There's a Clear Winner in the Unspoken Faceoff Between Harry Styles & Zayn
Did we ever doubt it?
It's been more than 7 years since the break up of one of the most popular and iconic music groups, and whilst all five members of One Direction have certainly gone in very different directions, two have been head-to-head in a silent battle for success.
Zayn Malik may have been the one to break up the group to pursue his solo career, but in the end, he stood no chance against Harry Styles who gained more fame and success than anyone could have thought possible when he first stepped onto the X-Factor stage in 2010.
Redditor DisastorousMango4 said it best: '[It's] not even a contest at this point. Harry is one of the biggest pop stars in the world.'
As of today Harry Styles is easily one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood and is considered a music icon as well as a fashion icon.
His solo music career has seen him release 3 Studio albums with his latest 'Harry's House' winning Best Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammy's as well as 2023 British Artist of the Year, British Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Pop/R&B Act. Moreover, his song 'As It Was' broke records by staying at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart for 15 weeks, a feat topped by only three other songs in history.
Harry has also entered the film industry starring in Dunkirk, Marvel's Eternals, and Don't Worry Darling and as of 2023 has a net worth of $120 million.
Since leaving One Direction, Harry spread his wings and he didn't just fly, he soared, so where does this leave Zayn Malik?
According to fans on Reddit, Zayn is and will always be in his former group mate's shadow, and that's not just because his net worth is $75 million.
Zayn started more 'solo' than anyone could have imagined, not only leaving 1D but also breaking off his two-year engagement to Little Mix's Perrie Edwards soon after.
He returned in 2016 with his debut album 'Mind of Mine' and the lead song Pillowtalk reached 1 billion views on YouTube on 23 September 2020 and made Malik the first British artist to debut at number one in the US with a debut single. The rest of his career has seen him release another album that was not as successful as his first, and a cover of A Whole New World, for the movie Alladin.
Zayn Malik has achieved fame in his own right, but will never be successful as Harry due to his long-time aversion to the spotlight, as well as his commitment to his family, following his daughter's birth in 2020.
As Harry's lyrics in Boyfriends go: 'You know the game's nevеr-ending,' which could perfectly describe the pair and their silent battle.
Will Zayn ever be able to reach the same fame Harry has? Only time will tell, but he certainly has a long, long way to go before he gets close.