Let’s let math explain why One Direction really needs a hiatus

One Direction recently announced that after March 2016, Harry, Niall, Liam, and Louis will be taking a yearlong hiatus. Though this news is pretty heartbreaking, especially in the wake of Zayn Malik breaking off to pursue a solo career five months ago, it’s important to take note of all the incredible things the lads have accomplished since they won third on The X Factor. As someone who took Algebra I twice, I usually don’t condone using math in every day life, but in this case, the numbers of One Direction’s career perfectly explain why the boys needs a break so badly. Grab your calculators! Here are the stats:

5 Albums, 5 Tours, 5 Years
Since 2010, One Direction has released one record per year, and their fifth, still untitled album is due to debut this fall. The Verge noted that 1D will be the first boy band ever to create that much music in such a consistent amount of time. To put the impressiveness in perspective, NSYNC and the Spice Girls did three albums in five years, while the Backstreet Boys did four in six. Plus, One Direction wasn’t leisurely cranking out songs written by other people; the band wrote at least three songs on each of their albums — dang! That sounds like a lot of work.

329 Live Shows
Once the band finishes their current On the Road Again tour this October, they will have played live 329 times in under four years. That. Is. Nuts. International tours are gruelling: the boys travel constantly, in and out of different time zones, performing full sets to gigantic sold out arenas. We only got a taste of how difficult these tours can be in the documentary One Direction: This Is Us. Between all of these concerts and recording new albums, I’d be surprised if any of the 1D members have even fit a satisfying nap in the last few years.

4,480,145,787 Views
One Direction’s VEVO channel, which houses their 15 music videos, some live performances, and behind the scenes footage, has well over 4 billion views. Billion. With a B. Compared to other musicians, 15 music videos isn’t out of the ordinary, but the videos have certainly gotten more cinematic over the years, which means significantly more time and effort. Their most recent video, “Drag Me Down,” features the lads training as astronauts — their work ethic is clearly out of this world.

114.2 Million Twitter Followers Between Harry, Niall, Louis, Liam, and the official One Direction Twitter account, these guys have over 100 million fans tweeting at them daily. While some fans remain amazingly supportive and loyal, being able to see a constant stream of public opinion about you and your work must create an enormous amount of pressure.

16 Years Old
That’s the age Harry, Liam, and Niall were when they first joined One Direction. Louis was only 18 years old. After their success on X Factor, these boys’ lives changed virtually overnight. While other teenagers were learning to drive and going to the beach with friends, the members of One Direction were sleeping on tour buses and staying up late to record new music. Their hard work is a testament to how appreciate they are of their fans, but it’s vital to remember that they’re humans — humans who haven’t had a summer vacation in YEARS.

We wish One Direction the best as they finally take some time off. Look at the math – they’ve definitely earned it.

(Image via here.)