2016 might come to be known as the year of the hiatus, and I am all for it.
It seems like just about everyone’s decided to take a break from their day jobs this year, including some of the biggest names in the music industry.
One Direction, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, and Ellie Goulding have all announced plans to take time off from making music this year in favor of some well-deserved rest, and I can’t say I blame them.
Don’t get me wrong—I love them all. In fact, I’ve frequently been introduced to many of my friends as “the girl who loves One Direction.” It’s a badge I wear proudly. So, I was pretty heartbroken when they announced plans to take a break from being a band last August.
It got worse when Taylor and Ed both announced their own plans to take some time off, too, not long after.
It’s hard knowing they’ll all be off my radar for a little while, not knowing when I can expect a new album or another tour, or even just a picture of their faces. Ed hasn’t posted on Instagram since December. There are new One Direction breakup rumors just about every other day. Morale is pretty low, honestly.
Here’s the thing: we have a tendency to regard their jobs as pretty easy. Looking at it as an outsider, their lives do seem pretty sweet. They get to make some great music—and a lot of money along with that—and gain a ton of, for the most part, loyal and dedicated fans. Look, as someone in the middle of my own job search, that all sounds pretty great to me.
But the reality is that a career in the entertainment industry probably isn’t nearly as easy as it looks to the rest of us.
Look at it this way: they’re expected to churn out best-selling albums and worldwide tours. They have strict schedules they have to follow. They don’t get to see their friends and family nearly as much as they’d like. To top it all off, they have to balance all that while trying to maintain a decent image in the public eye—especially one that always seems to be looking for an excuse to make us hate them.
Sounds pretty demanding, doesn’t it?
I’m a pretty firm advocate for anyone taking a break when they need it. By the time summer break rolls around, my brain is fried and I’m desperate to catch up on my sleep and binge-watch some Netflix. And, by the end of the summer, I’m itching to get back in the classroom, feeling ready to tackle a new school year.
So, am I bummed that I don’t have a One Direction concert to look forward to this summer? Yes. Am I constantly refreshing my Instagram feed hoping to see a post from Ed? Definitely. Am I ready for Taylor Swift to drop a new album already? One hundred percent.
The bright side, though? I know that when they all finally do come back, they’ll be and sound better than ever. And that’ll make all this waiting around and wallowing in my own self-pity totally worth it.
In the meantime, I’ll be looking around for some new favorites to pass the time. Anyone else wishing, hoping, praying for Little Mix to announce a U.S. leg of their “Get Weird” tour?
