They’re like images in a snow globe, perfectly protected and safe from the (dare I say unprecedented?) reality of 2021.Īs someone who spends a lifetime daydreaming about the future, looking back to the past has become more and more appealing as the image of the future is now impossible to conjure. These memories are untarnished by global pandemics and daily uncertainty. The nostalgia which comes from each of their songs is electric, memories of dancing in the living room to “Story Of My Life”, screaming out “History” on road trips, and first watching the “Night Changes” music video. But as everything seemingly falls apart around us, listening to One Direction’s epic discography has surprisingly been the perfect escapism from the weight of the real world. I know what you’re thinking: they haven’t performed together since 2015 and I should really be moving on with my life, (preferably to their subsequent solo albums). Yet, when the UK fell into another lonely lockdown, I strangely found myself listening to the band on repeat. Despite this, I saw them twice with my sister, subconsciously knew the lyrics to every single song, and in the later days of the band, always admired Harry Styles’ style from afar. I found them to be cliche, saw myself as above their boy band-charm, and did an unnecessarily dramatic eye roll every time they came on the radio. I wasn’t really a One Direction fan when they were making music. My eyes ache from too much screen time, I’m in desperate need of a haircut, and One Direction’s “Happily” is playing loudly from my phone, somehow making everything a little more bearable. Picture This: It’s a cold, unremarkable day and the grey clouds are weeping onto my bedroom windows.

One direction discography