The idea of a One Direction reunion has been a topic of public interest ever since their 2016 hiatus began but has obviously never played out the way fans wished. After rumours of a get-together for their 10th anniversary fell through, it seemed like all hope was lost for any Directioner who was still somehow holding on seven years later. However, 2023 has turned out to be a blessing for the fandom, following a surprising amount of band member interactions within the last six months.
1D reunion rumours seem to spark if one of the boys so much as breaths in the direction (get it) of another, usually written off as a delusional fandom craze. But after reviewing the evidence presented towards us over the last few weeks, would it be crazy to consider the possibility of a reunion a future reality?
No need to ponder on your own, as I have provided a chronological list of the major 1D interactions of 2023 to determine whether or not hope is not truly lost, or we are all just living in collective delusion.
February
The beginning of the year started off with plenty of celebration, with Harry Styles taking home two Grammy awards for his critically acclaimed bop-fest of an album Harry’s House. One of those wins included the coveted Album of the Year Grammy, a feat which was warmly celebrated by two of his former bandmates. Niall Horan took to congratulating Harry through an Instagram story, whilst Liam Payne posted a very heartwarming congratulations to his “brother” on Instagram. Short but sweet, these posts planted the very first seeds of delusional hope for the future.
March
Instagram continued to be the catalyst for chaos through March, in which Harry caused quite a stir after posting an “accidental” pic to his Instagram story. Rather than a Pete Wentz-style explicit leak, this photo instead showcased Harry in a gym, wearing an Up All Night Tour shirt as his chosen athleisure. It was deleted quite quickly - was it a slip up meant for the Close Friends or a calculated easter egg move? We may never know.
Delusions soon turned into reality (?¿) thanks to Louis Tomlinson, whose premiere for his documentary All Of Those Voices provided us with solid proof of an interaction, with the vibes of a Bigfoot sighting. Both Louis and Liam were photographed together enjoying the premiere, with Liam taking to Insta yet again with a sappy, compelling congratulatory post. But drama never forgets where it belongs when it comes to 1D rumours, as the post was deleted just a few days later. These men love impulse Insta posting just as much as I do.
May
Despite his reputation being destroyed on a Logan Paul podcast, I do have to admit that Liam does majority of the heavy lifting when it comes to fueling Directioner’s imaginations. Mentions of a “1D group chat” were confirmed by Liam on multiple occasions, with Niall teasing that they were texting “louder than ever”. This communication seems to have paid off when we observe the chaos of the next two weeks…
Like the stars aligning, we received not one, but four surprise One Direction covers by the boys currently on tour. Niall kick-started the trend by singing Story Of My Life on the 12th, with Harry delivering both Best Song Ever and deepcut Stockholm Syndrome on the 16th, and Where Do Broken Hearts Go by Louis on the 27th. I admit, I was quite sceptical before this ordeal, but the tween fangirl in me just cannot ignore the magnitude of this situation! It seems much more of a coordination than coincidence.
July
I was originally going to end this by mentioning Zayn Malik’s radio silence – apart from posting a few short videos singing some 1D songs last year, we’ve received practically nothing in terms of reunion gossip. Well, I am glad to announce that manifestation works as July delivered us our very first Ziam interaction in years! After wiping his Instagram clean in honour of his comeback to music, Zayn had posted a teaser reel in anticipation, with none other than Liam leaving a supportive comment. And to everyone’s surprise... Zayn replied? In public? It's a miracle. After years of rumoured beef, it seems the two are back on “love you” terms once again.
Verdict
So, reunion? I think… possibly?
I am choosing to believe there is some Taylor Swift-esque mastermind plan in the works, at least to keep fans talking. Previous bad blood seems to be squashed, the boys making it clear they’re at least in the discussion about something. Hell, an unreleased demo song from 2014 was just leaked recently, we're being fed all too well for it to not be suspicious.
So, I predict a reunion tour. In about five years. You heard it here first!
Patricia Byrnes is a current second-year student studying a Bachelor of Media (Comms. And Journalism)/Arts. She is an enthusiast of all things pop culture, specifically Bill Hader movies, former members of One Direction and attends every single concert she physically can. You could most likely find her constructing her own album tier lists in her bedroom, for her own enjoyment.
