(We will not speak of Zayn, I love him and his music but he is not a part of this discussion)
Who thought an 18-month hiatus would turn into 5 years?! Not me ?
One direction is still my favorite boyband to this day, even if they never get back together.
To analyze this correctly, we have to consider a couple things:
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Does not releasing a solo album hurt your chances at being the member with the best solo career? IDK, let’s ask Liam and Louis.
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Next, does the term “solo” mean having a song with no features? IDK, let’s ask Liam.
So let’s break this down boy by boy.
First up, Niall:
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Second member to release his album Flicker which had more of a folk pop sound to it.
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His debut album reached Number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
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Has won 11 solo awards including Best New Artist of the Year at the 2017 AMA’s
Next up is Liam:
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Has released 10 singles in 5 years all featuring collaborations with other artists.
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His sound is very POP! The true Feature/Pop King!!
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Has won 2 awards including Best New Pop Artist at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
(Not to mention had the cutest little baby boy named Bear, giving Daddy Direction a whole new meaning)
Next up is Harry:
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First member to release his rock inspired debut self-titled album Harry Styles in 2017.
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His solo album also debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
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Has won 14 awards including British Artist Video of the Year at the 2018 BRIT Awards for his music video “Sign of the Times.”
Finally, Louis:
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Has released 5 singles in 5 years, 2 of which feature other artists.
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His sound is more British Pop! Watch out Liam, he’s coming for your throne!
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Has won 3 awards including Best Solo Breakout at the 2018 iHeartRadio Awards.
(Not to mention also had the cutest baby boy named Freddie. AND was a judge on the 2018 X-Factor UK)
It’s no secret that the boys have been busy these past 5 years making music and raking up awards. But what factors determine who has had the best solo career? Who am I to say? It’s all up to the fans at the end of the day and I for one love them all equally. I went as far as to combine all their solo music into one playlist and name it One Direction 2.0!
Each member has gone off and tried their hands at different things, Louis was a judge on the X-Factor, Harry was in his first movie, Niall golfed, and Liam had a baby with Cheryl Cole. To me they’re all winners!
I hope they still have a group chat with each other and talk everyday about the good ‘ole days. I hope they are staying fit and healthy and enjoying life. I’m patiently waiting for their reunion announcement just like the rest of you.
Until then, I suggest reading fanfiction to hold you over, re-watching their band interviews and performances, watching Dunkirk, listening to their new songs, and saving your money because now you’re paying for 4 separate concerts instead of 1, thanks boys.
Be happy that you are living in the same era as One Direction and are able to see everything unfold, your future daughter is going to be so jealous! (; I could never choose which guy is my favorite because I love them all but if I must choose for the sake of there being a winner then fine, Harry wins. K Bye!