Mar 13 2018
One Direction, Europe
One Direction is a British-Irish boy band that was formed in 2010 on the British X-Factor. The group is based out of London, United Kingdom and has 5 members. Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik come together to create the diverse group of men who took both European and American rock and roll influences to help define a new era of pop/rock and roll music in Europe and America.
I first heard One Direction’s music in 2011 when I was in the 8th grade. So many of my friends were obsessed with them. I never understood the starstruck feeling my friends got by just listening to their music or looking at their pictures. These reactions were similar to the reactions that my friends in earlier years had the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber. From that point in time, I do not think I have experienced a similarly obsessed, almost cult-like, fandom.
The ethnic/national/religious diversity within the group illustrates diversity within the United Kingdom during the 21st century. While Harry, Louis, Liam and Zayn are all from England, Niall Horan is from The Republic of Ireland. Zayn Malik is of Pakistani and Irish descent, which can be tied to British colonization of the Middle East during the heyday of the British Empire.
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