Saturday Night Live was the Harry Styles Variety Show this week, with the superstar making an impressive double-duty appearance as host and musical guest ahead of his highly anticipated sophomore album, Fine Line.
But between showcasing both his rockstar bona fides and comedic chops, Styles got a little dig in at his former One Direction bandmate Zayn Malik. We’re here to tell you everything that we down.
Gruesome more than bro-some
Sitting at a grand piano on the SNL stage for an extended bit, Styles brought up the inevitable topic: “I was in a band called One Direction,” he said, pausing for whoops from the crowd.
“How crazy would it be if they were here tonight? “Well, they’re not here,” Styles said after holding for a beat so the audience could lose their minds. He smiled widely and added, “Wouldn’t it be crazy if they were, though?”
Giving it another go
He took another pause before turning back to the piano keys and dashed the hopes of untold masses of Directioners once more by reiterating, “They’re not.
” Teasing the crowd with one last Cheshire Cat grin, Styles continued, “I love those guys. They’re my brothers. Niall, Liam, Louis, and, uh Ringo,” the singer jokingly mocked.
Not even a proper goodbye to the brothers
Ringo — rather, Malik — was the first member of 1D to leave the band back in 2015 to embark on his own solo career.
His high-profile departure was marked by rumors of discord between him and his former bandmates, which have persisted and have been somewhat confirmed in the years since.
Just this month, Liam Payne said to GQ that the boys have rarely heard from Malik in the time since he left the band, which also ended on a sour note: Malik didn’t even say goodbye, Payne told the magazine.