#30.5.17

Hugh McIntyre, Contributor - May 30th, 2017

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 10: Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Niall Horan of One Direction attend the BBC Music Awards at Genting Arena on December 10, 2015, in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)

Whenever a vocal group splits up, a race always ensues to see which one of the members (or sometimes just which member) will wind up becoming successful on their own. The first out of the gate typically does well, but from then on, it can be a struggle to even reach the charts without former bandmates at one's side. One Direction has now bucked this trend in their home country, where all five original singers are still incredibly famous and new tunes from each and every one are highly anticipated. As of this past week, all five singers have now reached the U.K. top 10 with at least one song, though it remains to be seen who can continue to rack up solo hits.

Zayn

Zayn Malik, who quickly dropped his last name and began operating as a mononym, was the first to hit the U.K. charts on his own, which makes sense, given that he didn’t decide to start making music as a solo act when the group went on hiatus, but immediately after he exited the boy band before there was any hint that hiatus was on the way. While the other four members are on a break (at least that’s what they seem to be sticking with), Zayn properly quit the band, but it ended up working out in his favor.

His debut solo effort “Pillowtalk” started at No. 1 all around the world, as did his album Mind Of Mine. The song went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2016, and later in the year he would hit the top 10 again under his own name, this time with Taylor Swift thanks to their collaborative Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack cut “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever.”

Niall Horan

Many months after Zayn had scored a chart-topper with “Pillowtalk,” Irish singer Niall Horan became the second 1D vocalist to reach the highest region as a solo man. His first cut under his own name, the One Direction-soundalike “This Town,” made it all the way to No. 9 in the U.K., while it peaked slightly higher in his home country, stalling at No. 6. Recent follow-up single “Slow Hands,” which sees the singer going in a sexier direction, has yet to grow to its full potential.

Louis Tomlinson

While not much has been discussed when it comes to Louis doing a full album, he is already in the game when it comes to going solo, and his one outing was a smashing success in the U.K. To help him stand out from what his former bandmates are doing musically, Tomlinson partnered with EDM DJ and producer Steve Aoki for the upbeat song “Just Hold On,” which peaked in the runner-up spot across the pond. It’s not clear if the track will end up on Aoki’s next album or Tomlinson's first, but either way, it’s a hit that he will always have to his credit.

Harry Styles

Styles may have started his solo career rather late, as he just dropped his first single alone last month, but the campaign surrounding “Sign Of The Times” and his self-titled album was executed perfectly. Both the lead single and the record it is featured on started at No. 1 on their respective charts, making him the second (of two) one-time One Direction members to hit the top of the charts, at least so far.

Liam Payne

Just last week, Liam Payne finally joined his brothers inside the highest region on the tally, as his first song released under his own moniker debuted at No. 3. “Strip That Down,” which features Migos standout rapper Quavo, might not be the best offering from a 1D member, but the British people are enjoying it, if only for a week.

"I don’t like it and it’s not normal that they whistle you in your own stadium. I just don’t like it. It shouldn’t be the case that a player who always wants to give his best and give 100 percent for this team when he makes his first mistake people whistle. It’s not correct. And when you are on a difficult run that is when you need extra support from outside not less. Sometimes we don’t have it. I spent a lot of years at Manchester United and it never happened to me. Not even once. Maybe England is a case apart – the mentality is different. [...] I’m very happy being in Spain but obviously I also miss England because you can’t just turn off the memories.” - Cristiano when asked why after becoming the club’s highest ever goalscorer and taking the team to three Champions League finals he still occasionally gets whistled by the Bernabéu fans (May 30, 2017)