From Boy Band to Breakout Stars: A Data-Driven Look at One Direction's Solo Success

Following One Direction's split in 2016, each member - Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik - have pursued solo careers to differing degrees of success. Malik was the first to depart from the boy band in March 2015 and signed a solo contract with RCA Records, releasing his debut album, Mind of Mine, in the following year.

In June 2016, Styles followed suit by re-signing with Columbia Records and subsequently released his self-titled debut album in May 2017. Horan, on the other hand, signed a deal with Capitol Records in September 2016 and released his debut album, Flicker, in October 2017. Payne and Tomlinson had a slower start to their solo careers, releasing a series of one-off singles before dropping their full-length albums. Payne's LP1 was released in December 2019, while Tomlinson's Walls hit retailers in January 2020.

Even after going their separate ways, the majority of the former members of the boy band have managed to keep in touch over time. Payne even shared in June 2021 that he had caught up with Styles after the latter's first Grammy win for "Watermelon Sugar."

During an Instagram Live, Payne spoke warmly of the conversation, saying, "It was really lovely. He called me because he seems to have a sixth sense for when I'm struggling or if one of us is in trouble, I feel like."

"I had a really nice chat with him and I have a lot of admiration for him. He's truly great," shared the singer of "Live Forever". As for reuniting musically with the rest of One Direction, Payne expressed his openness to the idea in the future.

Rewritten fragment:

The musician expressed his desire for a band reunion and suggested getting together in person. He mentioned that all members have talked about the possibility of a comeback, but haven't discussed it among themselves. He added a lighthearted remark about the potential for new music.

Us Weekly presents a statistical analysis of the individual careers of the five band members.

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Breaking Down the One Direction Guys’ Solo Careers by the Numbers

Since One Direction’s 2016 split, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik have had varying levels of success in the music industry.

Each of the five original members has pursued a solo career, starting with Malik who was the first to depart from the boy band in March 2015. He signed a solo contract with RCA Records and released his debut album, Mind of Mine, in the following year. Styles followed suit in June 2016 by re-signing with Columbia Records and releasing his self-titled debut in May 2017. Horan also pursued a solo career by inking a deal with Capitol Records in September 2016, and subsequently releasing his first album, Flicker, in October 2017.

Payne and Tomlinson took a more gradual approach to launching their solo careers, opting to release a series of standalone singles instead of full-length albums right after One Direction disbanded. However, they eventually released their debut albums, with Payne's LP1 dropping in December 2019 and Tomlinson's Walls hitting retailers in January 2020. Despite going their separate ways, the members of One Direction have managed to stay in touch, with Payne even revealing in June 2021 that he and Styles recently caught up after the latter's Grammy win.

Payne shared during an Instagram Live that he had a heartwarming conversation with Harry. According to Payne, Harry has a sixth sense and can tell if any of them are struggling or in trouble. Their catch-up was filled with love and Payne expressed his admiration for Harry.

Payne has expressed his openness to a potential One Direction reunion for musical purposes. He shared his desire for all members to come together and discuss the possibility, stating that it would be the best outcome. While acknowledging that the idea has been previously mentioned by other bandmates, he noted that they have yet to directly communicate about it. In a lighthearted comment, Payne suggested that a reunion song idea may already be brewing.

Below, Us Weekly breaks down the five guys’ solo careers by the numbers:

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Harry Styles

EPs: 0

Albums: 3 (2017’s Harry Styles, 2019’s Fine Line, 2022's Harry's House)

Rewritten:

Harry Styles has released a number of successful singles over the years, including "Sign of the Times" and "Two Ghosts" in 2017, "Lights Up" and "Adore You" in 2019, "Falling," "Watermelon Sugar," and "Golden" in 2020, and "Treat People With Kindness" and "Fine Line" in 2021. His upcoming album in 2022 will include the tracks "As It Was," "Late Night Talking," and "Music for a Sushi Restaurant." Notably, "Watermelon Sugar" and "As It Was" both reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Harry Styles has embarked on two concert tours, namely the 2017/2018 Live on Tour and the upcoming 2021-2023 Love on Tour. He has also won three Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Solo Performance for "Watermelon Sugar" in 2021 and Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for Harry's House in 2023.

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Niall Horan

EPs: 4 (2017’s Spotify Singles, 2018’s Mirrors, 2020’s Spotify Singles, 2021’s Niall’s Mix)

He has released three albums so far - Flicker in 2017, Heartbreak Weather in 2020, and The Show set to release in 2023. In addition to his albums, he has also released a total of 13 singles. These include "This Town" in 2016, "Slow Hands" and "Too Much to Ask" in 2017, "On the Loose" and "Seeing Blind" featuring Maren Morris in 2018, "What a Time" with Julia Michaels, "Nice to Meet Ya," and "Put a Little Love on Me" in 2019, "No Judgement," "Black and White," and "Moral of the Story" with Ashe in 2020, and "Our Song" and "Everywhere" in 2021.

Billboard Hot 100 Peak: No. 11 (2017’s “Slow Hands”)

Concert Tours: 3 (2017’s Flicker Sessions; 2018’s Flicker World Tour, 2024's The Show Live)

Grammy Wins: 0

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Liam Payne

EPs: 2 (2018’s First Time, 2020's Midnight Hour)

Albums: 1 (2019’s LP1)

In his solo career, Liam Payne has released a total of 13 singles, including popular hits like "Strip That Down" featuring Quavo, "Get Low" featuring Zedd, "Bedroom Floor," "For You" featuring Rita Ora, and "Polaroid" featuring Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella. Other notable singles include "Stack It Up" featuring A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and "Midnight" with Alesso. Liam also released a Christmas song titled "All I Want (For Christmas)" and collaborated with Cheat Codes on "Live Forever." In 2020, he released "Naughty List" featuring Dixie D'Amelio and most recently in 2021, "Sunshine." Liam's highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 is "Strip That Down" featuring Quavo, which reached the No. 10 spot in 2017.

Concert Tours: 0

Grammy Wins: 0

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Louis Tomlinson

EPs: 0

He has released a total of two albums, which are Walls from 2020 and Faith in the Future which is set to be released in 2022. Additionally, he has released a total of 11 singles which includes popular tracks such as "Just Hold On" featuring Steve Aoki, "Back to You" featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals, "Miss You," "Two of Us," "Kill My Mind," "We Made It," "Don't Let It Break Your Heart," "Walls," and three upcoming singles from his 2022 album: "Bigger Than Me," "Out of My System," and "Silver Tongues."

Peak on the Billboard Hot 100: No. 40 with the hit single "Back to You" featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals in 2017. Louis Tomlinson has embarked on two concert tours, including the Louis Tomlinson World Tour in 2020 and the Faith in the Future World Tour in 2023.

Grammy Wins: 0

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Zayn Malik

EPs: 1 Mixtape (2021’s Yellow Tape)

Albums: 3 (2016’s Mind of Mine, 2018’s Icarus Falls, 2021’s Nobody Is Listening)

Rewritten: With a string of successful singles under his belt, Zayn has showcased his versatility as an artist, from the chart-topping hit "Pillowtalk" in 2016 to the more recent "Vibez" and "To Begin Again" in 2021. Other notable singles include collaborations with Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj, as well as features from PartyNextDoor and Sia. Zayn's ability to consistently produce hit songs has earned him a dedicated fan base and a well-deserved spot at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Concert Tours: 0

Grammy Wins: 0