Xposure / AKM-GSIGrab your box of tissues Directioners...it looks like your favorite band from across the pond may have just gotten a bit smaller.
One Directions's Liam Payne just announced that he's signed his own solo deal with Capitol Records in the United Kingdom. He took to Twitter to share the news on Thursdsay.
"Happy to have signed to @CapitolUK," he wrote. "They have an amazing history of artists, I hope I can follow in their footsteps."
Of course, the news resulted in a mix of reactions on social media. While many fans congratulated the singer, others simply couldn't look past their hopes that One Direction will be back someday.
For example, one fan questioned, "What about one direction .. I believed you guys when you said you were coming back but lately idk what to think."
Another fan wrote, "WHAT THE HELL WHAT WHAT ABOUT THE BAND LIAM."
Happy to have signed to @CapitolUK. They have an amazing history of artists, I hope I can follow in their footsteps pic.twitter.com/tVlDsXVVW3
— Liam (@Real_Liam_Payne) July 21, 2016
Liam did his best to calm their emotions by tweeting again. He wrote, "One direction will always be my home and family but I'm very excited to see what this chapter brings."
It is important to note that he never said he's leaving 1D, which could mean he'll do both at some point in the future—if the band ever gets back together. (We've seen this happen with singers like Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, Beyoncé and Destiny's Child, etc.)
Still, the announcement doesn't make a 1D reconciliation look very likely, especially considering Harry Styles recent news. Just last month, E! News confirmed the singer signed a solo recording contract with Columbia Records, the same label behind the band. Terms of the deal and any news of a new album are still uknown.
As you're likely aware, Styles was the second 1D singer to go solo, following Zayn Malik, who quit the band in 2015.