Xposure / AKM-GSI
This is one small step for music lovers everywhere, and one giant leap for the One Direction fandom.
Twitter nearly imploded Saturday when Harry Styles reportedly unveiled what appears to be a release date for his debut solo single. The teaser aired across the pond in between segments of The Voice U.K., and alludes to April 7 as a big day for the British heartthrob.
In the 30-second spot, which quickly surfaced all over the internet, Styles is seen walking through a smoky room toward a door with bright lights shining through it. We then see a glimpse of the singer's signature green eyes and long brunette curls before "April 7th" flashes across the screen.
Oh, the mystery and intrigue of it all!
'Harry Styles to release solo music on April 7th' pic.twitter.com/StXUfkgnro
— Suki? (@abiwebb_xx) March 25, 2017
Harry also made a cryptic return to Instagram for the first time since last September, sharing nothing but three completely blank, white images.
E! News confirmed last summer that Styles, 23, signed a solo recording contract with Columbia Records, the same label behind his group. Last year, four of his solo songs were registered with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. And last March, he joined Full Stop Management, headed by former CAA executive Jeffrey Azoff.
He follows in the footsteps of his fellow bandmates, who have each broken off from 1D in their own way. Zayn Malik left the group officially in 2015, and has since released a debut solo album, while Niall Horan dropped a solo single last September and Louis Tomlinson partnered with DJ Steve Aoki on a track. Similarly, Liam Payne recently signed a solo record deal with Republic Records in the U.S.
APRIL 7TH. OKAY. The news of his single has me making inaudible raptor noises & crying a lot. A lot. I cannot wait. Literally.#HarryStyles pic.twitter.com/h09jOidXe8
— ??? (Tris) ? (@Amourevy) March 25, 2017
As for the future of One Direction, which has remained on hiatus after the release of their 2015 album Made in the A.M., it appears as if the guys aren't ready to get the band back together just yet.
In an interview with AnOtherMan magazine, Styles shared, "I would never say we'll never do anything again, but it's good for us to be exploring different things. Maybe at some point everyone will want to do something again, but it's better if it happens naturally."
He added, "Like, 'Hey, we all really want to do something again.' If that were to happen it would be amazing. I would never rule that out. It's the most important, greatest thing that's ever happened to me, being in that band."
Looks like the countdown until April 7 is officially on!