The music industry has always been known for their boy-bands. From The Beatles to NSYNC, teenage girls from every decade have a new group of carbon copy boys to fawn over.
As the early 2010’s emerged, new boy-band groups such as Five Seconds of Summer and Big Time Rush emerged, but none of them could slightly compare to the renowned One Direction.
Joining together on the X-Factor in 2010, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne became an unstoppable force in the music industry.
“I was like, hardcore obsessed. I had posters on my wall. Literally, I had a board game, I loved One Direction so much,” Junior Soren Iem laughed to herself.
The amount of popularity they all gained from hit songs such as “What Makes You Beautiful” to “Story of My Life”, One Direction is considered Gen Z’s version of The Beatles.
“When I was younger, I really liked One Direction. My parents didn’t let me listen to music on their phones, so I’d go off the radio. They would always play One Direction, specifically ‘What Makes You Beautiful’. I’d always do the JustDance to it, it was engraved in my brain,” Sophomore Mavisha Manikandan said.
As the years progressed, the band became messy as Malik announced he was leaving the band in March 2015. His statement shocked many, but the band powered through until 2016, when the band publicized they would disband indefinitely. Devastated by the news, fans have been patiently waiting for a reunion.
Sadly, the reunion won’t be what the fans hoped for. On October 16, 2024, fans were devastated as the news of Liam Payne’s passing was announced.
“I really love One Direction, they were all my first loves. I found out he died [while] in a Chili’s, and when I found out he died, it was more than just him dying. It was like a part of my childhood died as well,” Senior Mia Pellegrino expressed.
“I’ve been waiting so long to break the news to my little brother because he loves One Direction. He would be so devastated about Liam Payne’s death, I can’t even how he would react,” Junior Amelia Perez said.
Payne’s shocking death is still unbelievable for many, as Payne’s fans, family, and friends grieve with the tragic loss.
