Where do I begin with this?
I’m surely going to be attacked by OT4 stans when I post this on Twitter, and I’m going to get backlash for it, but honestly, I’m so sick of reading all these tweets and articles and posts about how everyone can’t wait for One Direction to finally end their hiatus.
Because, I can wait.
I want to wait.
I will be very angry if the hiatus ends in 2020 like many have been saying.
Okay, so, you’ve read that much, and if you’re an OT4 stan or a fan who still believes the hiatus will end soon, I’m going to rightfully assume that you’ve tweeted something along the lines of:
"She's a fake 1D stan!”
and
“All these 1D stans now saying that they don’t want them to get back together and, in a year when they announce it, they’ll be all over it!”
If I’m being honest, yes, I will be happy that the boys have announced another tour or album or whatever is announced at all, but, here’s the difference:
I don’t want it to be any time soon.
I want to wait another few years.
I want to wait until I have a second Niall Horan album and a second Harry Styles album. I want to wait until I have a Louis Tomlinson album. I want to wait until I’ve toured the world with Niall again, my best friends by my side. I want to wait until I’ve seen Harry on stage more than once, and he’s said how much he “loves us “from the bottom of his heart”. I want to hear “Miss You” live. I want all of that.
But, I won’t get that if the hiatus ends.
However, this also must be understood.
It’s not because I hate them. Or because I’m mad I didn’t get a Made in The A.M. tour (which I partially am). Or because they didn’t come to Florida for On the Road Again Tour (which, again, I partially am).
It’s about their careers as solo artists, and their happiness, and their success.
While, yes, One Direction is the biggest boyband to ever be known to the world (don’t even try to argue with me about those new boybands that are trying so hard to out-succeed One Direction, either), and they outsold Beatles’ records and broken charts and won awards even three years into their hiatus – admittedly, their success is unmeasurable, that doesn’t determine whether or not they have to be a band forever.
Just because I don't want the hiatus to end, doesn't make me a fake fan.
I have and will always have a soft spot in my heart for One Direction. I’ll always love them as a band. As a teenager, I devoted my everything to them – all of my time and energy and love and dedication – into their tours, their albums, their awards, their live streams. I had a reason to love them, I was myself – I was living and breathing and thriving because I had them (Niall, especially). But, nonetheless, I was a better me because I had One Direction.
But, here we are, three years later, without a reunion or album or announcement of a final tour. We have talks and whispers of years they might be returning (2020 is in speculation), and we have words to never lose hope because they wouldn’t close out so soon.
Here’s where we reach my problem.
Niall and Harry and Louis and Liam are all better solo artists!
Niall and Harry and Louis and Liam are happier as solo artists.
We would have never heard songs like “Since We’re Alone” or “Only Angel” on a One Direction album. We would have never had a song written purely by Louis on a One Direction Album, we wouldn’t have had collaborations with Liam on a One Direction album.
We can’t sit here and deny the fact that the boys, our boys, are making the music they want to, the music they enjoy listening to, the music they enjoy making.
Sure, they loved the music they made with One Direction – which they all have admitted to- but that was at the time. It’s different now, because they are adults. Our boys aren’t boys anymore! Our boys are twenty-three, and twenty-four, and twenty-six! Our boys should be making the music they want – and they finally are.
Niall and Louis are finally singing.
It’s a point all on its own.
We went through years of not hearing Niall and Louis sing. (I used to joke – I still joke – and say that Niall and Louis were features on the first two albums.)
While I write this, all I can’t help but think about when Niall’s mic was turned down at a concert, and the crowd sang so loud to show that we knew his words and we appreciated him, that he started tearing up.
Why on earth would you want that for him, again, when he is doing so spectacularly during his solo tours?
Sure, MITAM was different. Louis and Niall sang more and had better solos and when Zayn left the band, Niall and Louis were able to take his solos in concerts (best part of him leaving, to be honest), Niall and Louis wrote and collaborated on the album more – but it was never their time to shine. Ever.
Harry? Getting to wear his Gucci suits and pink sparkles and painted nails. Would that have ever happened in One Direction? NO. Don’t try to lie to yourself either. It would never, it will never happen. Harry is an androgynous icon. He would have never been able to do that in the band. He could barely wear his flower suits until the last month or so before hiatus, let alone throughout the years. He is so happy to be prancing around on stage, dancing and singing his heart out, with his pride flags and pretty nails, he’s finally able to be himself.
Niall, and Louis, and Harry, and Liam are living their fullest, best lives.
Five years down the road, with another Harry Styles album, another Niall Horan album, a Louis Tomlinson album, a Liam Payne album, and four new tours, if the boys decide they want to come back for MITAM Tour and another album, or whatever they want to do, then, I’m all for it!
But, I don’t want it to be forced because they think we need it. It should be authentic and original and incorporate all of their ideas and genres.
It should be a tour to reflect all of their unique styles and songwriting.
It shouldn’t be signed with a contract with SYCO, either. Each of their managers and management teams needs to make their own contract, or co-sign or write up a group contract to make sure SYCO doesn’t ruin anything – which is something they have a tendency to do quite often.
It should be on their time. When they’re ready. When they’re excited to write as a band and be on tour together.
But, it shouldn’t be now or any time soon.
Niall said the other day that he wants to do this for years and years. Harry promised at his latest concert in Argentina that he wants to come back even sooner than before (I’m believing he is referring to not being in the country since OTRA with the final One Direction tour before hiatus). Louis tweeted about his album is done. We should be focusing on that.
We still need NH2 (Niall Horan second album) and HS2 (Harry Styles second album). We still need LT1 (Louis Tomlinson first album) and LP1 (Liam Payne first album; which apparently is released September 14th, in case you wanted to know). We still need tours for all those albums, too!
So, stop rushing their return.
We have so much solo music and tours to be looking forward to.
So, hiatus won’t be ending soon,
And it’s okay.
