Showing a sense of agency (and sheer fickleness with his haircuts) that can sometimes be lacking in the mainstream pop world, he made efforts to break away from what he labelled the ‘generic’ sound of his One Direction days. With a dramatic change of style, Malik dived into a distinctly new direction, which is heavily influenced by the sound of R’n’B. The raunchy themes explored in his work further cemented his image as One Direction’s erstwhile ‘bad boy’. His debut album Mind of Mine landed in 2016 with a thematic bang, following lead single ‘Pillowtalk’. It debuted at No.1 across the album charts. There’s no doubt about it —  ZAYN’s solo work is a far cry from the old Direction days. Edgy doesn’t even begin to describe it.

The only thing that seems to have hindered his continued success as a solo artist is Zayn himself, who opened up about problems with his mental health and anxiety, which affect his live performances. However, this in itself has created a new and badly needed dialogue on mental health in the music industry. Malik has, whether intentionally or not, created a platform in which pop stars can open up about their mental health and struggles as artists.

Niall Horan

Niall Horan was next to delve into the uncharted waters of solo stardom when his debut single ‘This Town’ released this time last year. The cutsey acoustic number failed to stray from One Direction’s sound, and could have easily been one of their early releases. However, after a brief break from the rat race, Horan has made a dramatic return this year. ‘Slow Hands’ was the summer hit of 2017, and ‘Too Much To Ask’ hints at what is to come in his forthcoming album. It’s a promising preview — Horan appears to be the dark horse of the group. Never perceived as especially talented within the folds of the band, he could blossom by himself. Horan released a full set of 2018 tour dates, including a performance at the 3 Arena on March 12 2018.

Louis Tomlinson

Tomlinson’s work still feels like it has yet to take off. To this date he has only released two solo tracks, and even then they are both collaborations with other well-established artists. His debut single ‘Just Hold On’, produced by Stephen Aoki, and his most recent single ‘Back to You’ heavily features Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals.

Perhaps it is simply a lack of confidence that is holding him back. These various  collaborations cushion him from potential failure as he takes his first, tentative, toddler-like steps into his own career. It’s obvious that he is not prepared to stand on his own two feet, a confidence that his ex-bandmates seem to have retained from their glory days. Tomlinson dubbed himself the “forgettable” member of the band, and if he continues in this direction the comment will become a self fulfilling prophecy.

Perhaps his best is still yet to come.

Harry Styles

Harry Styles is the second of the boys to release a full-length album.

After a small break, he released his debut chart-topping single “Sign of the Times” in April of this year. Styles shows a sense of conviction with the development of his solo work. The confidently self-titled album, released earlier this year, takes notable influences from the classic rock genre. It’s actually quite good.

Malik and Styles have been compared to John Lennon and Paul McCartney before. Like Lennon, Malik is perceived as a sometimes difficult artiste, publicly lambasting the band. Styles, on the other hand, has shown no bitterness towards his time with One Direction. Like McCartney, Styles remains a firm fan favourite. His boyish charm and humble demeanour keep his public persona sparkling clean.

Plus, he’s so dreamy.

Liam Payne

Last to hop on the “Hey Fans I’m Just As Good On My Own” train was Liam Payne, the sensible glue that seemed to hold the band together, from their early X-Factor days to the fateful final days. His debut single, ‘Strip that Down’, featured Quavo of Migos and lyrically reeks of collaborator Ed Sheeran. The overproduced sounds of this club pleaser, featuring the cringe-inducing line “I used to be in 1D / But now I’m free”, was met with mixed reviews by his fan base. However, it still managed to achieve substantial chart success, remaining in the Spotify Global Top 50 since its release back in May. Its premier on the Graham Norton Show was notable only for its dreadful dance routine. Payne’s work so far leaves a lot to be desired, and if he continues to produce safe, generic pop, his solo trajectory will be short lived.

Each member has manifested some form of success in the charts, on their own terms. However, there is only so much One Direction that the music industry can take, and since their beginnings in 2012, they have been saturating the global pop market. Their various record labels all took a gamble; any of these charming men could have (and, indeed, still can) end up as a one hit wonder. The fact that there has been the market appetite thus far for all five to enjoy relative success in their solo careers, and well into the band’s so-called hiatus, not only demands a degree of respect for them as pop stars (and the legions of help they have behind them), but also should give massive credit to their empire of fans.

Somehow it seems that, dividing, they are only getting stronger.

Still can’t wait for the reunion tour — we’re giving it five years.

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