Where were you on July 23, 2010? If you’re a true Directioner, you were probably figuring out if it was worth posting photos of a new boy band called One Direction on your dusty MySpace page because, well, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, Amirita?
After the five singers couldn’t do it on their own Factor X, they formed the group that rose to global stardom.
So on July 23, it’s time to celebrate 1D’s 10th anniversary in style. According to a statement announcing 1D’s birthday, a “10 Years of One Direction” website will be launched on July 23 that promises to be an “interactive and exciting experience for fans.”
Although no URL has been announced at press time, the site promises a timeline that traces the group’s history, from its first Factor audition for her 2016 indefinite hiatus. The site promises behind-the-scenes music videos, artwork, television performances, and under-watched content.
The site will also allow Directors to post their own shareable mixed tape playlists, which will be customized based on how they interacted with the site’s content and the times they spent the most time immersing themselves. You can also connect to some streaming services and save your mixtape playlists to your account.
A new anniversary celebration video will also be released on the anniversary day documenting the highlights of the band’s career, from its formation to its single “History,” with music video clips, performances, and candid behind-the-scenes videos. The streaming platforms will also house reformatted EPs, with b-sides, weird songs, remixes, live recordings, and acoustic tracks.
The launch also promises “exciting activations in music streaming services, including creating and updating One Direction playlists.” During its short career, 1D sold over 200 million records worldwide and has served over 21 billion streams across all streaming platforms. All members of the group have followed successful solo careers.
Payne sent the Directionists into a frenzy earlier this month when he posted a TikTok in which FaceTimed had a contact named “H”. Behold, Styles himself answered the call (with what looked like a prerecorded video of himself), but unfortunately nothing came out of that flash of hope.
Since the hiatus, fans have been wondering when a meeting could come, and Stylison’s interaction came just a few months after Horan, Styles, and Tomlinson followed Zayn Malik on Twitter in April. In addition, Payne hinted not in one but in two interviews that the boys have been in contact “much more at the moment.”
