It’s not a One Direction reunion, but 10 years after it was formed, the band is coming back together, pretty much, that is.
According to a press release, the currently defunct supergroup of boy bands is preparing a new website for the first anniversary filled with “immersive” deals, interactive playlists, and “digital platform activations.”
The site, which will launch on Thursday, will be formatted as a timeline of the group’s history, from their first audition to the beginning of their hiatus. It will also serve as a one-stop archive for One Direction music videos, TV performances, and behind-the-scenes content.
A playlist feature will allow fans to generate custom digital mixtapes, tailored to their favorite One Direction era, which can be saved to the user’s preferred streaming service.
In addition to the website, the band is also preparing to simultaneously release a celebratory video documenting their highlights together, from their formation on “The X Factor” to the release of their 2015 single “History”. Additionally, a Treasure of reformatted One Direction EPs, B-sides, live recordings, acoustic versions and “weird songs” will be available on all streaming platforms.
The British band has long been sparking this month’s anniversary celebrations. In April, devoted followers noticed that on Twitter, members Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan again followed Zayn Malik, who left the group’s world tour and left the band due to “stress” in March 2015. Shortly after reverting, Page Six revealed that the group was secretly working on a tenth anniversary plan. At the time, ideas were said to range from getting together for a television special to releasing a new single, although they never toured.
Payne caused a stir after prematurely confirming the meeting in an interview with The Sun.
Since their dissolution (supposedly not permanently), the members of the group have continued to be holders, and all have solo projects on different record labels. In particular, the 26-year-old Styles has cast off his boy band fame in a hoodie of non-genre glam rock icons with hits from “Sign of the Times” to “Watermelon Sugar.”
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