From now on February 1, 2016 would mean more to Harry Styles fans than the pop star’s 22nd birthday (which he celebrated in a very Taylor Swift fashion). It was announced yesterday Styles has split with One Direction’s management company, Modest Management, and signed with Creative Artist Agency’s Jeffrey Azoff.
“We wish Harry the very best. It has been a real pleasure working with him,” Modest executives Richard Griffiths and Harry Magee confirmed to Billboard. “Harry is a total gentleman, and we know our good friend Jeffrey Azoff will look after him. We look forward to sharing some great wine with them next time we are in LA.”
While Styles and his new rep are yet to issue a statement regarding a solo album, it looks like he is following his ex-bandmate Zayn Malik’s path. He wants his individual project to have a complete dissociation with the name One Direction, and that includes any professional connection, according to British tabloid The Sun.
The unconfirmed album will most likely feature the four tracks already appearing on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) website with Styles listed as the only performer: “Already Home”, “Coco”, “Endlessly” and “5378 Miles”.
Can all this point to the end of One Direction even though we know they’re supposed to be taking a “break”? Not likely. A source told Billboard “nothing has changed regarding the hiatus plans for the group, and all will be revealed in due time from the band members’ own mouths.”