Why We Never Forget Our First Fandom: A Love Letter to One Direction 

From sports teams to book series, television and film to music – there is a fandom for almost everything.

Fandoms provide a sense of belonging in a community, regardless of what it may be. They aren’t just about liking something, but rather being a part of something bigger than ourselves, as it becomes an integrated part of our identity. That pretty much sums up the beauty of what being a part of a fandom encapsulates.

From a young age, I’ve always had an interest in many pop culture mediums. From the High School Musical trilogy to the Twilight book series, to being a devoted fan of artists like Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus, and to binge-watching the Degrassi series. I’ve found ways to connect deeply to these mediums and show appreciation for them, like bonding with other fans, merchandise, and finding a connection to the music or relating to a character.

When I was 12, Justin Bieber was on the rise, making his mark in the music industry as a teen heartthrob. Like many of my peers at the time, I quickly became a fan and developed “Bieber fever.” My classmates, though, thought the obsession with Justin Bieber was weird, and I was made fun-of for liking him. Of course, at that age, I took it personally, especially because those were my formative years, and I just wanted to seem “cool” to everyone and fit in with the others. So what did I do? I strayed away from openly having Bieber fever and just kept the obsession to myself for a while. 

Unfortunately, this didn’t work out too well for my peers. About two years later, as I would’ve just started freshman year in high school, I would then become obsessed with not only one, but an entire group of teen heartthrobs: One Direction. Not to worry, this time I wouldn’t dare let anyone make me feel bad about it!

I remember watching the What Makes You Beautiful and One Thing music videos, just thinking to myself how I thought they were so perfect. I went from being a Liam girl to a Zayn girl to then being (and remaining) a Harry girl, but my love for each of them was equal. Ironically enough, I was shocked to see that, although two years prior I was made fun of for being a Justin Bieber fan, two years later, everyone would then be fans of One Direction. What changed?

With the rise of social media at the time, I eventually made a Twitter fan account dedicated to One Direction. It allowed me to escape reality and fully immerse myself in the 1D world. It also allowed me to fangirl freely with other fans across the globe, and even if we didn’t speak the same language, the one thing we all understood was our mutual love for One Direction — and that was just beautiful to me. 

I would always gush to my close friends about One Direction. I would put them onto their music, as I wanted to spread the word about them so they would become fans of theirs and that we could bond more. Honestly? I was pretty successful at it. I was so successful at it that we eventually shared excitement over new album drops and seeing merchandise in stores like Toys R Us (if you know, you know), going to the movie theatre to see the This is Us documentary the first day it came out, fangirling over new Instagram photos or new Vine clips the boys would post. Again, if you know, you know.

The summer of 2013 marked the peak of my time in the One Direction fandom. I was lucky enough to be able to have the opportunity to attend my first (and only) One Direction concert for their Take Me Home tour, and was certainly not going to miss out on that. The tour also featured 5 Seconds of Summer as openers, which, looking back, was pretty iconic, given the immense success they had and the nostalgia that ensued from the two bands touring together.

Despite it being an outdoor concert whilst it rained, I just remember how happy I was to be there. I finally got to see my favourite band, singing along to songs surrounded by people who also loved the same band. It was truly a dream come true for me. 

During my time in the One Direction fandom, it completely changed my life for the better. Not only was it one of the first fandoms I was ever a part of, but it was one of the first times I felt seen in the fangirl space. One Direction was more than just a band to me, but a safe space, and being in this fandom allowed me to learn how to unapologetically love something. And of course, being in the fandom gave me lots of great memories.

One perk of being part of a fandom in the 2010’s was the ability to feel connected to the people you were fans of through social media. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram allowed the connection from artist-to-fan to feel more real with interactions like tweeting, sharing updates from their own personal verified accounts, and follow sprees.

Fast forward to 2024, when it was announced that Liam Payne from One Direction had passed away. I will never forget that day and the exact moment I found out about the shocking news. I was out with my mom when I got a text from a friend asking if Payne really passed away. In shock, I quickly stopped what I was doing to Google his name, and much to my dismay, the news confirmed this tragedy as headlines from every media outlet circulated all over the internet. I immediately started bawling. 

I thought to myself how I never in a million years would’ve expected to hear news like this regarding someone who was so young, who I once not only admired and looked up to, but someone who had impacted my teenage years tremendously. People I hadn’t spoken to or seen in years reached out to me regarding the news and checked in on me, because they knew how much this band meant to me.

Despite the sombre atmosphere, I felt a deep sense of comfort standing alongside other fans who experienced the same loss.

Standing in Washington Square Park, surrounded by candles, flowers and One Direction songs, made me realise how the One Direction fandom was bigger than all of us, and how fandoms can be truly powerful. Many of us were strangers, yet we all shared the same memories and experiences from being in this fandom. It didn’t matter where we came from or how old we were; all that mattered was the connection through the music and through Liam Payne himself.

Some may say being upset over someone we don’t know personally would be strictly considered parasocial behaviour, but as I surfed and scrolled the internet during the time of the incident, I was reminded of the opposite. Several content creators took to social media to remind fans that it is okay to grieve someone they didn’t know personally.

“Even if they never knew your name, they changed your world, and that’s something to be remembered for.”

– Joey Kidney

Whilst writing and reflecting on my time in the One Direction fandom, I realise my first fandom was more than simply being a fan and showing admiration for the band. In fact, my time as part of the fandom shaped me into the person I am today. It helped me become more in tune with music and sparked a deeper interest in pop culture. Aside from that, it taught me the sense of belonging in a community, valuing the connections that came from it. It taught me how shared passions can bring people from many different languages and backgrounds together. 

Fandoms are also proven to guide us into figuring out what we want to do in life. Many fangirls who grew up in fandoms are now working in various careers such as journalism, content creation, and marketing. The fangirl to music industry pipeline is so real and pivotal, as the music industry would be nothing without the fans, as they are a force. 

I’ll never forget the incredible memories the One Direction fandom gave me. Looking back, I feel the same excitement and joy I felt listening to their music when I was 15-years-old. Those moments still bring me the same warmth and happiness today, and will hopefully continue to do so for a lifetime.