One Direction Reunited With Zayn Malik: Sort Of
The past 12 months have been tough ones for fans of One Direction. This time last year, One Direction still had five members, and seemingly the world at their feet. On March 1, 2015, One Direction played the third of four sold-out nights in Tokyo, Japan, after a successful run in Australia. Admittedly, on March 1 last year, Sugarscape was still talking about Harry Styles’ hair. Harry’s One Direction bandmates Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik were still supposedly either engaged or in long-term relationships.
If you had told a One Direction fan that by now so much would have happened, they would have scoffed in disbelief. What One Direction fan would have believed that just over two weeks later, Malik would have abandoned One Direction and flown home to spend time in the studio with Naughty Boy? What One Direction fan would have believed that Louis Tomlinson would be the father of a child to some random girl he met in a nightclub? In fact, many One Direction fans still do not believe that Louis actually did that deed.
If you had told a One Direction fan that in 12 months they would be watching nervously as One Direction set into a lengthy hiatus, they would have called you crazy. What One Direction fan would have believed that in the space of a year, Zayn would have released solo music and Harry would have signed deals with a new management team?
Yet all of those things and many more have dealt One Direction’s loyal fans blow after vicious blow. Just a year ago, One Direction fans optimism was high. The boys were just three weeks into a new tour after their previous tour broke every record for attendance, and was by a distance the highest grossing tour in history. If you think a year is a long time in politics, try a year of being a One Direction fan.
As everyone should know by now, One Direction’s fans are a fiercely loyal bunch, and many have hoped that one day they would see all five members of One Direction reunited and performing together. In his now infamous interview in Billboard, Malik even hinted that a One Direction reunion could happen if the time was right.
We're not OK after this One Direction + Zayn mashup: https://t.co/R88xrxh4P8 pic.twitter.com/eNIiCdroiW
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) March 1, 2016
Now, MTV reports that all five members of One Direction have been reunited. In a way.
Sadly, the One Direction reunion is a virtual one, but this mashup video has all five One Direction members as they sing and dance to “Pillowtalk” and “End of the Day.” Clips from past music videos such as “Steal My Girl” are also part of the mashup/remix.
The video may not satisfy the desire to see One Direction reunited, but it is certain to bring smiles to many faces, and it is incredibly well produced. It’s fair to say that the remix has been getting a lot of love from One Direction fans on social media.
@EminikOfficial @SchmidLea I MEANT IT I'M LITERALLY CRYING THIS IS SO PERFECT
— kemi (@saveourlourry) March 1, 2016
This isn’t the first time that Malik has been reunited with One Direction in video format. Another clever video artist recently edited him into One Direction’s “Perfect” video, and once again received plaudits from One Direction fans.
Malik also featured in the official video for One Direction’s “History” single, from their recent Made In The A.M. album. One Direction’s final release before their hiatus is very much a tribute to their fans, and a promise that “this is not the end” of One Direction. Those same fans will be hoping that it won’t be too long before they see One Direction together again making music. After the last 12 months, anything has to be an improvement for One Direction fans.
Those fans will be hoping against hope that in 18 months time, One Direction will be back, fresh, re-energized, and ready to do what they do best — making music. It may seem unlikely at this point that Malik will be with them, but in the world of One Direction, you can just never tell what will happen next.
[Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP]
