I don’t think any of us have managed to make head or tail of this whole situation yet, and who knows if we ever will. As for the row between Louis and Zayn, it’s undeniable that, as a fan, it hurts and saddens us for a number of reasons that needn’t be listed but are fairly easy to imagine. We could, as always, come up with a thousand theories and hypotheses, but I don’t think it’s possible for us to make up our minds or understand what goes on behind closed doors. I’ll tell you (and I think many will agree with me), until Louis unfollowed him, it just seemed like the usual media nonsense, but after that move, well… it’s clear that something happened. But I don’t think it happened in the way or to the extent that’s being reported. Some things just don’t make sense, you know. Some reports and dates just don’t add up. Like, there’s talk of a cut on Louis’ head caused by a blow from Zayn, but he never appeared with a wound, a bruise or a plaster when it’s supposed to have happened. Why unfollow him in April when the fight supposedly took place months earlier? Was he perhaps waiting for the news to hit the tabloids before doing so? Who knows. Even if that were the case, it still doesn’t clarify anything. As if that weren’t enough, the director of the docu has done her bit to fuel the drama via her social media, and the silence from both Zayn and Louis doesn’t help. Quite the opposite, in fact. It only serves to create frustration and stir up those who already tend to get caught up or thrive in feuds between the solo fanbases. It makes you wonder: who is really benefiting from all this? The one who certainly isn’t coming out of this well is Zayn, and as we all know, sadly, there are no coincidences in the music industry. I have absolutely no intention of spinning a conspiracy theory about his situation. However, if we look back at the dates and personal and professional events surrounding him, it’s hard not to think that perhaps some higher power is acting as if it were following a specific strategy. What might the aim be? Well, if only I knew. It’s all so bloody cryptic. And the fact that his management has now dropped him seems to be nothing more than the latest chapter of a smear campaign that has its roots in the distant past; indeed, a very distant past, dating back to the band’s early days. A media smear campaign slyly steeped in racism and Islamophobia. If we don’t see what Zayn went/is going through, it’s because we don’t want to, we’re choosing to be ignorant or stay part of the problem. And by saying this, I am in no way trying to excuse him for the problematic behaviour he has displayed or to downplay its seriousness. And by saying this, I am in no way trying to excuse him for the problematic behaviour he has had or to downplay its seriousness. But if we really want to try to understand a given situation and its complexity, and try to find, if not the truth, then at least a little light in the midst of all this chaos, we cannot ignore all of these factors. I’m sorry, my answer turned out to be longer than I’d expected, and perhaps it’s not even what you were expecting from me. I’ll finish by saying that I hope he is taking care of his health, that it’s nothing serious, and that things finally work out for him as he wishes and as he deserves.
