Ever since December 2015, One Direction has been on an indefinite hiatus. The said hiatus has included babies, dating rumors and the occasional fight with paparazzi in an airport. Oh, and solo music too — lots of it. Some of the members have become full-blown solo artists and others could still use some work. Here is a ranking of the members of One Direction solo careers.
5. Louis Tomlinson
Tomlinson has been keeping busy since the hiatus but not because of his solo work. Tomlinson started off the hiatus with becoming a dad in January 2016 to son Freddie. He was also the member to be caught up in said airport paparazzi fight in March of this year. Outside of those personal adventures, Tomlinson has been crafting his own solo career.
Tomlinson kicked off his solo career with an X Factor UK performance of his single “Just Hold On” in December 2016 that featured electronic DJ Steve Aoki in honor of Tomlinson’s late mother who had passed away days before the performance. His next single, “Back to You,” didn’t hit the airwaves until summer, but it quickly became popular thanks to some backup from Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals. Tomlinson has announced plans for a solo album, but no date has been set.
So far, Tomlinson has only released singles with backup from other artists and has yet to release some true solo work. Until then, Tomlinson will have to sit at the bottom of this list.
4. Liam Payne
Payne was the final member to go solo out of the group and started his career with the club-inspired hit “Strip That Down” featuring rapper Quavo. It was made clear that Payne felt exhilarated from the leaving the group behind with the line, “I used to be in 1D/Now I’m out free.” The music video dropped on June 1. Payne also collaborated with popular DJ Zedd on the song “Get Low” and the music video was posted on VEVO in September. He has announced plans for his next single, “Bedroom Floor,” to be dropped on Oct. 20.
Between working on his career, Payne has been working on a family with British singer Cheryl Cole. The two, who share a 10-year age gap, welcomed their son, Bear, in March of this year.
Even with those milestones, Liam has yet to really hit some success with his songs. “Strip That Down” peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and “Get Low” is currently peaked at No. 91. His songs are catchy and playful, but he can’t keep up with the artistry his former collaborators are bringing.
3. Zayn Malik
In the game of One Direction solo careers, Malik was the one who cheated. He got a head start on the rest of the boys after he left the band in March 2015. Malik released his debut album, Mind of Mine, which included his lead single, “PILLOWTALK.” The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but the hits didn’t stop there. Malik collaborated with Taylor Swift on a song for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack called “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart. Malik has recently dropped a new collaboration with singer Sia called “Dusk Till Dawn.”
Away from making hits in the studio, Malik has kept a somewhat quiet personal life. He broke off his relationship with long time fiancée Perrie Edwards and began a relationship with model Gigi Hadid. Malik also gave multiple interviews that revealed his true feelings about being in One Direction. (Spoiler Alert: He hated it!) He also has tried to pull a Beyoncé and go by a first name only basis, but that has yet to catch on.
Malik also opened up about his struggle with stage fright and anxiety, which has been the cause of why he has yet to tour or promote his work. Sadly, it puts him at a disadvantage in the ranking because he has yet to reach accomplish the full package of a solo star.
2. Niall Horan
Horan has become one of the unexpected winners of the 1D solo battle. He released his debut single “This Town,” which is a slow, sweet, guitar-infused song, in September 2016. He followed it up with the quicker tempo, “Slow Hands,” which was recently announced as the No. 2 song on the Billboard Radio Songs chart.
Although his album is not to be released until Oct. 20, Horan has already embarked on his Flicker Sessions tour, which gives fans a preview of the upcoming album. The Irish singer is also keeping busy next summer with a world tour. His opening act is country singer Maren Morris and the U.S. leg kicks off in Woodlands, Texas, on July 18, 2018.
Horan’s private life has been calm on this extended vacation from the band. He has simply been playing golf and promoting his Modest! Golf management group. Of course, he couldn’t keep away from girlfriend rumors. The main one has been Selena Gomez, but Lily Collins has recently come into the picture.
Though Horan has managed to reach his full career potential, there is just one person who seems to be doing it a bit better.
1. Harry Styles
The rise of solo Harry Styles has been a long time coming and fans could not be more pleased. His debut single, “Sign of the Times,” was a hit and allowed for fans to get a hint of rocker Styles. Styles would release his self-titled album in May, and it became a best-selling record. He is currently on the first part of his tour, which began Sept. 19 in San Francisco. He plans to continue his tour in North America next June.
Styles has been present in other media platforms as well. In celebration of his album, James Corden invited Styles for a week long residency on the Late Late Show where he participated in skits and live performances. Styles also ventured into film with the Christopher Nolan film, Dunkirk where his performance was praised. After being labeled the ladies man of One Direction, Styles has had a hard time getting away from various girlfriend rumors. The latest lucky lady to be rumored as his girlfriend is model Camille Rowe.
When it comes to solo careers, Styles has done everything right. He will definitely be the guide for future ex-boybanders.
