Ever since the members of One Direction officially announced their indefinite hiatus in late 2015, fans have been eager for news of the once-promised reunion of the band. However, after many years, fans are not as confident as they once were that Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne or Zayn Malik will want to reunite any time soon.
When Malik left the band to pursue a solo career in early 2015, rumors of potential feuds and behind-the-scenes drama between the bandmates spread among the media and fans. Since his departure, Malik has rarely spoken of his time in One Direction. When he has, it has mostly been negative. He has also never participated in any conversations regarding a potential reunion.
The rumors and drama that subsequently followed Malik’s departure are not the only things that have made fans skeptical about the idea of a reunion. Aside from any animosity on Malik’s end, it is believed by some fans that the likelihood of One Direction getting back together any time soon is very small due to the success of the individual members, particularly Styles. Additionally, some of the members have said multiple times that they rarely speak to their former bandmates. Whether due to general distance or differences in personalities, this detachment worries some fans that a reunion is highly unlikely. Regardless, Styles, Horan, Tomlinson and Payne have all spoken about what they individually think of having a reunion in the future. See below for what each has said when asked about a reunion.
Harry Styles
June 7, 2017 – Another Man
“I would never say we’ll never do anything again but it’s good for us to be exploring different things. Maybe at some point everyone will want to do something again but it’s better if it happens naturally like, ‘Hey, we all really want to do this again.’ If that were to happen it would be amazing. I would never rule it out.”
August 26, 2019 – Rolling Stone
“I don’t think I’d ever say I’d never do it again, because I don’t feel that way. If there’s a time when we all really want to do it, that’s the only time for us to do it, because I don’t think it should be about anything else other than the fact that we’re all like, ‘Hey, this was really fun. We should do this again.’”
November 19, 2019 – KISS 106.5
“I definitely never say never. You know it was a massive part of my life and something that we always have. It’s a pretty amazing thing to be a part of … if a time comes around when everybody wants to do it.”
March 31, 2020 – Heart Breakfast
When asked at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic if One Direction would do a virtual concert together, Styles responded: “I mean, we’re not working right now. So, probably not this second. It’d be an interesting way to do a reunion.”
April 8, 2020 – SiriusXM
When asked again about a potential virtual One Direction concert: “I don’t know if that’s the reunion that we had in mind. I don’t know if that would be the way to do it.”
Niall Horan
October 3, 2019 – The Telegraph
About the One Direction hiatus and when it would end: “There was no timeline on the gap. I would have preferred if someone said five years, and it probably will end up something like that. I’m enjoying what I’m doing, but if one of the lads were to pick up the phone and say it’s time, I’d do it.”
October 4, 2019 – Zach Sang
“It would be silly not to do … You know as much as I do. We haven’t had that conversation yet. It’s not like we’re hiding from it. It’s an elephant in the room — it gets asked, like, ‘When are you getting back together?’ I mean, you’ll know.”
December 4, 2019 – Sunrise
“No talk of it yet. I’m enjoying what I’m doing now … As of now, no, but if there’s a conversation down the line, let’s go.”
February 8, 2020 – RTE Entertainment
“We’d be absolutely ridiculous not to reform the band. We haven’t really spoken about the ‘whens’ but we do know we will. We have all said individually that we will and I think it would be stupid if we didn’t.”
February 14, 2020 – Glass Magazine
“Once I’m making music for a long time at a high level, I don’t mind. When everyone is ready to do 1D again, I’ll be here. But at the moment I’m enjoying relative success on my own and it’s been so fun trying something new. Play it by ear and see what happens.”
February 18, 2020 – The Mirror
“The answer is, we don’t know. We haven’t spoken about it, and you’ll know if we do.”
March 13, 2020 – The Late Late Show
While hooked up to a lie detector test, Niall said “yes” when asked whether he thinks One Direction will get back together. He passed the test and was seemingly telling the truth.
Louis Tomlinson
November 6, 2019 – WIRED
“Hopefully we come back.”
January 25, 2020 – The Independent
“Truthfully, none of us truly know [if we’ll reform]. I just know what my gut says and my gut says we will get back together at some point. I think it was too magical for all of us to never do it again.”
February 3, 2020 – BBC Breakfast
“It’s inevitable. I don’t know when, we don’t know when. I think we’d be stupid not to get back together.”
Liam Payne
September 18, 2019 – SiriusXM
On when he thinks One Direction will reunite: “I say different times all the time because of whatever I’m thinking might happen, but it’s difficult. I mean, I haven’t spoken to Harry in a while, so I don’t really know where his head’s at with it — I heard that he’s mentioned it in some sort of magazine the other day, which is cool. I think everybody else has been really outspoken that they’re ready to go whenever. I know Niall was ready to go the day we decided to stop.”
September 20, 2019 – WIRED
“The truth is, I think it’s a matter of when at the moment. Everyone’s super comfortable doing their own thing and everyone’s really happy doing their solo stuff. You know, I’m really enjoying this at the moment and I’ve had great success doing this, which has been really, really fun and it’s great to watch everybody else venturing out and doing their own thing. So, I mean, it’s more to do with where some other people in the band’s heads are at with it, to be honest with you.”
October 26, 2019 – The Jonathon Ross Show
“We haven’t really spoke as a collective together, so, I don’t really know. All I can say is I don’t think for at least the next two years it’s going to happen, and I’m tired of saying dates because people hold you to it … I don’t think [Zayn being included in the reunion] will ever happen. When he left, it wasn’t on great terms. If he didn’t want to be here, then he shouldn’t be here. Which is fine … he’s doing really well, so I don’t want to mess with his stuff.”
December 30, 2019 – Gulf News
“We have been talking a lot more recently and I can’t imagine we wouldn’t finish the story where we did. However, the guys are doing so well individually and they are experiencing new things like film and TV, so it will probably be a little while if it ever happens.”
Truthfully, no one really knows if or when One Direction will come back, including the members of One Direction themselves. In the event that a reunion does happen, whether or not Malik will decide to be a part of it is a mystery. Moreover, Styles’ continued success with both his solo music and acting career might put a wrench in any plans One Direction might have for reuniting in the near future. Additionally, the band has only been on a break for seven years, and most bands do not have reunions until after a decade or two. Perhaps it is too soon for a reunion. While four-fifths of the members have expressed an openness to reuniting in the past, it is probably not likely that the band will be reuniting any time soon, though fans will continue to hope.
