This past Saturday, worldwide phenomenon One Direction played what may be their last ever show in America right here in Massachusetts. On Saturday, September 12, Gillette Stadium was packed with roughly 67 thousand dedicated fans. Emotions ran high throughout the stadium due to the sad fact that those who filled the seats will probably never be in them again.
On August 24, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson confirmed the dreaded rumors to be true via Twitter. This year has been tough so far for Directioners, beginning with Zayn Malik’s departure from the band on March 25. Millions of fans had their hearts broken again when they heard the news of the break. Yes, the boys have been working on their highly anticipated fifth album, but this album will not come with a tour. After the release of the fifth album, the band is on hiatus until further notice.
Although no one knew it at the time, quite an amazing thing occurred here. Gillette harbored what may just be the last notes, screams, and tears that make the experience of seeing One Direction so amazing. From “Midnight Memories” to “Best Song Ever,” the audience was captivated. Meghan Terry, Emerson freshman, has seen the band at Gillette before, but she claims that this time was special. As far as the idea of having seen their last U.S. show, Terry says, “It’s sad to think about it that way, but who knows? They might come back.”
The question remains, will the band really make a comeback? They could make the same move that ‘N SYNC did in 2002, when the band announced a hiatus and never returned to making music together. On the other hand, the Beatles stopped touring in 1966, but continued to make music until their breakup went public in 1970. For one 1D fan, Emerson freshman Janii Yazon, the night was bittersweet. Yazon has been a dedicated fan since she saw the boys on Tumblr in 2011, even before the U.S. release of “What Makes You Beautiful.” Despite basically growing up with them, she had never been able to make it to a concert until this final show. “I was really glad that Foxborough was the last American stop,” she said. “It was like we got the final goodbye.”