Anna Rinaggio, Campus Carrier managing editor

One Direction was the greatest boyband that ever lived, end of story. Before seventh grade, you wouldn’t have caught me dead consuming any One Direction-related media — admittedly my one and only character flaw — but I’m a changed woman now, and I know that the dreamy British-Irish boy band captured the hearts of so many for a reason. 

My middle and early high school years were spent obsessing over a band that used to be, hoping and praying each night that they would make a comeback before it was too late. But while their incredibly 2010-esque X Factor auditions and “The Adventurous Adventures of One Direction” will forever live rent free inside my head, I think it’s time we acknowledge an important truth: One Direction should not get back together. 

It’s hard to write, but we all know it’s true. By now, I think we are painfully aware that the possibility a reunion is a delusion as big as they come. What was supposed to be an 18-month hiatus has turned into nine years apart, so now, getting the band back together seems kind of ridiculous. I’m not quite sure most of us can handle even the mere thought of Harry, Niall, Louis, Liam and Zayn being in the same room together again, much less it actually happening. 

I mean, let’s be honest here, even if they did reunite, how good would their music be? They’ve all gone their own ways in terms of style, now, and while I think Niall and Louis could feasibly collaborate on a song, everyone else is a wild card. The band persona from 2015 just wouldn’t work now that they’ve had time to explore who they are on their own. 

I think part of what makes their old discography so good, too, is the nostalgia factor. What if they make new music and it isn’t anything like what we remember? I know I would be holding them to a standard similar to what I did in 2015 — if they don’t meet that, I’d be devastated. Honestly, I’d rather not know than be disappointed by my favorite band. 

How about we take a look at a similar case study: the Jonas Brothers. This 2000s boy band was the One Direction before One Direction, so when they announced that they were getting back together in 2019, the world exploded. Their first single, “Sucker” was a pop hit, and for a moment, it seemed like the boys were back on top of the world. Fast forward about four months to their album release, though, and all that chatter had gone null. I can’t say I’ve heard anyone talk about their music recently, and while radio stations have picked up on a song or two that they’ve released in the past three years, they’re basically irrelevant as far as                                           I’m concerned. 

So, let’s say One Direction does get back together. The world loses its mind for about a month, and then everyone but the most diehard fans lets them drop back into oblivion. I’d rather their legacy be that they went out strong rather than tried to grab back onto relevancy and fell off the edge just like everyone else. 

All that said, I don’t think a reunion tour would be a bad idea. Seeing the boys get together to play their old songs for one last tour? Sign me up. I just don’t think that getting them back together as a cohesive music-making band is a great idea. I won’t be mad if they do reunite and prove me wrong, but I think it’s better for all of us if they keep making music on their own.