One Direction are celebrating their fifth anniversary today. Despite the recent loss of singer Zayn Malik, they are still dominating the pop world. Here are the top TEN reasons the world still loves them.
10. They love their mammies
One major thing we took away from their feature film One Direction: This Is US – their love of their mammies. The scenes that showed their mums travelling to New York to see them perform, and hearing how they miss their little boys was emotional and how could we forget the moment Zayn's mum walks into the house he has bought her for the first time – truly heart-warming.
9. Their style game has improved a LOT
Their style has evolved over the years and we have to say it has improved a lot.
1D during their X Factor journey in 2010
At the premiere of their movie One Direction: This Is Us in 2013
Performing live in 2014
Down a member but still looking stylish in 2015
8. They're beautiful
From their adorable X Factor beginnings to their current heartthrob status, there's no denying that the lads are easy on the eye.
7. They've remained grounded
They were thrust into the limelight so young and five years on, still appear to be the same lads they were pre-fame. Niall often returns to Mullingar on the down-low, sneaking past the fans that often stake out his family home, to spend time with his friends – who apparently have a strict social media ban when he's in town to give them all a bit of much needed privacy to spend time together.
6. They don't take themselves too seriously
From their music videos to their off stage antics, they're just a group of lads having a good time and this video is just one example of that.
5. They've handled the pressures of fame
For the past five years they have been under intense media scrutiny and have, by and large, come out unscathed.
4. They're individually great singers
While many artists these days owe a lot auto tune, One Direction proved in their X Factor auditions in 2010 that they could all sing really well by themselves. They may not have made it through to judges' houses solo but when Simon Cowell put them together in a group, that's when the magic began to happen and the phenomenon of 1D was born.
Check out their X Factor auditions here and marvel at just how adorable they all were!
3. They have the best fans in the world and they appreciate them
Simon Cowell credits the Directioners for making One Direction who they are, and so do the lads. Their fans are some of the most loyal in the world and Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn have never shied away from expressing their intense gratitude. It's like Beatlemania with social media and with over 24 million followers on the band's official Twitter, and each remaining member listed in the top 50 most followed people (Zayn dropped out of the top 50 after departing the band – he now only has 15 million followers) they are without a doubt the biggest boyband in the world.
To you who support us, in any way, thank you. We wouldn't be here without you. You did this and we thank you for having us. All the love
— Harry Styles. (@Harry_Styles) July 22, 2015
5 years ago today since my audition! Still an impossible thing to comprehend! Everyone who's ever supported us we can never thank you enough
— Louis Tomlinson (@Louis_Tomlinson) July 10, 2015
thank you so much for winning those awards for us, we love you so much, we had such a great time at the awards and a sickkk night after !
— Niall Horan (@NiallOfficial) May 18, 2015
Happy new yearrrrrr everyone thank you so much once again the best year of my life so far what will next year bring x
— Liam (@Real_Liam_Payne) January 1, 2015
2. They give back
We love when people give back and the lads are known to support numerous causes including the Alzheimer's Association, Greenpeace, The Global Poverty Project and Comic Relief.
1D released a single for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day in 2013 which raised a whopping £2million/€2.85m. The band also travelled to Uganda to raise awareness for the cause with Richard Curtis, co-founded or Comic Relief saying of their contribution, "The success is almost extra-ordinary. They raised well over a million pounds and the right thing is that they saw when they were out in Africa just how many individual lives they will make a huge difference to."
1. Their songs are just so catchy (and their videos are always fun)
From their debut What Makes You Beautiful to the more recent Steal My Girl, the boys know how to get you singing along and whether you're a fan or not, their brand of pop isn't the worst thing you could have stuck in your head as you go about your business.
Here are some of our favourite tunes that you'll be humming all the way to their sixth anniversary:
Best Song Ever
