Unless you've been living under a rock for going on six years, there's a chance you've heard about One Direction. Louis, Harry, Niall, and Liam (and formerly Zayn) took over the world in barely any time at all. Their catchy music, amazing voices, and kind nature made them incredibly successful in record-breaking time. Because of the 5 albums under One Direction's belt and their 18-month hiatus running its course, One Direction fans have decided to create a single all on their own, which brought about #ProjectHome.
Last year during this time, another project was under way called #ProjectNoControl. On One Direction's album "Four," a huge favorite among the fandom was "No Control," and a large part of the fandom wanted to make it a single. The 4th album in general got a bit of a cold shoulder in the public eye, in large part to One Direction's rather crappy management team and in another way, from Zayn's abrupt leaving of the band. Fans felt like "No Control" deserved to be a single and so, with a few ground rules under way, they made it one. Radio stations all across the world played the song and even the band noticed it. Louis Tomlinson, who was a main writer for the song along with fellow member Liam Payne, continued to thank fans throughout the entire On The Road Again Tour for the massive attention his song got throughout the year. They even added the song to the setlist.
I tell you all of this because Project Home has kicked off now, which is an initiative to get "Home," a song that didn't even make it to the fifth album "Made in the A.M." to number 1. It's a song that is, once again, written by Louis and Liam, and holds a special place in the hearts of many One Direction fans. In particular, the song means something more to the LGBT+ fans of One Direction, as the song contains lyrics that can be translated to mean they're safe, it's alright, and that they're valid and important. Since it's initial release, it's been used as a sort of LGBT+ anthem, and the fandom wants to share that with more people around the world, showing them "it's alright".
It started with a promo week, where each day fans across the world brought attention to the song with fan art and other fan creations, dedicating each day to a different member or just the song itself. On April 29th, it was the unofficial "release day" where fans bought the song on iTunes and encouraged the world to as well, trying to get it to number one. Then, it's Home Month, where the entire month of May will be spent encouraging everyone to buy the song, stream it on Spotify, and just bring attention to a song that the entire fandom loves.
It's astounding at what the One Direction fandom can do, and as someone who loves One Direction very much, I've been actively participating in making this song get widespread attention. If you want to help, there are a lot of ways to do it. You can follow the project in a variety of ways, the best way being Twitter or Tumblr. Even though the single has technically "released," Home Month has just begun. Stream the song on Spotify, buy it on iTunes, tweet about it using #ProjectHome, and just listen to the song! Trust me, you'll enjoy it.
The Thunderclap alone has a social reach of more than 13 million people! Pretty cool, huh? There aren't many fanbases, if any, that would go to such lengths for their favorite artist. One Direction is pretty lucky to have the dedicated fans that they have, and we feel pretty lucky to have them too. The love between artist and fanbase with this band is unlike anything I've ever seen. If you've never listened to One Direction, do yourself a favor and try it. Their newest album is extraordinary and you won't regret it. Be careful though, because once you get sucked in, it's impossible to leave. Not that you'll want to.
