One Direction Will Reportedly Split Next Year

Directioners, prepare yourselves: according to a report in The Sun, One Direction will split in 2016, six years after their formation as a band. The paper alleges that the four current members of 1D — Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan — will give their last concert together in October of this year, and that they will disband in March 2016. The move, The Sun reports, will allow the band's members to pursue solo projects, and isn't the result of any bad blood between the group. Bustle has reached out for comment from the band, but hasn't heard back at this time.

According to the paper, the men allegedly made the decision to split during a meeting in London last weekend. If true, the breakup would mean that there'd be no One Direction tour in support of the band's upcoming fifth album, which the paper says will be released before the end of this year. Still, don't cry just yet; none of the band members have commented on the rumor, and even if it is true, a source tells The Sun that “They fully intend to get back together at some time in the future."

So perhaps, if true, this would only be a short-term break, and One Direction will not be done for good (even saying those words hurts). Here's hoping that's the case, because despite all the drama the band has undergone over the last year or so, they're still a great group, and seeing them split, even just for a bit, would be heartbreaking.

According to The Sun, the next few months will see the band come together many times to promote the release of their album (and, presumably, show fans that they truly are on good terms). The terms are alleged to be negotiated by Simon Cowell and the group's label Syco, and a source tells The Sun that Zayn Malik's recent departure from the group has nothing to do with the band's reported split. Apparently, the source alleges, One Direction was always planning to take a break, regardless of if Malik was a member.

As for what's to come next for the boys if the news is true, who knows — there've been rumors of at least Harry Styles going solo for ages, now, even though the band has denied them. Perhaps 2016 will see all of the members pursuing solo careers, and then they'll eventually get back together as the band we know and love. A girl can dream, right?