So You Want to Be a Directioner: A Tumblr Starter Guide
Called 1D for short, One Direction is the British boy band that’s taken America by storm. Discovered on the X Factor and manufactured by Simon Cowell, the four boys from small towns in Britain (and one from Ireland) have sold out two U.S. tours, topped 100 million views on YouTube, and debuted their first album, Up All Night, at number one on the Billboard chart. Not even the Beatles can claim that kind of instant acclaim. Here’s a primer on the fandom who call themselves “Directioners” — and what it takes to be one. (Plus, check out our feature: Inside the Gleefully Obsessed World of One Direction Fandom.)
One Direction: The Tumblr Interview
One band. Five boys. A recently completed US tour (plus a new one upcoming), and nearly half a million Tumblr blogs devoted to their every move. We ask the boys of British pop act One Direction — Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne — about realness, fandom, and what it’s like to be the object of so much feminine attention. For more on 1D, see our special fandom report, along with our gifset, video, and guide to becoming a Directioner.
What’s it like having swarms of girls chasing you around the globe?
LIAM: It’s very flattering obviously as we can see how much they care for us. We just hope they’re crying tears of joy! None of us could obviously ever have imagined this just two years ago. I don’t think anyone could have seen this coming to be honest. I don’t think there is anything hard about having such a dedicated fan base. It is actually great to know that there are people out there that love what we do since we put so much hard work into it. The pressure to not disappoint them is obviously there!
