One Direction Fandom Overview
(l-r: Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles)
In the summer of 2010, five boys from across the U.K. tried out as solo artists for the 7th series of The X Factor. All five advanced to Boot Camp, but were eliminated prior to the Judges' Houses and live performance segments of the show. They were still drying their tears backstage when producers called them back out; the judges had reconsidered and they now had a choice: go home as solo artists, or join together and advance in the group category. They retreated to a bungalow in the English countryside for some quality bonding time & came back in the fall to compete as One Direction. They didn’t win The X Factor (they finished third in the series finale), but by mid-season they were already inspiring the kind of mania that's been a hallmark of only the most beloved boybands in history.
In the two years since they released their first chart-topping album, Up All Night, One Direction's list of accomplishments has become too long to detail…but let me sum up. They've sold over 12 million records worldwide; debuted at #1 in 30-plus countries; won a host of awards, including two BRITS, four MTV Music Awards, two AMA's, and three Billboard Music Awards; broken several Guinness world records; performed for the Queen of England, and at the 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremonies; sold out the largest venue in the world, Madison Square Garden, in under 10 minutes; and headlined two sold-out world tours. They've just released their third album, an eclectic mix of pop ballads, indie sounds, and 80's-inspired power rock throwbacks co-written by the boys. Midnight Memories is on track to become the fastest selling album of the year, and has made them the first band in history to debut at #1 on US Billboard charts with their first three albums.
What is the secret to their success? (protip: it's certainly not their dance moves.)
Born on February 1, 1994 and raised in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, Harry is the youngest member of One Direction. His parents divorced when Harry was a child, and he's very close to his mother, Anne, and older sister, Gemma. Anne reports that Harry would often pour her baths, and his domestic propensity extended to part time work at a local bakery, where he got his bum pinched on a regular basis by a bevy of little old ladies. Prior to The X-Factor, Harry fronted a high school band called White Eskimo, which won a local Battle of the Bands competition.
Harry is a tabloid favorite, both because of his romantic entanglements (he has been linked to model Cara Delevinge, singer Taylor Swift, model Kendall Jenner, and innumerable other women who have been spotted within five feet of him), and his habit of stumbling into random house parties (where he's most likely to be found in the kitchen, doing your washing up) and onto party buses in whatever city he happens to be in. Don't be surprised if Harry Styles jumps in the back of your cab and treats you to late night McDonalds, is all I'm saying.
Harry is described as incredibly charming by those who meet him, and he's amassed a large and diverse assortment of friends and acquaintances, including reclusive billionaires, packs of dirty hipsters, and the odd philosopher. Harry's other quirks include a love of scented candles and prison-quality tattoos, nudist tendencies, unerring politeness, a growing collection of sometimes inexplicable hair accessories, his four nipples, a much ballyhooed avoidance of gendered pronouns when asked about "his perfect girl", and flop storytelling skills.
Liam was born August 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, to parents Karen and Geoff; he has two older sisters, Nicola and Ruth. Liam was bullied in school and took up boxing in self-defense, and had dreams of running for England in the Olympics. At the time One Direction was formed, Liam was studying music technology at Wolverhampton College, but stated in an X-Factor Diaries segment that he would likely have worked building airplanes in a factory with his father.
Liam enjoyed performing from a very young age, and auditioned for The X-Factor in 2008, at the age of 14; he made it to the Judges' Houses portion of the show, where Simon Cowell decided he was not quite ready and sent him home with instructions to return in two years. Liam's father spent the intervening years ferrying him around to perform anywhere they could find an audience, and Liam returned ready to compete. He had perhaps the best chance at getting through as a soloist, and a clear idea of what it would take for One Direction to make it as a boyband. Imagine his surprise, then, when the other boys he'd gotten stuck with had no interest in dance routines.
He can't find the Pacific Ocean on a world map, and is afraid of spoons, but Liam's work ethic and sensible streak earned him the early nickname "Daddy Direction". He's long since adapted to life in a puppy pile, however, and the seemingly miraculous healing last year of a kidney that had been dysfunctional from birth removed the last obstacle to his complete corruption.
Born December 24, 1991 in Doncaster, Louis is the eldest member of One Direction. Louis has four younger sisters by his mother Jay and his stepfather Mark - Charlotte, Félicité, and twins Phoebe and Daisy. He is fiercely protective of his family, and worried about his mother being alone when she divorced Mark in 2011, after he had moved to London for One Direction. As a teenager, Louis had some small television roles, and played Danny Zucko in his high school musical production of Grease; however, he failed his first year A-level exams, and had dropped out of school by the time he auditioned for The X-Factor.
Louis originally wanted to audition for The X-Factor in the Groups category, and was thrilled with the judges' decision to put them together. He is the de facto leader of One Direction, and each of the other boys seems to idolize him at bit. Louis has a bit of a Peter Pan complex - has said himself that he never wants to grow up - and set a tone of mischief and mayhem early on. To put it mildly, Louis is trouble.
An avid footballer, Louis worked during high school at Keepmoat Stadium, home of the Championship league Doncaster Rovers. He had a chance to play against the Rovers in a charity match last year, after purchasing Doncaster's Three Horseshoes pub team to save them from bankruptcy. Louis scored a penalty point during the match, in which the Rovers were unexpectedly defeated. This year, the Doncaster Rovers signed Louis to the team on a non-contract basis, and as Louis says, how great is that?
Born September 13, 1993 in Mullingar, Ireland, to Bobby and Maura, Niall has one older brother named Greg. His parents divorced when he was young, and Niall eventually settled with his father in Mullingar full-time, and attended a boys Christian Brothers school. Niall plays the guitar and, prior to The X-Factor, he played some small shows around Ireland. Niall very nearly missed getting through his The X-Factor auditions, but charmed swing-voter Katy Perry, who'd voiced some reservations. When asked if he was going to be "the Irish Beiber", he replied, "I reckon so."
By all accounts, Niall is the carefree-est motherfucker you will ever meet. He lives only for "the craic" and is a master at impersonations and mimicking accents. Niall has a bit of a bottomless stomach, and especially enjoys Nando's, where he is the holder of a Black Card that allows him to eat for free. His laid-back attitude and love of food (and pints) have resulted in a bit of a one-dimensional fanon characterization at times.
Niall gets scared in large crowds, which is a bit of a problem for a band that draws hordes of screaming girls in city after city, and the other boys are all quite protective of him; while Harry is the youngest member, in some ways Niall is the baby.
Our Zayngel was born January 12, 1993 in Bradford, to Patricia and Yaser. He has an older sister, Doniya, and two younger sisters, Waliyha and Safaa. Yaser is Pakistani-born, and the family are practicing Muslims, a fact which has made Zayn a target of both conservative Muslims and Western anti-Islamists - even his own "fans" make a shocking number of terrorist jokes, and as a result Zayn keeps a low profile on social media.
As a solo contestant, Zayn struggled with the dance requirements, and at one point hid backstage until Simon Cowell convinced him not to blow his chances and return. His reserved nature earned Zayn a reputation for broodiness, and he was dubbed the "Bradford Badboy" as a result. He's said that in the early days he tried too hard to appear cool, but as he's grown older he's learned to just be himself. The boys say he has an incredibly silly sense of humor. He's a comics geek, watched loads of cartoons as a child, and enjoys art as a hobby: has a room in his home dedicated to graffiti, and can frequently be found doodling his bandmates.
Though Zayn's the most likely to sulk after an argument, he's also extremely affectionate with each of his bandmates. He says he'll laugh at any man who laughs at him for being "in that boyband." ("Yeah, and I had a sick time, mate.")
It's a cold hard medical fact that Zayn's bone structure is flawless.
Simon Cowell
Loveable asshole and multimedia mogul. Simon mentored One Direction in the band category during their The X Factor series, and claims responsibility for putting them into a group after their elimination as individuals (a fact disputed by other judges - a source of ongoing confusion and frustration for the boys). After One Direction were eliminated Simon called them into his office and made them sweat a bit before signing them on his Syco label. He claims to let them make all their own decisions as a band, and credits this with their success.
Matt Cardle & Aiden Grimshaw
Contestants in the Boys category during One Direction's The X Factor series. Matt & Aiden roomed together and had a bit of a bromance of their own. The boys spent quite a bit of time with Aiden during the series and were reportedly gutted when he was eliminated. Matt Cardle ultimately won that year's The X Factor. During the final celebratory moments of the show, then 16-year old Harry Styles was seen to mouth "just think of all the pussy you're going to get". He later explained that he was referring to the large number of cats Matt would be able to buy his mum for Christmas.
Josh Devine
Drummer for One Direction's backing band. The boys are quite chummy with all their crew and endearingly dismissive of artists who think themselves better than the help - but perhaps because Josh is closest in age, he is often featured in fic, especially with Niall. This may also have something to do with Niall once tweeting Josh about seeing him drive past Niall's house in the middle of the night LOLOL.
Paul Higgins
Tour manager and all-purpose boy wrangler. One Direction are an especially charming group of wild animals, and Paul lives an unenviable life, tbh. There are innumerable clips of Paul physically chasing and restraining one or more of the boys, and their slippery escapes. If you enjoy a bit of manhandling, Paul is your guy.
Ben Winston
The tall, dark and handsome man who keeps Harry Styles in his attic. You think I'm joking, but no. Harry Styles, one of the richest men in England, sleeps in a downy-white nest of dreams in this man's attic. On a more professional note, Ben produced the One Direction documentary, This Is Us, as well as several of their music videos.
Lou Teasdale & Baby Lux
Lou's role on tour is "hair, make-up, and skinny thief", according to Harry, but let's be real: it's Lou's jeggings that get stolen more often that not. Lou's a bit of a (super hot) older sister to the boys, and they frequently play babysitter to adorable effect when Lux is on tour. Harry and Lou are especially close, and according to her sister, Harry tells Lou absolutely everything.
Nick Grimshaw
BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ, television presenter, and friend to London's hipster elite. Nick is out, and had a rather embarrassing and age-inappropriate crush on Harry during his The X-Factor series. They became friends in late 2011 after meeting at an awards show, when they discovered they were both in Manchester and met up for some shopping (Harry was mistaken for Frankie Cocozza; Nick was mistaken for Harry's father).
Stanley Lucas
Stan is Louis' childhood BFF and general manager of Doncaster's Three Horseshoes pub football team, which Louis bought last year after hearing they were facing bankruptcy. Stanley was considered a bit of a fandom treasure at one time, but has more recently expressed some anti-Muslim opinions on Twitter that have not gone down too well. He still pops up in fic pretty frequently.
Ant & Danny Riach
The Riach brothers are Zayn's BFF's from Bradford, and his first set of surrogate brothers (there is a four-year age gap between the brothers, with Zayn as middle child). Danny moved to London with Zayn when he got his own place, and Ant followed a year later; Zayn's been quoted to say it was cool to come home from a crazy day and be reminded of where he came from.
Niall Breslin
Lead singer and songwriter for pop band The Blizzards, former Westmeath Gaelic footballer, and member of the "London Irish Crew". Breslin, a.k.a. Bressie, comes from Niall's hometown of Mullingar, Ireland, and reportedly visited Niall's parents to offer to keep an eye on him when he moved to London Town. This seems to involve a lot of drinking of pints and having the craic!
Caroline Flack
British television presenter, and co-host of The Xtra Factor, a post-show contestant interview segment. Caroline briefly dated Harry Styles the year after his The X-Factor series, and received a lot of criticism, not to mention death threats, from the general public due to their 15-year age gap (Harry was 17 at the time). They have each been very protective of the other, and have had nothing but lovely things to say about the other.
Eleanor Calder
Louis' girlfriend since November 2011. Eleanor is at university studying politics, and is unfortunately the regular target of occasionally psychotic Twitter trolls who are convinced that she is the paid beard to an unwilling Louis.
Perrie Edwards
Zayn and Perrie have dated since sometime in early 2012. They became engaged over the summer and plan to marry in 2015. Perrie is part of the British girl group Little Mix, which was formed on The X Factor in the same manner as One Direction the following year. Perrie is kickass, and according to her bandmates, has Zayn wrapped around her little finger. Zayn's giant Perrie tattoo supports this theory.
Danielle Peazer
Liam's on-again-currently-off-again girlfriend from late 2010 to Spring 2013. Danielle is a professional dancer who met Liam on the set of The X Factor. Rumors around their first breakup suggested that Danielle's Twitter abuse played a role. (Full disclosure: Liam has recently acquired a new girlfriend, but where private figures are involved, I have chosen to list long-term relationships only.)
There are 26 possible intra-band shipping combos alone, and no shortage of inappropriate touching. So, in the interest of finishing this overview during my lifetime, a partial list:
Holder of the best/worst namesmush of all time, Larry Stylinson, this epic romance is at least partially responsible for One Direction's social media blow-up. Harry and Louis had an immediate connection on the set of The X-Factor, and their heavy petting and frequent eye-fucking was thoroughly documented in Video Diaries and other behind-the-scenes segments. When asked who his first real-life crush was, Harry named Louis, and said it was "mutual, we've discussed it." Whatever the fate of One Direction, they vowed to move in together after the show and ended up sharing a lavish flat in a compound that initially housed all the boys. There, they flirted with each other over Twitter while enjoying breakfasts in bed, lovingly prepared by Harry. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW SMITTEN THEY WERE.
Sadly, feral fans, convinced that management are keeping the boys apart, have harassed Louis' girlfriend and family members to such an extent that they've become more circumspect in their public interactions in recent times (of course, this just serves to feed the conspiracy theories).
Zayn joined the others at the bungalow a few days late and while Harry and Louis whispered secrets in each others ears, and Niall was rolling with the flow, he and Liam bonded over an early struggle to find their places in the band. As group dynamics have equalized, though, these two have remained exceptionally close (just try to find an inch of space between them on any given sofa). While one can only speculate on the effects of so much homoerotic behavior in prolonged closed environments, Liam and Zayn have at least admitted to a bit of snogging. According to Zayn, they were messing about and ended up kissing "as a joke".
Both natural leaders, Louis and Liam have admitted to butting heads in the early days, but say that once they were honest with each other they became fast friends. Liam "had never had a friend like Louis", and he clearly didn't know what to make of Louis' penchant for lovebites and casual nipple-tweaking. Louis worked on Liam relentlessly, though, and these days he can always be counted on to act every bit as unruly as Louis requires. They enjoy Saturday afternoon bike rides, surfing dates, and a variety of other bromantic activities.
Prettiest!OTP? Very likely. Harry's inner kitten comes out under Zayn's caresses, but these two get overtly sexual on stage and off. When a fan threw a candy thong on-stage earlier this year Zayn ate from Harry's crotch, and simulated blow jobs and object insertion are a none-too-rare element of their stage interactions. With so many long-term girlfriends and a completely mad touring and promo schedule, rumors about fan hook-ups are blessedly rare, but there is evidence to suggest these two know exactly what the other sounds like en coitus.
Babies!OTP tbh. Harry spent time at Niall's home during The X-Factor era; they straightened Harry's hair, painted their nails, and did an impromptu Twitcam in which they appeared shirtless, sweaty and extremely disheveled. The video is sadly lost to history, but as they were both zygotes at the time, that's probably for the best. Niall still looks to Harry whenever an Irish accent is called for, and when the boys' teasing gets to be too much for Harry, Niall is always there with a gentle hug. On tour, they can often be found bro'ing out on a local golf course.
Self-dubbed "partners in crime", Louis and Zayn can be counted on for elaborate pranks, and making their security team's lives much harder in general. They recently bought a conversion van together and tricked it out with exterior megaphones, water cannons, every gaming system ever invented, a monster sound system, and authentic Mystery Machine paint job. They prefer sleeping on the tour bus together to posh hotel rooms, and have matching Bus #1 tattoos.
According to AO3 stats, Niall/Zayn is the third most frequently written pairing behind Harry/Louis and Liam/Zayn, and they're obviously very cuddly, but I'll admit I had to read some primers to find anything to say about them. Shippers sometimes refer to them as the sun and the moon, an allusion to Niall's energy and Zayn's reflective nature. These opposites say they love chilling out together, and their mutual admiration society meets regularly on Twitter and in interviews, with random declarations of love, and a desire to make each other smile.
When Harry is in London, he and Nick Grimshaw are frequently joined at the hip (and if you want to believe industry rumors, other places as well). They're known for their weeklong dates: a carousel of shopping excursions, fashion shows, brunching with friends, clothes sharing, and stumbling drunk out of clubs. When Nick had an evening timeslot, Harry was said to hang out in the studio off-camera nearly every night, and Nick is frequently teased about Harry by his show's producers and callers. Harry's spent Christmas with Nick's family, and Nick's thrown Harry's birthday bash the past two years. Given their 9-year age difference and the fact that Nick is out, numerous tabloid articles have been devoted to their "unlikely friendship".
One Direction Music: official site for news, photo galleries, tour dates, etc.
Youtube: the One Direction channel.
VEVO: the official channel for music videos and behind the scenes clips.
Facebook: official news, tour announcements and presale passwords.
Twitter: 1D | Harry | Liam | Louis | Niall | Zayn
Instagram: 1D | Harry | Liam | Louis | Niall | Zayn
Official Media: To date, One Direction have released three albums, a tour DVD, two self-authored biographies, and a Morgan Spurlock directed documentary (images click through):
3point5seats: all purpose community with weekly news round-ups (now discontinued), timelines, and the incredible x factor media post of doom, among other things.
one_direction: posting has slowed down considerably, but this news comm dates back to the boys time on The X Factor and was very active throughout 2011 and early 2012 if you like to backread.
one_d_fanwork: what it says on the label.
1D on AO3
Tumblr: where much of the fandom happens, for better and worse.
Direct News: Tumblr news comm with all the latest happenings.
Sugarscape: a British celeb gossip site. Their news lags behind Tumblr but they fangirl loldorably hard and are worth a read.