Mourning among directors. Liam Payne, one of the members of the boy band One Direction from the 2010s revealed by “X Factor”, died Wednesday in Buenos Aires. With global success and millions of albums sold, the five young men left their mark on a generation. Readers who responded to our call for testimonials talk about their teenage memories of One Direction.
Several fans remember moments when they (because the vast majority of them are women between 24 and 30 years old today) saw their favorite group. “I have two memories that stand out to me,” says Gaëlle. When I went to see them in concert on July 4, 2014, it was magical. Then, when they announced they were releasing the music video Story Of My Life. I stayed up despite school the next day, just to see the clip. » “I saw Liam twice in concert,” adds Amandine. In 2014 at the Stade de France and in 2015 at the Roi Baudouin stadium. I loved the pizzazz and craziness of Liam, as well as the whole group. » “I had the chance to see Liam and the band twice in Paris and Brussels and meet incredible people who came from all over the world to see the guys,” recalls Jérémie. A part of our adolescence died with him. »
“A time when everything was easier”
For many, One Direction nostalgically takes them back to adolescence, “to a time when everything was easier and our view of the world was a little more innocent” as Henola puts it. “It was much more than a music group or five faces plastered all over our teenage bedrooms,” she adds. “I especially remember the moments shared with my sisters, about our little common passion, when we sang at the top of our lungs in the living room at our parents’ house or when we danced their choreography,” recalls Anémone. To this, we must add the image of a young, normal and accessible group. “They weren’t incredible singers, they didn’t know how to dance, but it gave a feeling of closeness, they were ‘like us’,” Nora believes.
The boy band’s music and fan community also provided an escape. “Often mocked and without many friends, One Direction was for me the light in the darkness at school,” confides Clémentine. I clung to their music and thanks to them, I got through those difficult years. » “One Direction were a real safe place for teenage girls of my generation,” adds Nora. When I was in trouble, their music was an escape that offered comfort and hope through its simplicity and accessibility. »
Mourning a comeback
If some people had left the group growing up, others had continued to follow the news of its members after their separation. “Even at 24, I have a strong love for One Direction, and I still actively follow Harry Styles,” explains Emma. I find Liam’s death very sad, even if we must not forget that his personal news was not all rosy (…). But today I think of 14 year old Emma who was a fan of this group and who is devastated to learn that such a young man died in tragic conditions” Liam Payne did not in fact have a solo career the most successful, between accusations of violence from one of his exes and addiction problems. But he still had his fans within the community. “We all had our favorite and mine was Liam,” says Anémone. I have a hard time understanding that he died, even though I haven’t been following him much for some time. »
This death also buries the last desperate or unspoken hopes of a One Direction reunion tour. “I was an extremely fan, since their “hiatus” I hoped to see them together again one day,” explains Lauric. It is sad to think that the moment they are reunited will surely be the funeral of one of them. » After several hours of silence, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan said they were “devastated” by the death of their former partner.
