One Direction: Will The Boys Really Reunite Again? It All Depends On Solo Success

Boy bands have a shelf life, and although it seems like One Direction could go on forever given their five years of superstardom, the fact is that the four British boys need a break. Although they’ve promised to come back together one day, will it really happen? Experts say if one of the guys has a breakout solo career that resembles Justin Timberlake’s, then it may not be likely.

Billboard reports that *NSYNC fans may still clearly remember when the 90s boy band promised fans that they were only taking a small hiatus, yet after Timberlake’s massive success as a solo artist, the only time they’ve ever performed together since their “break” was at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, and only for a few minutes at that. This isn’t to say that One Direction will take the same route, but should one of the four remaining members end up with a solo career on the level of Timberlake’s, the hiatus may go on indefinitely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89_nlLWE-aw

Luckily for One Direction fans, most artists that start out in boy bands never reach the heights of solo fame that Timberlake achieved. In fact, although most boy banders can have modest success as solo artists, such as Joey McIntyre of New Kids On The Block, who had a few hit singles in 1999, the majority see their biggest paychecks and their highest pinnacle of success as part of a band. Even Jordan Knight, arguably the band’s most talented performer, only had a few solo hits of his own before reuniting with the New Kids On The Block.

If anyone stands the chance of solo superstardom, critics almost always name Harry Styles as the one to look out for. Although each guy in One Direction is talented and with their own uniqueness, Styles has the charisma and the leadership ability that may just lead him to be the next Timberlake. Will this mean the end of the lads performing together indefinitely? Possibly. Only time will tell if One Direction will stick to their promise of returning one day, as Liam Payne assured in a recent interview.

“I realize now this is the time to start branching out and exploring. This won’t last forever, and there will be a point when we will break off and do our own things, but … we will work together again.”

In the meantime, One Direction is slated to release their 5th album later this year. They are currently finishing up their On the Road Again Tour (OTRA) in Europe, before taking a much-needed break in 2016.

[Photos Courtesy of Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images & Rob Loud/Getty Images]