One Direction is one of the most popular bands in music history. And therefore, their split was equally painful. However, not many people know why 1D broke up. There are a lot of rumors and doubts about why the band broke up. So, why did One Direction break up?
Today, let’s discuss all you need to know about the splitting of 1D.
An Overview of One Direction
One Direction (often referred to as 1D) was an English/Irish pop band formed in 2010. The London-based band comprised five members:
- Niall Horan
- Liam Payne
- Harry Styles
- Harry Styles
- Louis Tomlinson
In case you didn’t know how the band was formed, here is a quick backstory. All 1D members auditioned for The X Factor 7th Series in 2010 as solo candidates. They all failed to qualify but were put together to form a five-boy band and participate in the “Groups” category.
They finished in the third spot in the competition. Shortly, Simon Cowell gave 1D a £2 million Syco Records contract.
Fun fact: Harry Styles came up with the name One Direction during the competition.
The band flourished through 2015, giving hits like What Makes You Beautiful, Live While We’re Young, One Night, Midnight Memories, Steal My Girl, and Night Changes. Many of their songs made it to the Billboards. What Makes You Beautiful became their biggest hit, reaching the fourth position on Billboards. It was played on almost every speaker in the world.
Zayn Malik, a key member of the band, departed in March 2015, shortly after the On the Road Again Tour in February 2015. After Malik’s departure, the four-member band gave some more hits like Drag Me Down and Perfect.
Why Did One Direction Break Up?
1D performed as a four-man band for a few months before going into a hiatus in January 2016. Several newspapers and media houses published that this hiatus would be a permanent split, but the band didn’t confirm any news. The hiatus was to last for 18 months.
However, every member of the group had released their solo single by May 2017. The group closed its touring company in February 2018, confirming the closing down of the band.
The news was clearly a heartbreak for millions of 1D fans worldwide. But not many people know why the split happened. Let’s look at some key reasons.
Everyone Wanted to Start a Solo Career
The 1D band gave each member a platform to showcase their skills to the world and build a following. They now wanted to start their solo careers. In fact, the band took hiatus because each member wanted to work solo.
And it was evident. Zayn released two albums soon after his exit, and they were big hits. Liam welcomed a child and worked on his solo album. Niall dropped two solo albums. Louis released his solo album. Harry dropped two albums and also worked in Dunkirk.
They Were Tired
After the split was confirmed, Niall explained that they were tired. And it makes sense. The guys were constantly doing one concert after the other, along with releasing albums and singles. Niall said that there was no friendly gathering or non-work-related chatter. It just worked, and it became exhausting. So, they together decided that it was time to take a break.
Liam also commented on it in 2020. He said that the band felt like a job where they had to do the same thing every day, and it became tiring.
Things Were Getting Toxic
Liam also discussed that his time in the band was getting toxic. They were performing the same 22 songs over and over again in hundreds of concerts. They had to do it even if they weren’t happy about it. Liam even admitted to consuming large quantities of alcohol and getting into bad situations. Success got the better of him, he said.
They Needed to Relax
Amid all this chaos, the boys needed to relax and have some time for themselves. Harry confirmed that they’ve been fortunate for the love and success they have received, but they now wanted to relax and chill for a while. Thus, they went into hiatus to take some time off.
Some Interesting Facts About Why Did One Direction Break Up
When the news of the split came out, there were many rumors around why the band split. Many people doubted that there was a rift between the members or wanted to outperform each other.
Let’s look at two interesting facts you probably didn’t know about the breaking up of 1D.
Louis and Niall Weren’t Ready for the hiatus
Niall Horal and Louis Tomilson weren’t ready for the hiatus and breaking up of the band. Louis said that he was building up confidence in the band, and it was difficult for him to break up. Niall also accepted that the breakup was a shock for him. He, along with other members, was so used to doing what they did in the band that the split was difficult to digest.
However, Louis also said that the decision was right. The world had enough of 1D, and nothing would have changed if the band disappeared for two years. Everyone from the market to fans wanted to see the solo versions of each artist.
The split Didn’t Happen Because of Rivalry
A common misconception around the split was that it occurred due to rivalry. It wasn’t the case. Moreover, when The Mirror released an article claiming that a rivalry caused a rift, Louis immediately took Twitter to refute the statement.
However, Liam confessed that things weren’t the best between him and Louis. Since Louis was the eldest and had been singing for a while, he wanted to be the leader. This led to some rift between the two. But it never affected the band, Liam said. The two eventually got together well.
So, the news that rivalry caused the breakup isn’t right.
Conclusion: Why Did One Direction Break Up?
While the splitting of One Direction was shocking and heartbreaking for fans, 1D members believe it was the right thing to happen. None of them were really enjoying the time in the band, and starting their solo careers was the best thing to do.
Presently, all the members are doing great. They’ve released their solo albums that have been massive hits. Zayn Malik has particularly been a huge success, giving memorable hits like Pillowtalk, Dusk till Dawn, Let Me, and Better.
So, what do you have to say about the splitting of 1D?
