Why Hasn't Harry Commented On 1D's Hiatus?

As many Directioners know by now, their favorite foursome is taking a short break next year. One Direction is going on hiatus in 2016, as first confirmed by band member Niall Horan, who announced the break on his Twitter page. Other band members quickly chimed in online after Horan's announcement to assure nervous fans that they were not — I repeat NOT — splitting up for good, but instead taking some much needed time off. But not every member of the band has rushed to defend the band's staying power. Harry Styles has remained silent about the One Direction hiatus, a notable silence considering how chatty his fellow band mates have been about the break.

Louis Tomlinson tweeted to fans on Aug. 24, "Your support is truly indescribable! It's just a break :) we're not going anywhere !!" Liam Payne also quickly added some reassurance of his own: "Can't wait to put more time into everything we do and coming out with something great." Horan, the original messenger of the news, also reassured fans: "Don't worry though, we still have lots we want to achieve! Can't wait for you to hear all the new music we have for you and to perform."

Meanwhile, this is the last tweet Styles posted on his page:

Hmm. This type tweet is not unusual for Styles, who regularly thanks his fans in each city following concerts, but the timing is interesting. He, like the other band members, has always been quite active on social media and always seems to have tweets at the ready to update fans on any big news. And let's be honest, an announcement of a hiatus, no matter how short it ends up being, is pretty stinkin' big news. While the other guys are rushing to reassure fans that they are not breaking up and that there is more music to come, Styles has not followed suit. So what's the deal? He's tweeting about shows, so it is not like he is absent from social media entirely. One can only assume, then, that his staying mum is deliberate.

It is hard to say exactly what the 21-year-old is trying to get across with his lack of social media comment. Maybe he still needs to take time to himself to figure out exactly what the hiatus will mean for him personally as an artist. After all, even though they are all part of a group, they are bound to have different thoughts on what they want to take away from the break and what their individual plans will be. Or maybe he is taking time to process the news itself. Five years is a long time to devote to a group, so it is understandable if he needs to really let the idea of a hiatus digest before he says anything. He could also possibly feel like he has defended the band's power enough in the wake of former member Zayn Malik's exit earlier this year and doesn't need to say anything else. Or perhaps he simply wants to let his future work speak for itself.

At this point, there is only speculation until we actually hear from Styles himself, but hopefully he will take all the time he needs before giving a comment. For as hard as he's worked, he deserves that much.