10 Years Of One Direction: From one to multiple directions, the band's rise and fall and where they stand now
Formation
Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson stepped into the spotlight for the first time when they auditioned as solo singers in Season 7 of 'The X Factor'. Although they failed to breakout as solo artistes at the time, they were quickly scooped up by one of the judges, music mogul Simon Cowell. Cowell signed them for his label Syco Records to form one of the most popular boyband sensations in the world, One Direction.
Group success
As One Direction, the teen heartthrob pop group would go on to win an extensive list of music awards, including six Billboard Music Awards, seven Brit Awards, seven American Music Awards and more. In total 1D have released a total of five studio albums, all of which became a hit (certified Platinum multiple times), including their 2011 debut LP 'Up All Night', 'Take Me Home' (released in 2012), 'Midnight Memories' (2013), 'Four' (2014) and their final album which didn't include Zayn, 'Made in the A.M.' (2015). They have also released six extended plays, 17 singles, two video albums and 17 music videos.
Disbandment
With One Direction's powerfully prominent career, performing tours and continuously releasing music, it came as a shock to many heartbroken fans when Zayn announced in 2015 that he would be "taking some private time out of the spotlight" and leaving the band. After Zayn's departure, One Direction announced that they were planning a hiatus to explore solo career paths. Each singer has proven to be a champion worthy of individual attention since then with their own hit solo records. See where they are now and their solo success below.
Zayn Malik
(Getty Images/Dia Dipasupil)
A heartthrob for fans when he first entered One Direction, the Bradford native has gone on to continue his music, along with other successful ventures. Nearly a year after his departure from 1D, Zayn released his alternative R&B solo debut, 'Mind of Mine' which included the hit lead single 'Pillowtalk'. With the single and the LP, the singer became the first British male artist to debut at No. 1 in both the UK and US. In 2016, the same year as his solo debut, Zayn released his first book, 'Zayn: The Official Autobiography' which details his life after leaving One Direction and also made his debut on The Business of Fashion's annual BoF500 index which profiles the most influential people in fashion.
In 2018, before releasing his second album, 'Icarus Falls', which included collaborations with Sia and Nicki Minaj, Zayn worked with Taylor Swift on the hit single, 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever'. The song released in 2017 and is part of the soundtrack for the film '50 Shades Darker'. The singer is currently expecting his first child with girlfriend Gigi Hadid. Read more on Zayn's departure and solo career here.
Harry Styles
(Getty Images/Dia Dipasupil)
Now donning a mustache, Harry Styles continues to make headlines and receive much love from fans. Fans were first introduced to Harry on 'The X Factor' as a 16-year-old from Holmes Chapel, England, when he revealed he was a part-time bakery employee and a lead singer for his band White Eskimo. After One Direction went their separate ways, Harry took on his first acting role in the war drama 'Dunkirk' playing the part of Alex. That same year in 2017, the singer released his self-titled debut solo album. The album took the crown at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts and would see Harry performing on a world tour in support of the LP. At the end of the year, Harry also took part in fashion, performing at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show.
In 2019, Styles presented an award to Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks during the 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. He was also co-chair at the 2019 Met Gala alongside stars like Lady Gaga and Serena Williams. In December last year, Harry released his sophomore album 'Fine Line' which debuted atop the US Billboard 200.
Niall Horan
Like Harry, Niall auditioned for 'The X Factor' at 16. During the time, the Mullinger, Ireland native said he wanted to "be like big names in the world, like Beyoncé and Justin Bieber". One of his additional goals was to sell out arenas, something that came into fruition as a member of One Direction. In his solo career, Niall released his debut solo LP, 'Flicker', in 2017. His international tour in support of the album wrapped up in September 2018 and in the same year he released a track for the soundtrack of the animated film, 'Smallfoot', titled 'Finally Free'. His collaborative works include the Julia Michaels track, 'What a Time', the Ashe track, 'Moral of the Story' and his own 'Seeing Blind' featuring Maren Morris.
Since the end of 2019, Horan released several singles, including 'Nice to Meet Ya' and 'Put a Little Love on Me', and his second studio album arrived in March, titled 'Heartbreak Weather'. Read our review on the LP here.
Louis Tomlinson
(Getty Images/Gary Gershoff)
Louis is the oldest member of One Direction. Before the group announced its official hiatus, Louis started his own record label in 2015, Triple Strings Ltd, as an imprint of his current Syco Music label. For his own solo music, Louis released the collaborative single 'Just Hold On' with DJ-producer Steve Aoki in 2016. That same year his son Freddie was born, whom he shares with Briana Jungwirth. Another collaborative project, 'Back To You', that he released features Bebe Rexha.
In 2018, Louis would see a return to 'The X Factor', but this time as both a judge and mentor on the US version of the competition. One of his mentees, Dalton Harris, won the competition for that season. Last year, Louis released a single dedicated to his late mother, Johannah Deakin, titled 'The Two of Us'. His first studio album, 'Walls', arrived in January 2020.
Liam Payne
Liam's entrance into One Direction occurred during the season that he auditioned for 'The X Factor' the second time around — his first being in 2008. As many fans can recall, Liam began dating musician Cheryl Cole, 'The X Factor' judge, who actually voted him through to the next round after his initial audition. Another One Direction member to become a daddy, Liam welcomed his baby son, Bear. In 2017, that same year, Liam released his hit collaborative single 'Strip That Down' featuring Quavo.
In July 2018, a month after Liam and Cheryl broke up, Liam released his four-track debut EP, 'First Time', with a guest appearance by French Montana. In October that year, Liam joined forces with Lennon Stella and Jonas Blue on their track, 'Polaroid'. He also pegged a duet with Rita Ora for the soundtrack of the film 'Fifty Shades Freed'. Last year, Liam landed a fashion partnership with HUGO. His debut studio album, 'LP1', released in December 2019.