Millions of fans worldwide gushed over the possibility of a potential 1D reunion after Zayn expressed interest, nearly a decade after leaving the band.
Since the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, rumors and speculation about a potential reunion have been ever-present.
One example of this is when Harry Styles posted a mirror shot on his Instagram account, wearing a shirt adorned with the faces of his former bandmates.
'HE DELETED IT' is trending on Twitter due to Harry Styles posting a picture wearing a One Direction shirt, and then deleting it shortly after. pic.twitter.com/VbKhn5mzAs
— Alex (@AlexDuthieCG) March 6, 2023
Although this post was shortly deleted, fans remain hopeful for a possible comeback, especially after Liam Payne hinted at a reunion as well just a month following the incident with Harry.
“Liam is desperate to get back on the road with the boys. His solo career hasn’t remained as successful as he hoped it would, and work has become stagnant for him.
“In contrast, he can see how well Harry (Styles) is doing and he’d love that level of stardom for himself.” the source said.
Despite these subtle hints from the members, the idea of seeing all five of them on stage together again seemed far-fetched to many. This skepticism was compounded by the members’ own acknowledgments of their unsuccessful attempts to reconnect with Zayn, who remained distant.
In a 2020 interview with The Sun, Horan revealed that Malik was challenging to stay in contact with and that he chose not to communicate with his former bandmates following the split.
However, all of these concerns went away as fans were buzzing with excitement over again following an insider’s revelation to the Daily Mail that Zayn is now open to reconciling with the band almost 10 years after going solo.
“He doesn’t know if it will ever happen, or when, but he would love to start a conversation with the other guys from One Direction and try to make amends with all of them,” according to the source.
‘He is trying to figure out the best way to reach out because it will be odd, weird, and uncomfortable, but it is something that has been on his mind.”
The insider claimed that Zayn’s desire to reconnect with his former bandmates came from a need for forgiveness rather than a direct intention to perform together as a group.
Whether that leads them to work together again musically is one thing, but Zayn’s reasoning is to become friends with his mates that he shared so much with.
“Zayn wants to approach them for forgiveness and friendship. Working with them is not important to him right now. He has matured and wants to show the rest of the guys this. To be friends again would be amazing.”
The same level of interest was evident with Zayn’s appearance on The Zach Sang Show on May 9, when he said:
“We resented each other to a certain degree because we were solo artists that were put in a band, and we should have never felt that way.
“It should have never been a competition. It should have always been a camaraderie, and we should have always been there for each other and had each other’s backs.
“The one thing I always feel bad about when I look back over my life is not enjoying the band enough. I feel like I just took things too seriously.”
Zayn openly admitted that he left the band due to ‘stress’ and a longing for a ‘normal life’ when he was just 17.
But now, his willingness to reconnect with Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson, brings the dreams of fans worldwide closer to reality than ever before.
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