At its prime, One Direction was on top of the world, selling out arenas worldwide that were then filled with screaming teenage girls. They were arguably the biggest boyband of the early 2010s, but halfway through the decade, they all seemed to want to go in their own direction. First, it was former band member Zayn Malik, followed by the infamous “hiatus” announcement that we’ve all heard before from the ghosts of boy bands’ past. There we’d see nothing but promises to one day come back, with little to no intent on their side to follow through. But, if they are truly being honest, that means we can expect a 1D reunion, and recent activity suggests it could happen sooner than we think. So, the question is: Will it be in 2020? And will Zayn be included? Well, before we cover our walls in posters, and bring our old “ I heart 1D” shirts, there’s been no actual confirmation on a reunion. However, there’s also nothing to confirm that there won’t be, and with all the evidence Directioners have spotted, I think it’s fair to say that it’s a definite maybe. Here’s why.
One Direction was first introduced to the public in the summer of 2010 when they tried out for the X Factor UK as solo artists. After the decision of judge Simon Cowell to make them a band, they went from being total strangers to the best of friends. And although they only placed 3rd, they reached global popularity. It seemed as though the world was at their feet. But when Zayn Malik announced his leave from the band on March 25, 2015, one could not help but question if it had all been a lie. It was later considered by Directioners as the beginning of the end, as the hiatus was underway with a fifth studio album released by the four remaining members without an accompanying tour. However, 1D fans have reason to believe we may have been too quick to make assumptions. Fans got into a frenzy when the band’s beloved website, onedirectionmusic.com, was updated for the first time since the year 2016, along with a very cryptic message: “We’ll be in touch soon.” Directioners immediately thought a possible reunion announcement was underway, and news of this spread through social media like a virus.
Although a simple website update is not enough to confirm a reunion, 2020 would be an ideal year for them to get back together. This year marks the 10th anniversary of One Direction, a monumental milestone for Directioners who have been following them for the last decade. It was also all but confirmed from member Liam Payne that there would be a documentary released in celebration of the anniversary of the boys’ journey to stardom. Fans are eager for something new from the UK band, many even willing to settle on the launch of new merchandise to commemorate 10 years of One Direction, but many are clinging on to the hope of a reunion. And while the remaining 4 all have 2020 solo tours, they are all scheduled to end before the end of this year. Oddly enough, a One Direction concert is posted for December 31st, 2020 in Auckland, Australia. While some have written it off as an error, fans are convinced that it’s yet another clue to the return of One Direction.
Even if One Direction does end up getting back together, another big question remains: will Zayn be returning as well? As much as many would love him too, a lot has changed since all 5 boys were together. Since then, Zayn has publicly spoken out against both his time in the band and his former mates, saying he made no friends. Louis Tomlinson, who was close to Malik, was especially disappointed in him. This was revealed when Zayn failed to show up to the performance Louis dedicated to his mother, who had died just three days prior in a fight against cancer. This caused a major rift between the former pals, who were once thick as thieves. When last asked, Tomlinson had yet to forgive the act of betrayal, one of the main reasons being that Malik had agreed to attend prior and gave no notice of his change of plans. As for the 4 remaining members of One Direction, they seem to be on decent terms. Recently during his SNL appearance, Harry Styles stated that Louis, Liam, and Niall were like brothers to him, purposely calling Zayn “Ringo.” Liam defended Styles’ choice in excluding Zayn and dissing him, saying it was all just for laughs. He later posted a congratulatory Instagram photo with a caption celebrating the success of Harry’s sophomore album Fine Line reaching #1. Niall Horan has spoken about how he speaks to some of the boys, and even tried to keep in touch with Zayn Malik (although later saying that it proved to be too hard). As for Louis Tomlinson, he has publicly said that he believes their reunion is “inevitable,” and that he wasn’t ready for One Direction to have a hiatus when they did.
While no confirmation has been made, none of the 4 One Direction boys have denied it. They have all also stated that they are open to reuniting when the timing is right. So will 2020 be the year everything falls into place? We sure hope so. In the meantime, we continue to support the boys’ solo endeavors and wait for the day that we get the announcement of their return. They started out with a simple slogan on the X-Factor: One band, One dream, One Direction. Now only one of the three remains: a dream, no longer of the fame and fortune the band sought in their singing competition days, but one held by their fans, longing for their return. Will it come true? Only time will tell. Until then, we’ll keep dreaming.