One Direction Achieve New Streaming Milestone Despite Hiatus: What Is Going On?

Does Anne Hathaway and Nicolas Galitzine's upcoming film, "The Idea of You," have anything to do with the resurrection of One Direction music on streaming platforms?

According to Pop Tingz, a news account on X (formerly called Twitter), the British-Irish boyband has surpassed 20 billion total streams on Spotify despite their hiatus.

One Direction released several chart-topping songs in the 2010s, including their debut single "What Makes You Beautiful," as well as "One Thing," "Night Changes," and more.

The band was formed in 2010 through the "X Factor," but six years later, in 2016, they announced their hiatus.

The members include Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and former member Zayn Malik, who left in 2015.

One Direction Renaissance Thanks to Fanfic?

The last album One Direction released was "Made in the A.M.," in 2016, before the members went on their separate ways and launched their respective solo careers.

The renewed interest in the band might have something to do with the upcoming film, "The Idea of You," based on a novel by Robinne Lee of the same name.

Many speculated that the novel was fan fiction inspired by Styles and that the fictional band August Moon was inspired by One Direction.

"I think people who are aware of Harry and/or want to picture Harry will. And that's completely fair, as the most successful British boy band of the last ten years is One Direction," said the author in a 2017 interview.

"But so much of who I wanted Hayes to be - his persona, his lineage, his upbringing, his education, his experiences, his cadence, his speech, his sense of self - is very specific, and not at all like Harry."

Niall Horan Sparks One Direction's Streams?

Others think the uptick in streams might be related to Horan's ongoing "The Show: Live on Tour" run.

The "Slow Hands" hitmaker has included several One Direction songs in his setlist, like "Night Changes," "Stockholm Syndrome," and others.

According to People Magazine, the singer has often played other One Direction songs in the past, including "Fool's Gold" and "Drag Me Down."

The band's fans also hypothesize it might also have something to do with KPOP boy group, ENHYPEN covering "What Makes You Beautiful," as it might have opened the band to newer audiences.

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One Direction, Niall Horan