So if you’re not living under a rock, you probably heard that boy pop band One Direction had a concert in Jakarta yesterday. The scene at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, where they played, was pretty much how you would expect it – insane crowds of screaming teen girls, some of whom fainted, and complete traffic gridlock around the whole area.
But there was a dark cloud hanging over the boy idols as they sang and pranced to their brand of inoffensive bubble-gum pop last night. One of the their members, Zayn Malik, officially announced that he was leaving the band right before his mates performed.
In a statement released yesterday, Zayn said:
“My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band.
I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22 year old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world.”
So fans already knew Zayn wasn’t going to play in Jakarta, but the news of his official exit was certainly shocking to people who actually care about One Direction.
One of those people is One Direction’s Harry Styles, who wept tears of infinite sadness on stage during the concert over the loss of Zayn, as shown in the above video.
However, the band has announced that, even though Zayn will be missed, somehow they will find the strength to keep touring and making “music” (and bazillions of dollars). So yeah, we’re all going to have to put up with them a while longer.
