Band members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson have all taken to social media to share memories of their time in the band.
Image: © Vasili Papathanasopoulos, Any Other Day Photography
Happy 1D Day! Today marks 10 years since One Direction formed on The X-Factor UK stage.
Whilst no official reunion plans have been announced, the band are celebrating the milestone with the release new content. A new website has launched today alongside an exclusive celebration video. The video documents the bands career, from the release of their debut single What Makes You Beautiful up to their final release History, and all the music, laughs and shows in between.
The website is an interactive timeline that documents One Directions career from their X-Factor auditions to their final live performance, returning to the stage where it all started. Fans who sign into the website via their Spotify or Apple Music account will have a personalised One Direction playlist created for them. The playlist is based on what fans react to and click on while visiting the website. Fans can also download an exclusive fan pack to show how they're celebrating the bands anniversary.
The new website gained so much traffic, the site crashed with a sign appearing “UH OH... YOU GUYS BROKE THE INTERNET (AGAIN) … #DIRECTIONERSBREAKTHEINTERNET”
Band members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson have all taken to social media to share memories of their time in the band.
Liam Payne was the first member to commemorate the 10 year anniversary, sharing an image of the band alongside a text message sent to his father upon learning he had been put into the boy band. “What a journey… I had no idea what we were in for when I sent this text to my Dad ten years ago at this exact time the band was formed. Thanks to everyone that’s supported us over the years and thanks to the boys for sharing this with me”
In a series of tweets, Louis Tomlinson said, “Feeling pretty emotional today. 10 years!! Spent the morning watching old interviews and performances. Just wanted to send a massive thank you to ALL of my band mates. What we did together was incredible Too many incredible memories to mention but not a day goes by that I don't think about how amazing it was … So proud of you all individually. And to the fans. The people who gave us all these amazing opportunities. You are incredible, your unmatched level of loyality is something that makes me really really proud. Miss it every day!”. He later shared the first photo ever captured of the boy band to his Instagram.
Niall Horan posted a photo of the band while on tour, captioning the post “when I met these four gents there was no way I thought we would go on to do what we did. So many unbelievable memories we shared together. We felt the adoration of millions from around the planet on a daily basis and it was mind blowing. It’s such a major part of our lives and always will be. Cheers to US today boys and thank you to all you beautiful people who have supported us over the last 10 years.” He took to Twitter to add “It’s the 150 person crew of carpenters, lighting, riggers, sound, stage manager Mill that flew the globe with us. it’s our band, our security boys, tour managers, our managers, our label, Sarah cooking our food for us on the road. Today is a day to celebrate those guys also.”
In a post shared across his social media platforms, Harry Styles said of the anniversary, “I’ve been struggling to put into words how grateful I am for everything that’s happened over the last ten years. I’ve seen things and places that I’d only ever dreamt of when I was growing up. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with some of the most incredible people, and gained friendships that I know I will treasure for the rest of my life. None of this would be possible without the support you’ve given along the way. And for that, I will be forever thankful. I just can’t believe it’s been ten years. Thank you to our crew, our team, and everyone else who helped us along the way. To all the fans, I love you, and I thank you with all my heart. You did it all, and you changed everything. And finally.. to the boys, I love you so much, and I couldn’t be prouder of everything we achieved together. Here’s to ten. H”
The celebrations will continue with new remastered 4K versions of some of 1D's biggest hits set to be released throughout the week. As well as the remastered music videos, the band will share a live recording of their 2014 tour, Where We Are Tour, recorded live from San Siro Stadium.
A new enhanced Spotify playlist that features videos of the band is available to stream now, titled ‘This is One Direction’. Check out the 10 Year Anniversary video below!