Another one bites the dust!
Teen girls everywhere (and college girls, let’s be honest) were shocked when it was announced that Zayn Malik was leaving One Direction. He cited that he wanted to be a normal 22 year-old but um yeah right… you can’t exactly go from being in one of the biggest boy bands in the world to being a normal guy. Even though this came as a shock to many people, he is not the only one who left a band during the height of their fame. Take a look at our list of the most notable people who have left similar bands!
Spice Girls
Geri Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice, left the girl group in 1998 after the band had been together for four years. The remaining foursome continued recording and touring until 2000 when they decided to take an indefinite hiatus. When they reunited in 2007, Ginger Spice was back.
Backstreet Boys
Kevin Richardson left the boy band in 2006 after they had been together for 13 years. The remaining foursome continued touring and recording and released two more albums. Richardson eventually returned in 2012 and they released their final album (so far!) In A World Like This.
Destiny’s Child
LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett left the girl group in 2000 after ten years together. The group then lost one of its replacements, Farrah Franklin, five months after she joined, leaving the group a trio. The current group consists of original members Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. When the group broke up in 2006 due to Beyoncé going solo, she commented, “it’s the last album but not the last show,” which has proven true with their reunion performances.
*NSYNC
From 1995-2002 the boy band consisted of Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake. Although Justin Timberlake never left the group, it has often been speculated his solo career is what ultimately led to their breakup. Bass even admitted in his memoir that a meeting was set up to discuss the band’s future where Timberlake announced his decision to leave the band.
One Direction
And last, but surely not least, we sadly must add One Direction to this list. Luckily we don’t have to mourn the loss of One Direction all together but the loss of Zayn Malik was felt all throughout the fandom. Malik cited his desire to live a normal life and relax and spend some private time out of the spotlight. While he does that, we can continue to enjoy One Direction as a foursome comprised of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson. They have released a statement promising at least one more album and one more tour (yay!).
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