Niall Horan latest in One Direction to go solo

NEW YORK | One Direction’s Niall Horan released a first solo single Thursday, becoming the latest member of the boy band to pursue music since the group went on hiatus.

The 23-year-old Irish singer announced that he had signed a contract with Capitol Records and released a first song, “This Town.”

Driven by acoustic guitar, “This Town” is a light ballad about heartbreak in which Horan wishes for another chance with a partner.

Horan, who did not give a timetable for further releases, also put out a video for “This Town” in which he performs at Capitol’s studio in Hollywood.

One Direction achieved global fame, with screaming pubescent girls packing their concerts, after the then teenagers appeared in 2010 on the British television contest “The X Factor.”

The band announced a hiatus at the end of last year, with the proliferation of solo projects raising fears among fans of a permanent rupture.

Zayn Malik, who left the band in March last year, has had the most prominent solo career.

He released an album, “Mind of Mine,” full of racy R&B that would have been unthinkable for squeaky-clean One Direction.

Liam Payne in July revealed that he is also working on a solo album and, like Horan, signed to Capitol Records — not One Direction’s Columbia Records.

Among the other two members, Harry Styles has reportedly reached a record deal with Columbia.

Louis Tomlinson, who recently became a father, has been quiet on the solo front but is working with “The X Factor” judge Simon Cowell on putting together an all-girl pop band.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction ‘to go separate ways’ next year

LONDON | British pop phenomenon One Direction are to take an indefinite break from next year, according to a media report Monday which has left fans devastated.

The four-piece boy band will separate for at least a year from March to pursue solo projects, according to The Sun newspaper, citing a “1D source”.

The band, who enjoy a massive global teenage following, did not comment when contacted by AFP and have not commented on the tabloid report on their various Twitter accounts.

“The guys have been together for five years, which is an incredible run for any boy band,” said The Sun’s source.

“They fully deserve to have at least a year to work on their own projects. There is absolutely no bad blood between them and they are all 100 percent behind the decision.

“It is definitely not a split and they fully intend to get back together at some time in the future.”

They are due to release their fifth album before Christmas, and fulfil promotional commitments by the end of February, the report said.

There will be no tour for the new album.

The band’s last scheduled concerts are at the Sheffield Arena in northern England on October 29, 30, 31.

They are currently touring North America and are due to perform in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday.

Put together for a British television singing contest in 2010, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson swiftly developed a giant, fiercely loyal following of young girls worldwide.

The chart-toppers have sold more than 50 million records around the globe.

Malik quit the band in March, shortly after being signed off with stress.

“I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight,” he said at the time.

The Sun’s report said the split would have happened regardless of Malik’s departure.

The Sunday Times newspaper’s Rich List 2015 reckoned the band members were worth £25 million each.

source: interaksyon.com

Life after Zayn

MANILA, Philippines - Right now, you probably already know what went down in the wee hours of March 26, Thursday morning. Zayn Malik, Bradford bad boy and token diva of One Direction, left the boyband for good so he could focus on fixing his private life. His announcement was made exactly a week after he walked out in the middle of the Southeast Asian leg of their world tour. To the fans of the boys, and fans of bands in general, losing a member is monumental. Think of the Beatles sans John Lennon or the Spice Girls minus Geri Halliwell — history’s shown that sudden departures can end a band’s successful run. Will 1D meet the same fate?

In the case of N*Sync, where the brunt of the vocals was primarily juggled by Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, the option of continuing as a band was rather unlikely. Justin’s voice was distinctive and carried most of their tracks to their climax. Without him, it would’ve just been JC and three backup dancers. In 1D, the distribution of parts is more or less equal and interchangeable. If you take Zayn out of the equation, the other four boys (Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson) would be there to pick up his slack. The concerts last weekend proved they could manage just fine without him. Although the remaining quartet couldn’t exactly hit all the otherworldly notes Zayn had set for them (let’s face it, the boy was vocally blessed with a golden falsetto), they were still able to deliver respectable and enjoyable performances.

In terms of songwriting, Zayn’s a lightweight. He only managed to co-write 10 of the band’s 73 songs. That’s meager compared to Liam’s 27 and Louis’s 30. There have been rumors that Zayn’s original compositions were not good enough to make the final cut of their latest album, “Four,” spurring him to collaborate with outside producers like Naughty Boy. Whether this is true or not, we’ll see its fruits in the future. But for now, it’s safe to say that the rest of the 1D boys have nothing to worry about regarding songwriting. After all, they still have a company-provided team of songsmiths to help them out.

#ALWAYSINOURHEARTSZAYNMALIK 

Thursday’s Twitter trends were full of hashtags and lamentations dedicated to Zayn’s abrupt goodbye. Fans begged him to come back. Others sent their best wishes. The rumor mill spun like mad. It’s undeniable how Zayn was adored. The boy brought something different to the plate. He was simple and meek. He was of color and of a different religion. He opened up the band to audiences who wouldn’t have normally taken notice of a generic bunch of singing white boys.

For many fans, Zayn was the sole reason they even joined the fandom. With his long lashes, chiseled features, and insane vocals, he lured them into the craziness that is One Direction only to leave them behind when the times got tough. To see him go like that must have felt like betrayal. Nothing made this more evident than the fan reaction to the news that he would be M.I.A. for the Manila shows. Friends of mine threatened to sell their tickets. Some opted for downgrades. And yet, come concert day, all of them still showed up with their original tickets in hand because despite all the pre-concert drama, there was still a chance of Zayn’s triumphant return once he got things sorted out. It was a possibility that never came to pass. Zayn is gone.



A couple of friends and I were lucky enough to see him perform in Singapore, one of his final shows with the whole band. His ad-libs were inhuman, and they left me and everyone in the stadium floored. He had a few good laughs with the boys onstage, but for the most part, his eyes were glazed over, staring into oblivion. I didn’t notice it at that time, but he was probably mulling over his next steps. Two shows later, in Bangkok, he took his final bow. “Thank you,” he said, “We have been One Direction!” And that was that.

Boybands have a limited shelf life, and 1D is nearing its expiration date. It’s only a matter of time before their fans find other acts to gush about, but until then, they still have a tour to finish and an album to release. Life for the boys after Zayn will be different, definitely. It will be new. It will be a gamble. Fans, like myself, can only hope it’ll pay off. It would be sad to see them just fade away.

source: philstar.com