One Direction shocked fans last summer when they announced that they would be disbanding and going on a hiatus in March 2016, even though they promised that it wasn't a real break up. "It is definitely not a split and they fully intend to get back together at some time in the future," a source said at the time, as HNGN previously reported. Now that the band members have finished up touring and already started on some music of their own, it looks like the split may be more permanent than they originally intended.
A source close to the British boy band has revealed that their extended hiatus is, in fact, a permanent split, as they have not renewed their recording contract, according to Us Weekly. Once Zayn Malik left the band in March 2015 to pursue a solo career, things between Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne just haven't been the same.
"The 1D thing just ran its course," the source explained. "They'll remain friends, but they are exhausted and want solo careers."
While none of the One Direction members have commented on this breakup news just yet, another source close to the band is denying that any of this is true.
"Nothing has changed regarding hiatus plans for the group," the source told Billboard. "And all will be revealed in due time from the band members' own mouths."
In December, four new songs were registered under Styles' name with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, which led fans to believe that he's already gotten a head start on his own solo career. But, just a month prior to that, Horan and Styles did set the record straight on all the breakup rumors.
"I think it's important for us to take the break and have it as a break. Obviously it would be naïve of us to think that people aren't going to read into that in a ton of different ways, but we're just gonna take a little break next year," Styles told Entertainment Tonight, while Horan added, "We're not breaking up. We're literally taking time out to see our friends and see our family and reflect on what we've done over the last few years."
