I like One Direction. When I say that, I shouldn’t have to justify it by listing all the other artists that I listen to, as if being interested in a boy band is some sort of flaw that I have to make up for or a secret that I try and hide under other musicians. I listen to them because they sing catchy songs, their voices sound nice and the melodies are easy to sing along to. And I love other artists whose lyrics have layers of meaning and challenge conventions of music. I love songs that make me think, but I also love songs that are just an excuse to sing in the car or the shower, songs that I can play if I’m stressed or upset. How can I be sad if I’m turning heads when I walk through the door?

I was 13 when “What Makes You Beautiful” came out and I immediately fell in love. Here were these boys, singing about a girl (I am a girl) who was insecure (I was this too!!) and yet they still wanted her desperately and thought she was beautiful! Would I prefer it if they talked about her personality or intelligence or humor as equally desirable characteristics? Of course, but when you’re in eighth grade and unhappy with about pretty much every part of yourself, sometimes you just need a kind voice (or voices) telling you that they can see your beauty, even if you can’t. Acknowledging a lack of confidence makes the song feel more personal, especially at a point in your life when insecurity is ingrained in your identity. And at 13, you don’t really know much about boys, except that you want them to like you. To think you’re pretty. To get overwhelmed at you flipping your hair.

And let’s talk about boys. Why is it such an issue when girls express their sexuality through the outlet of a boy band? Girls are just as confused and curious about the subject as teenage boys are, but we don’t have the same kind of freedom to talk about it. Every sitcom has an episode where the boy discovers he likes that female friend as more than a friend. In any coming of age movie, you watch, the boy’s relationship to the girl will be a major plot point. Girls aren’t even allowed to ask questions about gender and sexuality without condemnation. Not all of One Direction’s songs are about just kissing, and there’s nothing wrong with exploring what you want through their purposefully vague, open-for-interpretation lyrics.

There’s another glaring problem with people’s rejection of boy bands, and it stems from the idea that there is a hierarchy in art. It's not a coincidence that a genre with a predominantly female consumer base is labeled as “lower” or “less important”. One Direction's Where We are Tour sold 3.4 million tickets, and became the 12th highest grossing concert of all time. Would people question the authenticity of any other artist with that large a fan base? The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, and Bon Jovi all had tours that earned less money, and yet no ever claims that those bands are only popular because of their looks.

Just so you know, we’re in on the joke. We know that their lyrics make no sense, even though I argue that the lyric “to prove I’m right I put it in a song” doesn’t need to make sense because it’s hilarious. We know that their melodies aren’t revolutionary and we know that we’re not going to marry them. But listening to their music is like your crush coming up to your locker to talk to you, that cute boy (or girl) sitting next to you in class, or stolen glances in the hallway. You’re pretty sure nothing is going to come of it but you love it anyway because they light up your world like nobody else.