The band officially announced their hiatus back in 2015 when Zayn Mark left in March of that year. But Harry has now revealed that One Direction were even talking about parting ways an entire year before that.
I didn’t want to exhaust our fan base. “f you’re shortsighted, you can think, ‘Let’s just keep touring,’ but we all thought too much of the group than to let that happen. You realise you’re exhausted and you don’t want to drain people’s belief in you," said Harry about the hiatus in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Speaking about his own new solo career, Style s had this to say: I wanted to step up. There were songs I wanted to write and record, and not just have it be ‘Here’s a demo I wrote.’ Every decision I’ve made since I was 16 was made in a democracy. I felt like it was time to make a decision about the future …  and maybe I shouldn’t rely on others.”
One Direction singer Harry Styles gave fans a first taste of his debut single when it was aired exclusively on BBC Radio 1 earlier this month.
Harry says the piano-driven ballad 'Sign of the Times' is "the song I'm most proud of writing".
Chatting on the BBC Radio1 Breakfast Show, Harry admitted that he was feeling "nervous but good" about airing his debut single for the first time. He added that it was a song that "my mum liked, which was handy".
Speaking ahead of his eagerly awaited debut album, Harry said: "It’s a bit weird, I feel like I’ve been hibernating in the studio for so long… it’s time to give birth."
The CEO of Columbia Records Rob Stringer said they're "very excited" about Styles' debut album. "Harry has stepped up with the vision of someone who’s authentic," he said recently.
'Sign of the Times' was produced by Jeff Bhasker and co-written by Styles, with additional production by Alex Salibian and Tyler Johnson.
The music video for 'Sign of the Times' will be revealed later this month. It was filmed in Scotland around Isle of Skye and is directed by notable French director/musician Yoann Lemoine.
On 15 April, Harry made his live US solo TV debut of his new music on NBC’s 'Saturday Night Live', which for the first time in its 42 seasons, was broadcast live simultaneously across the U.S. in all time zones coast to coast.
A week later, on 21 April, Styles will make his solo live debut across the pond on 'The Graham Norton Show'.
Harry Styles debut single 'Sign of the Times' is now available digitally and on streaming services worldwide. You can also listen to the new song 'Sing of the Times' in full here: