Letâs hear it for the boys!
Why being in the One Direction fandom changed the lives of people all over the world.
13th of December, 2010. A little known group called One Direction finishes 3rd on Simon Cowellâs record breaking season of the X-Factor UK. These boys, who were put together by the media mogul and friends at boot camp that same year, were tipped to win the coveted competition.
Zayn Malik looks into the camera and winks saying,âThis isnât the last of One Directionâ when the host asks what was next for these five boys. And boy oh boy was Zayn on the money.
Five years later to the day, on the stage of Wembley Arena where âthe boysâ ended their X-Factor dreams but started something so much bigger-something so much bigger than anyone had anticipated, including themselves; they took their final bow as a group for a little while. Many things have changed since 2010, notably the absence of Zayn Malik, whoâs photo was flashed behind the boys montage as they sang their song dedicated to their fans called History. Niall Horan cheekily looks at the camera, Liam Payne shuffles his feet to the beat of the song, Louis Tomlinson is pulling a silly face and doing his trademark hand gestures, and of course Harry Styles in an outfit so out there that you could not imagine anyone else wearing it but himself. They finish singing, take a breath and take in their surroundings. The crowd is on their feet, cheering and some crying, as they know this is the last performance they are going to witness in a long time.
Thousands who are watching it live on TV, or like me, have found a grainy live stream at 7am on a Monday morning, are feeling all sorts of emotions. Sadness is the first. The final bow admittedly produces tears. Who knows when the boys will be back, or if they even are going to come back as a group? Suddenly you are hit with nostalgia. All the great times, amazing memories and incredible people you have met because of One Direction. The screaming, the excitement, the love and togetherness you feel when you find people who are just like you. Then, you feel this overwhelming sense of pride. These boys, who are incredible, humble, funny, insanely talented young men, have come from nothing and become something. No gimmicks, no tricks and no changing who they were, no matter how successful they got. They shed the image of a typical boy band and replaced it with positive connotations. 5 number one albums in 5 years, over 100 number singles, 2 box office smash concert films, 4 sold out tours, including two stadium tours (which has never been done by an artist at such a young age) and won countless amounts of awards. Most importantly, their talents kept on improving and growing. Their song writing became a staple of who they were, which was adamant from the third album, Midnight Memories, through to Four and now Made In the AM.
Itâs true that when the general public attempt to look into the One Direction fandom or the boys in general, their thoughts are hazy. They see the âcrazinessâ and the âobsessivenessâ. It can be like that sometimes, I will admit. However, that is not what I see. What One Direction represents is a togetherness that canât be broken. Iâve been to my fair share of gigs, ranging from 100 people in the audience of a amphitheater to a stadium full of people screaming lyrics. You will never feel the adrenaline, hype and excitement as you do at a One Direction concert. There is a happiness and an elation that can never be felt unless you are screaming the lyrics of What Makes You Beautiful with 80,000 of your closest friends. The happiness and sheer thrill when one of the boys gives you a sly wink, a playful wave or if youâre lucky enough, a little chat while theyâre racing up and down the stage.
The boys represent friendship. Not only between them, but between all of US. You become best friends with people on the other side of the world, with fans who you met at One Direction rallies back in 2011, a group of girls who you were trying to  sneak into the Logies with in 2012, girls in line at the Take Me Home tour in 2013 and the Arias in 2014, and the ones who secretly crept around the Crown lobby at 6am in 2015. You form a bond through the music, the love you share for the boys and each other. Itâs the heartbreak when you and your best friends miss meeting Liam thinking that was your only chance, only to meet him 2 hours later. Itâs the frenzied excitement in the elevator after you and your best friends meet Harry Styles, knowing that moment will be spoken about for the rest of your lives.
One Direction represents safety and acceptance. Even though there are arguments and fights, at the end of the day, the fandom and the boys provide a safe haven for those of us who feel like we have nowhere to run, for those of us who feel trapped because we donât have anyone to talk to or anyone who understands us. When the general  public snob their children, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, cousins or friends who are associated with the One Direction fan base, it doesnât make us weaker, in fact it does the opposite. It makes us stronger, more willing to make a change and gives us the incentive to prove people wrong. The fan base proves itself on its charitable nature-raising money for charity on special occasions such as the boysâ birthdays and religious holidays, buyouts of albums and concert tickets so we can give them away to fans have a financial, social or environmental disadvantage. An incentive called Rainbow Direction, which was inspired by One Directionâs safe haven at their shows, was made and introduced by fans as a support network for LGBTIQ community. We accept, respect and most importantly love everyone who enters the fan base.
One Direction represents compassion, strength and resilience. Everyone goes through hard times and sometimes these hard times can become overbearing and seem to last longer than you anticipated. When you see someone you love and care about down and out, you are willing to do anything to make them feel better. When you a part of a fan base, you want to make sure your brothers and sisters are always smiling, laughing and have every good opportunity thrusted upon them. Individually, we are strong, but together we are an army. An army that is strong enough to bare the grunt of the ammunition that comes our way. Being part of a fandom you are often subjected to harsh words from people who are not willing to understand or respect what good a fandom does. Together, we build each other up. We become strong. We continue on with our lives with our best friends by our sides. We understand that bad things and bad people will get in our way sometimes, but we will perceiver and become stronger than we ever were.
You might be asking why I invested so much time in a band like One Direction. The answer is simple. If someone or something gives you undeniable happiness, you never want to let go. Ever. Before I knew who One Direction was, I was unhappy with everyone and everything in my life. I was a desolate 16 year old putting on an act of a lifetime. So many bad things had happened to me that I honestly did not think I could find pure happiness anymore. When a group like One Direction suddenly appears and make you feel something other than sadness or anger, you want that feeling to last forever. Over the 5 year span of knowing, growing up with and loving these guys, one thing remained certain. If I could do it all again, I would in a heartbeat. The thousands of dollars spent, the thousands of kilometers travelled for the tours, the tears of happiness and sadness, the friendships, screaming the lyrics so loud and doing it all again the next day, the staying up all night for a livestreams or music video premier or concert tickets, the whole lot! Thank you, One Direction for everything that you have done for so many of us out there. I hope you enjoy this break; you deserve it for how hard youâve worked over the past 5 years. We love you.
video of 1d being eliminated off the x factor: Theclaurc (on Youtube)
1d final performance on the x factor: StewieBolis96HD (on Youtube)
Photograph of Harry Styles performing: myself
Photograph of Zayn Malik performing: myself
Rainbow direction photo:Â http://takemehomefromnarnia.tumblr.com/post/101871654761/support-harry-create-a-safe-space-for-sharing
Photograph of One Directionâs final performance: unknown
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