One Direction (Photo : YouTube)
The four remaining members of popular boy band One Direction will take a one year break to provide them the chance to pursue their projects. The extended hiatus begins in March 2016.
People reports that with the break, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan would no longer have a tour for their fifth album slated for release in the later part of 2015. Promotion for the album will only be until February 2016.
1D just released the new music video for their single "Drag Me Down." In two days since the music video was posted, it has been viewed more than 18 million times, indicating the band's popularity despite Zayn's departure.
Fans of the British group are not surprised by the announcement because the four have hinted pursuing solo projects similar to what the Rolling Stones had done. Zayn Malik had gone ahead and left the band in March, although he was aware the move would disappoint their fans.
Vanity Fair, however, sees a brighter side to the possible permanent break-up of 1D. It cited Zayn's collaboration with Naught Boy titled "I Won't Mind" which showed "a real depth of talent." The magazine says that while the world may be "losing one super group," it may be "gaining five talented individual artists."
In a look back at 1D's five-year career, Daily Mail notes that since Simon Cowell formed the group in the 2010 series of The X Factor after they were eliminated as solo performers before the final round, the band earned $130 million. It also garnered five Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, 3 billion YouTube views and 50 million records sold worldwide.
The band made the decision to take a one-year break during crunch talks in London over the weekend. There is no bad blood among the four remaining members who are 100 percent behind the decision. That means, 1D's last show before they take a hiatus as a group will be on October 31 at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield.
