One day, you hear a band’s song. The next day, you find yourself listening to it again. And again. And again.
Then, you realize you are staying up way into the night to hear their new releases, see them on “Twit Cams,” or just read their every post on Twitter and Instagram. Until finally, you find yourself outside of their hotel room for up to 16 hours, waiting to catch a glimpse of them walking in or out.
Well, maybe not everyone finds themselves waiting outside of their favorite band’s hotel room, but sophomores Lona Contardi and Cassidy Coury did. Huge One Direction fans, Contardi and Coury travelled to Rochester Hills when they heard the band was in Michigan.
“From 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. I was out all day trying to find them,” said Contardi.
Although they had no luck, Coury states that she is currently saving money to buy Meet & Greet passes for next year, which can range anywhere from $800 to $5,000.
Contardi proudly admits that she owns five cardboard cutouts (one for each member of One Direction), all five dolls, multiple posters and t-shirts, masks, bracelets, and other knickknacks. Coury, who owns many of the same things, also owns their perfume and upwards of 100 posters.
In efforts to win soundcheck passes by 98.7 AMP radio, Contardi and Coury spent all day decorating Contardi’s room with anything One Direction. Although they did not win, they both went to the concert anyway.
“I paid over $400 for my ticket,” said Coury. “At one point, I was ten feet away from from them.”
Their admiration for One Direction goes beyond the boys’ good looks. They truly find joy in the music.
“They make me feel good about myself,” said Contardi. “They care about their fans, their career, their family, and everything in between.”
“Even though it’s just typical pop music, it’s really catchy,” adds Coury. “Their personalities are so fun and it’s entertaining to watch them interact with each other and their fans.”
Contardi and Coury proudly admit to being “fangirls,” a modern term used to describe obsessive female fans. However, they are not alone in this boy band craze. Sophomores Katie Dillon and Sarah Posa consider themselves fangirls, too.
“Some say I’m obsessed,” said Posa. “I say I am a dedicated fan.”
As with Contardi, Coury, Dillon, and Posa, fangirling is a time-consuming hobby. In other cases, however, the relationships between fans can truly change someone’s life.
Junior Chloe Churukian is a testament to this statement, having met her best friend through One Direction. After finding a twitter account dedicated to the band from a girl named Melina, Churukian began to communicate with her. Things soon evolved, until one day, nearly a year later, she drove to Toronto to finally meet Melina.
“There is no doubt she is my closest friend,” said Churukian. “If One Direction didn’t exist, I would’ve never known her and my life would be totally different now. I don’t know where I would be without her.”
There just so happened to be a concert during their visit, too. After buying tickets hours before the show, they ended up being in the front row.
“It was hands down the best night of my life,” said Churukian.
However, Churukian, like many other fans, does not view One Direction as a typical boy band.
“Those five guys have inspired so many people to follow their dreams,” said Churukian. “They just make millions of people smile every day, whether it’s from an interview or just a tweet.”
Similar to people’s passion for art or literature, many fans have an indescribable passion for One Direction.
“It’s super strange for some people to wrap their heads around,” said Churukian. “The fans talk about the boys like we’ve known them for years and we’re close personal friends. I guess it’s just a you-have-to-be-involved-to-get-it sort of thing.”