One Direction has dropped their first single since member Zayn Malik exited the band in March and—whuddya know?—it turns out that the group is nothing—NOTHING—without Zayn.
The new single is titled “Drag Me Down,” leading many to believe that the song is a diss track about Zayn, but those people are wrong. It’s actually just another ‘late ‘70s/early ‘80s-inspired love song that sounds kind of like The Police, but less interesting:
All my life you stood by me when no one else was ever behind me
All these lights that can’t blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down
All my life you stood by me when no one else was ever behind me
All these lights that can’t blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down
What is interesting, however, is how the release of “Drag Me Down” falls just after Zayn’s announcement that he’s signing with RCA.
I’d like to say that One Direction’s management is attempting to overshadow Zayn by releasing a single two days after the biggest announcement of his career (because few things would please me more than reigniting a boy band feud), but what it actually comes down to is this: Simon Cowell still owns and controls all of them.
If “Drag Me Down” is being released as a subtle diss track, it’s only because feuds sell product. That being said, TAKE MY MONEY, SIMON. I’M TEAM ZAAAAAYN.
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Image via Getty.