INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Will One Direction Wake Up Soon From Its Self-Imposed Hiatus?

By Plutarc Sicat
Published on: 01:08 PST, May 23, 2016

One Direction, probably still the most popular all-male band in the United Kingdom and the United States, is currently on a self-imposed hiatus. Fans, of course, are getting restless. Will the band members ever wake up from a Sleeping Beauty kind of slumber? And if so, when?

Here are some answers from Simon Cowell and one 1D alumnus.

If the question is if One Direction will soon wake up from its self-imposed hiatus or non-activity, the answer is a big no. As the whole world probably knows at the moment, individual 1D members are busy doing their own thing. Another recent Inquisitr article traces the whereabouts of one member. According to this report, Niall Horan is currently pre-occupied with being the new face of golf.

And according to Vulture, only two One Direction members showed up at the Brits 2016 in February.

“Only Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne showed up on the red carpet (and to present Adele with Best British Female Solo Artist), and this time it appears Harry isn’t just MIA on a bathroom break. Niall’s reportedly on vacation in Thailand, while Harry — well, no one really knows where Harry is at the moment. (He was least seen having a ‘lonely buffet.’) But let’s just say he’s taking his time off to go in another direction.”

Vulture also says the following, apparently to make 1D members feel a little bit guilty.

“One Direction is currently on a self-imposed hiatus, but that doesn’t mean they can skip out on all of their band duties. Right? Well, the Brits are happening right now, where One Direction is nominated for Best British Group and British Artist Video of the Year, but now they’re three members down instead of the usual one.”

Even Family Guy has added to the conscientization fray, recently featuring all One Direction members in one episode of the hit TV animation/cartoon series, according to Just Jared Jr. But, of course, as we all know, such an appearance doesn’t count. In fact, the cartoon depiction is actually a parody of 1D’s conspicuous and prolonged absence from the public eye.

As for One Direction’s fourth member, Harry Styles, the Inquisitr has tagged the heartthrob as busy on the set of Dunkirk. Thus, all 1D members are accounted for, but, alas, they are not necessarily performing official One Direction duties at the moment.

So we turn to Zayn Malik, the lone member to officially break away from the group about a year ago. Malik left the group in 2015, saying that he was tired of doing what he didn’t feel like doing for several years. It is no secret that Malik is a bit of a loner. So being constantly pressured by group interests has taken a toll on the former One Direction member, who is admired for his high and versatile vocal range.

Oddly enough, the handsome One Direction alumnus believes that there is a chance that existing members can regroup, although when this is going to happen, Malik cannot tell for sure. It looks like Zayn has managed to put himself in the shoes of his former colleagues.

Having been the outsider for a year now, Malik alone has had the unique opportunity of looking outside the box. And this is why, the pronouncements of Simon Cowell, the acerbic X Factor judge instrumental to One Direction’s formation, are starting to make real sense right now.

Cowell has said in a video interview that Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and Niall Horan have not been able to experience being outside of 1D. In other words, this very hiatus that the group is having right now is actually some sort of a catalyst. The longer Styles, Tomlinson, Payne, and Horan stay in hibernation from their 1D duties, the more thoroughly they can analyze their individual situations just like Malik was able to.

Now Malik has a debut album as an independent singer. His single “Pillowtalk” has, to say the least, experienced some degree of success. I have been listening to other cuts in his self-styled album, and my conclusion? Honestly, these cuts will come nowhere near the success of his first independent single.

And this is why, it makes sense, too, that Malik has not ruled out the possibility that he might rejoin 1D. It is one smart move to not be closing doors at this critical juncture in his career. What if Malik realizes that he needs One Direction as much as the band needs him now?

If it all comes to this, it could be as if the Malik resignation was a bad dream that never happened. And so, for the time being, leaving the princes of 1D in their deep slumber is probably a great idea. Of course, nobody knows how long it will take before Styles, Tomlinson, Payne and Horan wake up from this hiatus and realize a thing or two. It can take a few months, like bears in a winter hibernation.

However, it can also take a year or more. Only a true sabbatical leave has a way of draining all the accumulated stress from years of hard work and put everything in the proper perspective. Right now, this is the only chance for One Direction to have a fairy tale ending. So let the boys sleep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBJw9NRkZKM

[Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images]

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simon cowell one direction louis tomlinson niall horan zayn malik Liam Payne Harry Styles
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