One Direction was a band made up of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik. They came together in 2010 on the UK The X Factor and became one of the most popular boy bands.
One Direction released five studio albums throughout their career, and they were all mega-hits. Fans couldn't get enough of their catchy pop tunes and boyish good looks, and they sold over 70 million records worldwide.
The band broke several records, including being the first group to have their first four albums debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. They also had the most Twitter followers for a music group in 2015, with over 31 million followers.
One Direction won many awards during their time together, including seven Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, and four American Music Awards. They also received six Billboard Music Awards and four MTV Europe Music Awards.
But, Zayn Malik left One Direction in March 2015, stating that he wanted to live a normal life and be a "normal 22-year-old." His departure shocked many fans, but the band continued as a four-piece.
And in 2016, a little over a year after Zayn left, the band announced they would take a break to focus on individual projects but later confirmed that they had broken up permanently.
It seemed like they had left on fairly good terms. But, as the years went on, more and more stories were coming out about how the boys didn't get along. One member who was particularly vocal about his experience in One Direction was Liam Payne.
Liam Payne's Comments About One Direction
In 2022 Liam Payne went on Logan Pauls podcast, Impaulsive; he discussed his strained relationship with fellow One Direction member Louis Tomlinson during the band's early days.
This was not new information, as Payne had previously shared the same sentiment in a 2019 interview with Capital FM, stating, "We absolutely hated each other; it was so funny. Really bad. We hid it well. It was crazy."
Payne reiterated this, telling Paul that "Louis was wild. And he wanted to be wild. That's his spirit. He's my best mate now, but in the band, we hated each other. Like, come-to-blows hated each other. It was close."
Payne hinted at issues he had with another One Direction member, widely believed to be Harry Styles, saying, "We became really close at points... At a certain point, I made it very obvious. I'm not going to tell you how."
Payne described an altercation backstage where a band member physically confronted him, stating, "There was one moment when there was an argument backstage, and someone, one member in particular, threw me up a wall. So I said to him, 'If you don't remove those hands, there's a high likelihood you'll never use them again.'"
Payne also fired shots at Zayn Malik, saying, "There's many reasons why I dislike Zayn, and there's many reasons why I'll always, always be on his side."
He also claimed that Simon Cowell, the creator of The X Factor and the mastermind behind One Direction, had told him years ago that the band was created for Payne's benefit. After he was cut from the show, Cowell reportedly informed Payne that a group would be built around him to make him a star, saying, "You're going to be in a boy band, and it's going to be successful because I'm putting it together."
He also stated he was the most successful out of the group. Although Liam Payne did not explicitly mention the title of his debut solo track, "Strip That Down," he said, "We did the first song...a billion streams," which led many to believe he was referring to his debut.
In Payne's words, "I think it outsold everybody within the band, and I was the last to go, and I never expected that." After this podcast debuted, many fans were in disbelief at Payne's comments and blatant hate towards the band.
Liam Payne Apologizes
With Twitter a buzz at Payne's comments and show of disrespect, it's no surprise that the singer apologized. He took to his Instagram story and wrote:
"It got quite dark for me for one point when you guys turned on me. I didn't leave the house for 3 months. You guys know I'm sorry about all that stuff. I love my boys not sure what was going on with me other than I had a problem with me, and I took it out on everyone else...Never had a bigger chip on my shoulder, and I'm really glad to lose it. I'm hoping that you guys can forgive me in time because we've been through far [too] much, but the jokes are funny keep em coming."
Things seemed to cool off for the singer after he made that statement. But, when Payne attended the premiere of fellow bandmate Louis Tomlinson's movie, he posted a photo of the two of them with the caption:
"Seeing the world through your eyes last night was the most beautiful thing to experience. My neck hurts from how much I'm looking up to you right now you were already my friend and brother but getting to look through that window into your world and mind I just extend that respect I have for you. What you've dealt with and how you held it all inside !! I'm so sorry I was so out of my mind and I didn't do better for you, I feel ashamed in those moments to not be as good of a friend as you have been to me, at least I have time now and I'm me again so will try and make amends."
He congratulated Tomlinson, said he worked harder than any of them and encouraged fans to see the movie. But Payne has a since deleted that post.
Other Members of One Direction Talking About The Band
While speaking to The Times, Louis Tomlinson said he wants to reunite the band but said it's "hard to imagine right now."
"But I'd be surprised if we lived out our lives and didn't have a moment where we had a reunion, or whatever you want to call it. I'd be up for that," Tomlinson said. "I do miss the boys, and I do definitely miss being one of the five, but I like doing my own thing too."
Furthermore, Harry Styles, while accepting the award for Album of the Year for Harry's House at the 2023 BRIT Awards, thanked One Direction:
"I want to thank my mum for signing me up for X Factor without telling me, so I literally wouldn't be here without you," Styles began. "I want to thank Niall, Louis, Liam, and Zayn because I wouldn't be here without you, either. Thank you so much."
Here's to hoping a One Direction reunion is in the near future.
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