smells like man in here

So here are my thoughts: the 1D image contract continues to bind them insofar as what they are allowed to say about the band. We have had Liam with a full PR announcement for his record deal, but shadiness about Harry and Niall’s.

Now that Niall’s first single is out, we see that the label is his own, and the song is on exclusive license to Capitol. This could be a distribution-only deal, which UMG has been exploring a lot lately, or a development deal, wherein they share both the expenses and the profit. Unless they tell us, there’s no way to know.

(FTR, according to @business-direction, Niall registered Neon Haze Music Ltd in Ireland, on 27 June 2016.)

We have seen a more traditional PR announcement for Liam, but literally no details about the music and only a very few, artist-direct rumors from him and people with whom he has been collaborating.) We have seen untraditional rumors for Niall and Harry, but no solid PR data (until today.)

This leads me to believe that Harry’s new music will be on his own label, Erskine Records, with a distribution/development partnership perhaps with SONY. Meanwhile, I think it’s possible that Liam has signed a more traditional recording contract.

With rumors swirling for a summer release for Harry next year, I think what we have is:

1) Niall is willing to work around the image clause now to do his solo work.

2) Harry will either be free of, or work around the image clause, next year to co-incide with the release of DUNKIRK.

3) Liam has chosen to wait until he is free of the image clause completely so the new label can launch him without restriction.

4) There is still no publicly available news about One Direction’s future because the *band* is still bound to the terms of their contract.