There are those moments in life that you’ll never forget: your first day at school; the first time you fell in love; your first heartbreak… and then, perhaps the worst one of all. That fateful day in 2016, when One Direction announced that they were going on a “hiatus”. Cue seven long years of fans waiting, hoping and looking for clues to indicate that there’s a reunion on the horizon.
And now – perhaps, maybe, possibly – fans might be onto something. Twitter and TikTok and virtually every other form of social media is full of theories pointing towards Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and even Zayn Malik coming back together as a five. Is the One Direction reunion finally happening? Let’s take a look at what fans have come up with so far.
Harry Styles teases extra One Direction songs during his recent Love On Tour shows
Even if you’re not a 1D fan (but seriously, who isn’t), if you have access to the internet then it’s near-impossible that you haven’t had videos of Styles’ world tour plastered across your social media feeds at some point since it began in September 2021 (the final performance is in July). And, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that he’s honoured the band by performing his (slightly remixed) version of their smash debut single What Makes You Beautiful at all of his shows. However, recently Styles has added a couple more 1D tracks to his setlist, teasing Best Song Ever at his Edinburgh show in May and performing Stockholm Syndrome in Denmark in May and on his second night at Wembley Stadium in June. As he prepares to wrap up his two-year tour, could this be a sign that he’s nostalgic for the old days?
Louis Tomlinson’s new documentary provides an insight into life in the band – and a mini 1D reunion
Back in March, Tomlinson released documentary All Of Those Voices, which follows his life since the band parted ways in 2016. While the film mainly focuses on Tomlinson’s journey as a solo artist, it offers previously unseen videos of the band as he reflects on their time as a group – which has sent fans into a frenzy as they enjoy the new footage. Plus, Liam Payne turned up to the premiere to support his former bandmate, where he acknowledged the existing friendship between the group in a red-carpet interview: “All of the boys have been there for me,” he said. “I’ve suffered a bit of a dark time in my life at the moment. Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without the boys.”
His appearance also prompted a public thank-you from Tomlinson, who tweeted:
The One Direction group chat is alive and well
Yes, you read that right. The boys are talking and we have several accounts to prove it. During an interview in May, Payne confirmed that they have “started a new group chat”, and in the same month, Horan confirmed that it’s popping off. “We’ve had three or four group chats,” he told E! “Some of them have been more quiet than others. This new one is definitely louder than most, and it’s been great I’m sure if I had a look at my phone in a few minutes I’d see some messages.” While neither confirmed whether all five original members are in the GC, it’s clear they all have a lot to say.
Louis gives Zayn Malik’s latest venture the thumbs-up
Since Malik left the group in 2015, he’s distanced himself from his time in the band, pursuing a career as a solo artist. In 2018, he confirmed that he no longer had a relationship with his former bandmates, telling British Vogue that “I ain't spoke to any of them for a long time, to be honest with you.” But have things changed? In 2022, Malik posted a black-and-white clip of him singing the band’s Night Changes, and an Instagram post from 14 June showing Malik in the recording studio was “liked” by Tomlinson – which didn’t go unnoticed by fans.
They’ve been back in the studio
That’s right, in May, The Sun reported that Horan and Tomlinson were seen at an LA studio, joining Payne, who was there recording his second album. During the reported 30-hour session, the trio are said to have recorded a song together. An anonymous source has said: “Liam is great pals with Niall and Louis, so loved catching up with them while they were all in LA. Being in the studio together felt natural, so they all jumped on a track.” That’s two out of three, then.
So, is the reunion actually going to happen?
The signs are all there, but in truth, nobody can say for sure. In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Horan said of a band reunion: “The conversation hasn’t happened.” He continued: “God knows whether it ends up being – it could be like the Friends reunion, it could be a whole tour. God knows what it is, but no, it hasn’t been spoken about.”
We know that solo projects are still on the horizon – Zayn and Payne are in the studio, Horan’s just released an album, Tomlinson is on tour this summer and while Grammy winner Styles is about to say goodbye to his two-year tour, there are no signs of his solo career coming to a halt just yet. But, if Styles’ appearance on the final episode of James Corden’s The Late Late Show in April is anything to go by, there might still be hope. Speaking of a potential reunion, styles said, “I would never say never to that. I think if there was a time where we all felt like that was what we wanted to do then I don’t see why we wouldn’t.” So maybe we shouldn’t write off a One Direction reunion just yet.
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