One Direction is not a fivesome anymore, it will continue as a foursome as Zayn Malik has not only quit the tour, but the band. The official statement reads: "After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction. Niall, Harry, Liam and Louis will continue as a four-piece and look forward to the forthcoming concerts of their world tour and recording their fifth album, due to be released later this year." Malik, who quit the bands latest tour and cited "stress" as the reasing for taking time off after he was caught getting TOO COZY with a fan 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."
Zayn leaving the band reminds us of Geri Halliwell, when she quit the Spice Girls, as the fivesome was ready to embark on the U.S. leg of the tour. Halliwell went onto record an album as a soloist and the girls continued as a four piece group. The Spice Girls recorded another album that flopped and the decline commenced. The boys of One Direction weighed in and said, "We're really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future. The past five years have been beyond amazing, we've gone through so much together, so we will always be friends. The four of us will now continue. We're looking forward to recording the new album and seeing all the fans on the next stage of the world tour." Meanwhile papa bear Simon Cowell said: "I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction. Since I first met Zayn in 2010, I have grown very, very fond - and immensely proud - of him. I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave. As for One Direction, fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the future of the band."
Could this be the beginning of the end for One Direction? They seem hopeful that they will continue, but the reality is that their image is now tarnished. The world knew them as a fivesome and now there's only four. Malik always seemed to be the distant one of the group and it's no surprise that he is the first one to leave the band. Boybands are not new to the scene and we've seen how many end up breaking up to either start their solo career or just to get away from the limelight. Here are three examples of Latino boy bands that went their seperate ways in the past:
1. Menudo: It's almost impossible to track this band to the beginnings since it had so many changes because the whole concept was a band that would remain young, so a member would be replaced when he reached his 16th birthday, his voice changed, he grew facial hair or grew too tall. This Latin boy band started in the late 70's, but it was in 1981 that the group launched into stardom with their album "Quiero Ser." The lineup at the time was: René Farrait, Johnny Lozada, Xavier Serbiá, Miguel Cancel and Ricky Meléndez, the only remaining original member.
The album included hit songs like "Quiero Ser," "Súbete A Mi Moto," "Rock En La TV," "Claridad" and "Mi Banda Toca Rock." The band became popular all throughout Latin America and they were the first boy band ever with its own private jet that had Menudo's name on both sides of the fuselage. Their American fan base started to grow as well, especially among the young, as evidenced by "Menudo on ABC", a series of four-minute music spots that aired during the Fall 1983 season of ABC's youth-oriented Saturday morning programming block. But it wasn't until 1984 when two of the most famous membersjoined the band. Robi Draco Rosa and Ricky Martin. During that time, Menudo made English commercials for Pepsi, Scope, McDonald's and Crest. They also did a guest appearance on the popular American children's program Sesame Street.
Through the years, more changes followed, including an image and sound makeover, transitioning from bubble gum pop to pop rock. By the late 90's the group changed their name to MDO, until 2007, when in a Reality MTV series, producers were looking for the new Menudo. The selected members stuck together until 2009, when they finally called it quits and the group dissolved.
2. Los Chicos: This boy band was created in the early 80's to rival Menudo's success. They started off as "Encuentro," but due to a political campaign slogan, the name was changed to Los Chicos. They enjoyed huge success during the early 1980s, particularly in Puerto Rico, South America and Central America. Many of their songs, including "Puerto Rico son Los Chicos," "Ave María" and "Mamma Mia" sung by Jorge Lopez also known nowadays as salsa sensationGiro, became radio favorites, and memorabilia items like posters were mass-produced. Los Chicos became national sponsors for Malta Corona and Mahones Savage. After a lineup switch wasn't well accepted by their fans, the band finally dissolved. While they never achieved Menudo's level of popularity, it gave them a run for their money in Puerto Rico and Latin American countries, especially Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panamá, and to this date, besides Giro, Chayanne, who was also one of the founding members, has also achieved massive levels of international popularity.
3. Magneto: This Mexican boy band emerged in 1983. Their first record "Dejalo que gire" came in 1984, followed by "Super 6 Magneto." They suffered several lineup changes until they finally got their much wanted success and received a gold record in 1986. Their dance-pop style made them climb the charts with "Todo esta muy bien" and "Soy un soñador," however, their breakthrough came after issuing a Spanish-language version of Desireless' "Voyage Voyage," a French pop hit from the 80's. The band was recipient of a Premio Lo Nuestro for Pop New Artist of the Year and two nominations for the same awards for Pop Album and Pop Group of the Year. Magneto disbanded in 1996 after a sold-out show at Mexico City's Auditorio Nacional.
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