Happy Thursday. Yesterday was One Direction day, which was a tough one this year.

In today’s newsletter, the toxic TV that is The Valley, Liam Payne’s last dance with fans on Building the Band, and the Tea app.

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Grief is nonlinear, but it often creeps up most acutely when a significant date comes up that reminds you of that person. On July 23, the first One Direction anniversary after Liam Payne’s untimely death, his absence was truly felt.

He was the one who would typically greet the fans on this day. This year, his sister Ruth did it for him.

Countless fans celebrated and mourned the anniversary, which marked 15 years since their beloved boy band was formed. Archival photos, TikTok edits, favorite lyrics, and old tweets flooded my X timeline. It was like the days in the wake of Liam’s death all over again.

Oh, how fast the night changes. There are so many One Direction songs that were made for a moment like this. Never did anyone expect for them to be a channel for grief so soon. 

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