Being a long term Directioner definitely makes me more critical whenever One Direction release anything new. I was skeptical and unsure about 'Made In The A.M.' right from the beginning, struggling to imagine a 1D record without Zayn, as he was without a doubt the strongest vocally in the group. I've had this CD for a about a week now and have been re-listening day after day, each time my opinion differing slightly. I don't hate it, but I'm not sure if I love it either.
The announcement of One Direction’s scheduled break for next year comes as no surprise to me. In all honesty, I’ve been waiting for 1D to announce a break for quite some time now. They've been hopping from tour to tour with very limited down time for years on end, there’s only so long an artist can live that lifestyle before burning out – and after their performance both on and off the stage in Australia at the beginning of this year, it’s quite obvious they’re well and truly over it all. That being said, one can only ponder the timing of said break and the real reason behind it, as Louis’ child is expected early next year.
It’s been a hectic 24 hours for the One Direction fandom. If Zayn’s engagement call-off from long time partner Perrie Edwards wasn’t enough, Louis has finally confirmed the rumours that he is going to be a father after weeks of speculation - and directioners are a mixture of somewhat happy and hysterical.
I for one am just concerned. 2015 has not been a fantastic year for 1D. Ever since the shock of Zayn leaving the band mid tour happened things seem to be slowly creeping downhill. The mini Twitter feud between Louis and Zayn didn't do anyone any favours, and you can't tell me that 1D dropping their new song 'Drag Me Down' was anything but a distraction attempt at Zayn signing a solo contract. The whole single drop with no promo at all seemed unorganised and clearly last minute. I unfortunately love the song despite the heavy auto-tuning, but am still offended that it was only released to rain on Zayn's parade.
As for Louis, I'm unsure if he legitimately wanted us to be kept in the dark about the pregnancy truth or was just waiting for the right place to drop it. Coming from the Bieber fandom who had to deal with the whole 'Mariah Yeater pregnancy' thing back in 2011 (that ended up having no truth to it whatsoever) I was adamant on not believing a word until Louis said something himself. He left it a solid few weeks before commenting, which I'm not sure was deliberate or not, but I'm unconvinced by the delivery of his news that he's as 'excited' as he claims to be... And neither do the other boys. I don't think it'd bother me so much if he was having a child with a long-term partner, but from the outside looking in, it seems like this child is the result of too much alcohol and a broken condom.
Speaking as a long-time directioner, this announcement seems like the beginning of the end for 1D. Will Louis actually prioritise touring and the band commitments over fatherhood? Personally, I don't think so. What do you guys think?
