Photo by: Capital FM
12 years ago, Liam, Harry, Niall, Louis, and Zayn auditioned on X-Factor separately and the rest was history. They were on the verge of elimination until Nicole Scherzinger, with Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh, decided to put them together forming One Direction. Unfortunately, they didn’t win X-Factor Britain. However, One Direction created a global phenomenon in the music industry.
I discovered One Direction through my older sister, Kyle, as she was listening to the first song of One Direction, What Makes You Beautiful. I remember when I used to watch Myx's Daily Top 10 for the number 1 music video, which was One Direction’s One Thing. I would lock our bedroom door just to watch the music video in Myx's Daily Top 10 alone. There is also a magazine, dedicated to One Direction and their lives, that we used to own. We used cut our favorite pictures of One Direction and post them on our cabinet doors. Similar to teenagers at One Direction’s peak, my teenage years revolves around One Direction’s music.
Photo by: MUBI
One Direction spent 6 years marking their name in the music industry, especially among teenagers. Every time they have a concert in a stadium like the San Siro Stadium in their concert film, it’s always a sold-out night. The audience harmoniously sing their hearts out and cried when the concert is finished. As for their 5 albums, each album has a unique characteristic but they are similar in one thing.
One Direction’s albums have these engaging lyrics and captivating music, which makes their albums stimulating and not boring when played repeatedly. I listen to their 5 albums, “Made in the AM”, “Four”, “Midnight Memories”, “Up All Night”, and “Take Me Home”, based on my mood for the day. Except when I do my academic tasks, I listen to the 5 albums in chronological order via Spotify.
In their final album, Made in the A.M., One Direction has a song called “I Want to Write You a Song”. Like One Direction stated in their song, “Everything I need I get from you. Giving back is all I want to do.” It reminded me of my exerted efforts towards my loved ones. I exert efforts in my own little ways and size doesn’t matter on things I give them. In addition, the reasons why I do these things matter the most.
Their song called “Little Things” is one of my favorite meaningful songs. This song taught me to appreciate and compliment the people I know through the little things they do and possess. This song also taught me to embrace insecurities and accept that everyone has their own admirable unique qualities. In addition, this song is all about complimenting and admiring others’ qualities even the qualities that they are insecure with.
Through the years One Direction made me realize a lot of things. They made me believe that everyone has their own pace and that success is ageless. Although they reached the spotlight in their teenage years, it made me believe that I will soon have the rewards and perks if I work smartly and hard for it at my own pace. In addition, I also realize that I should use my abilities and maximize the opportunities present like what they did with their voices. They used their voices to audition for X-Factor and formed a band called One Direction. Although they didn’t win the competition, they went on to be one of the greatest bands to be recognized worldwide, especially by teenagers.
It has been 7 years since Zayn left the group and they decided to put the group on indefinite hiatus to pursue their solo careers. It was March 26, 2015, when Zayn Malik decided to leave One Direction, 5 days after One Direction held their concert without Zayn in the Philippines. Until now, I am still gloomy about One Direction’s unforced hiatus to start their solo careers. I know that the hiatus is inevitable with Zayn’s departure to live like a 22-year-old away from the spotlight and stress. Although their solo careers have been successful until now, I am still singing my heart out and hoping that one day, they will come back and be a band again. Until now, their music continues to age like fine wine.
#12YearsofOneDirection
Godspeed,
MusicGuru