My name is Linda and I am a former One Direction fan.
More precisely, I am a former “Directioner,” a term used to describe the hysterical, pre-pubescent devotees of the British pop boy band that made international waves after competing in “The X Factor” in 2010. Yes, that was me.
However, five albums and three long years of middle school later, my obsession faded as the band plateaued into sonic stagnation, failing to evolve past cookie-cutter tunes as musical artists and eventually splitting up in 2016.
But the April 7 release of Harry Styles’ new single, “Sign of the Times,” as well as Zayn Malik’s burgeoning career shows that new solo talent can rise from the ashes of boy band demise.
Although other band members Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson have also released solo projects, they haven’t matched Malik’s popularity in the long run. Perhaps in true former boy band fashion, we’ll soon find them competing in an upcoming season of “Dancing with the Stars.”
One Direction released its debut album, “Up All Night,” in November 2011. During a year where solo artists such as Adele and Rihanna reigned on the charts and achieved Grammy Award-winning status, the cherubic sounds of five perfectly coiffed British and Irish lads brought fresh innocence to the American pop music landscape.
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However, the albums that followed, such as “Midnight Memories” and “Four,” brought little else to the band’s musical evolution. The albums’ attempts at an edgier sound ultimately felt contrived, especially since listeners drew suspiciously clear parallels between songs by One Direction and bands such as The Who.
Malik left One Direction in 2015 after the release of the band’s fourth album, a change that seemed justified considering his bad-boy persona didn’t quite fit the group’s pretty-boy mold. His ensuing solo work included sultry tracks such as “Like I Would” and “Pillowtalk,” which flew to the top of Billboard’s Top 100 Songs in both the U.S. and U.K.
Malik’s departure was undeniably the smartest move to make, as the band was failing to keep up with the shifting tastes of the aging demographic loyal to it from the start. It allowed him to return to his rhythm-and-blues influences that he had hinted at from the start when he auditioned for “The X Factor” with Mario’s “Let Me Love You.”
His transition mirrors that of Justin Timberlake over 10 years prior, whose solo album “Justified” transformed him into a veritable funk and R&B artist, containing enduring national treasures such as “Rock Your Body” and “Cry Me a River.” The former NSYNC member likewise achieved new levels of stardom after the band’s dissolution.
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While Malik released his album only a year after leaving the band, Styles took his time after the band’s official split, with many fans wondering when he would break into the music scene on his own. As Malik and Styles were arguably the strongest vocalists of the bunch, Malik’s solo career was inevitable.
Styles dropped his first single “Sign of the Times” on Friday. At around 5.5 minutes in length, the ballad represents a bold foray and marks his maturation as a musician.
He starts by singing, “Just stop your crying, it’s a sign of the times / Welcome to the final show,” a disheartened claim that starkly contrasts with the artificial, candy-coated lyrics he sang while still part of One Direction.
The song relies on simple piano chords, but still manages to build tension and captivate attention without bouncy drum lines that build into Styles’ choir-backed croons.
Critics have noted the influence of British pioneers such as The Beatles and David Bowie on the track, and there is certainly an old quality that resides in the simple instrumentation of piano, guitar and drums. Whether or not Styles will continue to diverge from his teen pop past, only time will tell, but his new song is undoubtedly a step toward defining his personal sound.
The unavoidable breakup of boy bands is tragic but necessary in breaking the chains that bar individual artists from exploring their musical styles. Malik proved to be a success story in his own right, and Styles may just reach the same level of fame.
Despite the band’s end, I will always indulge shamelessly in the One Direction songs that reside in the library of my old iPod touch. The charm is still there, it’s just moved in a different direction.