Open Letter to One Direction

Dear One Direction,
5 years, 3 months, and 17 days ago the five of you were put in to a group. At the time you didn't have any clue how that moment would change your lives. You didn't know that that moment would change the lives of thousands of people, including my own. You walked in completely clueless, with no idea what you were doing. You walked out with more knowledge and life experience than most people will ever get. The 5 of you were more than happy to share it all with hundreds of people you've never met. You guys were and still are an inspiration, friends to many, family to others, and a constant comfort for thousands. One Direction kept going after losing the X-Factor. You became the biggest band on the planet. You kept going after losing family, friends, and eventually your freedom. You literally gave up everything to give your fans everything they ever needed or wanted.
I'm the fan that never saw you in person. I didn't spend hours trying to gain your attention. I listened to your music instead and realized that I already had your attention. I didn't pay attention to the amount of awards you won. I paid attention to all the good you did in the world. By finding meaning and inspiration in the band and in your individuality, I was able to find a little light during a dark time in my life. Ever since then One Direction has been a constant in my life. I was always able to escape with a song or a video. I gained the false impression that you would always be together, always be there. Now I'm saying thank you, good-bye, and letting go.
Thank you for being an escape. I know you still will be. This isn't really good-bye either. You promised to never really leave us. Your music will always be there no matter what. That will be there whether you're together or apart. The meaning in the music and behind the band will still exist. I will still have an escape. It will just be nothing new. Thank you for 5 years of new music, videos, concerts, interviews, and other random means of escape for me and many others. Thank you for giving me a huge family of people that feel similar to the way I do, that understand and relate. Thank you for giving up your lives to make me feel better about my own. Thank you for giving me hope. Most importantly, thank you for helping me find happiness again. Thank you for helping me become me. Thank you for being there when no one else was. This isn't good-bye. It's more like see you later. But I am letting go and moving on. Thank you!
You loved the time you were together. Now enjoy the time you have apart. Take the break that you all so well deserve. Just make sure that you don't forget about us because there is no way that we will ever be able to forget about you.
Love,
The Directioners

Soundtrack for the Brokenhearted

This isn't the best playlist of "break up" songs, but they're the songs that I have on repeat. A lot of them bring me to tears, but I always feel better afterwards. I know it's supposed to get better. I'm honestly starting to wonder if the pain really ever does go away...

1) Save Your Heart- Mayday Parade
2) No Good in Goodbye- The Script
3) Waiting for Superman- Daughtry
4) Fool's Gold- One Direction
5) Nothing- The Script
6) Half a Heart- One Direction
7) She Was the One- The Vamps
8) Everything I didn't Say- 5 Seconds of Summer
9) Heartbreak Holiday- MKTO
10) Drunk- Ed Sheeran
11) I Hate This Part- The Pussycat Dolls
12) Life After You- Daughtry
13) Drowning- Conor Maynard
14) Can't Let Go- Faydee
15) Distance- Jack and Jack
16) Bruised and Scarred- Mayday Parade
17) The Memory- Mayday Parade
18) Safe to Say- Playjerise
19) Stitches- Shawn Mendes
20) Hotel Ceiling- Rixton
21) Once in a Lifetime- One Direction
22) Party Girl- Dan and Shay

One Direction Going in Two Directions

The music world was shaken by the news that Zayn Malik was leaving One Direction. The word spread faster than the plague. Everybody knew minutes after they made the announcement that the world's biggest boy band was losing one of it's cherished members. I know that I'm a few weeks behind on posting this, but in all honesty, it was too difficult for me to write last week. It's still hard for me to write about it. I'm a huge Directioner. (Judge me if you want) Zayn leaving the band hit me harder than anything I'd ever experienced before. (Again judge me) I cried for over three days. The second I thought that I was over it, something would remind me of him and I would just lose all control again. This happened to a lot of people, so it's reassuring knowing that I didn't go through this alone. I had thousands of Directioners, family, by my side throughout this entire thing. On top of that, there was the amazing support of Harry, Niall, Louis, and Liam, as well as other celebrities and fandoms that showed their love and support.
Zayn told the whole world, including his four best friends that he has shared the stage with, his life with, that he was leaving because he couldn't handle the fame and the publicity. He was being called names. Rumors were always coming up about him cheating on his fiancee, which put a strain on their relationship. He also said that it was starting to affect his family and that is something that he never wanted to happen. He felt like the attention should never be on his family because they didn't do anything to deserve fans and paparazzi on their front lawn when he wasn't even there. People were also sending in hate to him and his family through the internet and the mail. There was no escape from his hectic life. He didn't like that. He wanted to be a normal 22 year old boy. He told the band this. They all did their best to get him to stay, but nothing proved to be enough. Zayn's decision stood. He was leaving the band. During their last concert as a whole group, Harry and Louis openly wept. Nobody understood why until the next day when they released the news of Zayn leaving. It all made sense. They said "One last group hug" and "We want to tell you all one last time that we all love you". Not to mention there were more tears on the stage that night that ever seen before. It seemed like they could barely keep themselves together.
This post isn't just about Zayn though. It's about One Direction and how they're holding together since his departure. Everything has changed for them. They had to figure out who gets Zayn's parts. There is no longer somebody that can hit those amazing high notes without even trying. They don't have any "mystery" in the band anymore. The chemistry on stage and in their music won't be the same. Their sound is going to be different. Yes, only one member left, but Zayn was an important piece to the band. Every single one of them plays an important role in the group. During the X-Factor, Louis almost didn't make it to the judge's house and they were so thrown off that they thought they had no chance of getting through. That's what it's going to be like all the time now for them. It's not only that though, but the memories they share won't be the same. Their laughter, jokes, and time spent together won't be the same as it was. It's going to take a while to get used to. After all, they'd spent almost every minute with Zayn over the past five years. They literally lost a family member, a brother. One Direction isn't One Direction anymore.
They're working extremely hard on new things for us, for their fans. They know it's going to be way different. They're trying ten times harder. This isn't easy for them. They had to cut Zayn's vocals out of their album on tracks they had already completed. They cut out any parts of the video diary they are working on that had Zayn in them. Can you imagine having to do that, cut your friend out of everything? It's like they're washing away his memory. We'll never get to see what memories they shared with him on there OTRA tour. They will be the only ones to ever know what happened before he left. They are the only ones that know what really made Zayn leave. We all know it wasn't because he wanted to be normal. If it was, then Zayn wouldn't have gotten with NaughtyBoy and started working on a single. This started a riff between NaughtyBoy and Louis. Nobody knows where Zayn stands between the two. This could mean the end of one of the best friendships ever. Zouis could be dead for all we know. This thought kills me.
Zayn is on his own. The band is working harder than they ever have before. The fandom is slowly healing from what some say is a betrayal from their idol. We've been doing good so far though. We've been strong. The band has been strong. As long as they keep working hard, I know that everything is going to be okay. It will be different, but it will be alright. Plus, Zayn is supposedly happy. So, I'm going to be happy too. Best of luck to the rest of One Direction and Zayn. I can't wait to hear new music from both artists.