Which way will One Direction go after Malik’s departure?

World tour will march on, band announces.

David Lee Roth and Van Halen. Noel Gallagher and Oasis. And now Zayn Malik and One Direction.

Malik said Wednesday he is leaving the charttopping British boy band “to be a normal 22-yearold who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.”

His name immediately became a top trending topic online as the band announced it would continue its world tour without Malik. Plans also remained in place for the now-foursome to record an album later this year.

“For kids now, it’s truly the equivalent of if one of the Beatles would have left at the height of their success,” said Rolling Stone Senior Writer Brian Hiatt.

One middle school teacher said the day was among the toughest in her career as tween girls ran out of class in tears.

But while it may be sad news for Malik’s fans, his departure isn’t necessarily bad for the band right now. The remaining four members have concert dates set through October and they promise a future for the group.

It’s too soon to say which way One Direction, or Malik, might go, but making a clean split was a good first step, writes Jason Lipshutz, an associate editor at Billboard.

“Zayn’s exit from One Direction is painful because it means something has ended, but it would have been vastly more painful to approach the next few months with a sense of unsteadiness,” he says. “Now, Zayn is gone, and One Direction can move on.”