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These Are The Bands That Went on a "Hiatus" But Have Yet To Come Back

Scary, Sporty, Baby, Ginger, and Posh... We're waiting!

the spice girls wearing white double-breasted suits
Alamy

It stings to hear that your favorite band is calling it quits. Sometimes, though, a "hiatus" is no better. Sure, beloved rock groups like Fall Out Boy and Weezer survived their hiatuses, only to come back to high praise (and plush tour revenues). But some bands have been on break way too long—and we're pretty sure they're never, ever coming back. Here are the bands that called it a break, but probably really meant "breakup."


1 | No Doubt

no doubt performing on stage gwen stefani, best breakup songsShutterstock

Though the Gwen Stefani punk vehicle hasn't done much in recent years, they still haven't officially "broken up." In fact, No Doubt actually survived their first hiatus—in 2004—when they went on tour in 2009 and then released their 2012 album, Push and Shove. Just one year later, however, the band announced another hiatus in 2013. And this time might be it: In 2018, Stefani started a solo residency at Caesars, in Las Vegas.

2 | Fifth Harmony

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Fifth Harmony suffered the first cracks in their foundation when Camila Cabello announced her departure from the band in 2016, to pursue a solo career. Though Fifth Harmony attempted to make the former five-piece work as a four-person group, they eventually announced a hiatus in 2018 so that the other members could "pursue solo endeavors," as well.

Since then, Cabello's gone on to produce chart-topping hits like "Havana" and "Señorita," but other members, like Normani Kordei and Lauren Jauregui, have found their own success with singles "Love Lies," and "Expectations," respectively. Time will tell as to whether or not they'll actually come back together.

3 | Fun

fun band with jack antonoff and nate reuss, band hiatusShutterstock

It's been some time since anyone's heard anything from indie pop group Fun, but they haven't broken up. The group experienced major success in 2012 with the release of their album Some Nights, scoring a Grammy for Best New Artist. But that breakaway success came screeching to a halt when the band announced, via Facebook, that they were going on a hiatus in 2015.

"Fun is not breaking up," the group wrote in a statement. "The three of us have always followed inspiration wherever it leads us. Sometimes that inspiration leads to Fun music, sometimes it leads to musical endeavors outside of Fun." And despite it not being a breakup, we haven't heard anything from the band since. Lead singer Nate Ruess released his own solo album in 2015, and Jack Antonoff has been busy co-writing and co-producing songs for major artists like Taylor Swift and Lorde.

4 | Outkast

outkast band andre 3000 and big boi, band hiatusShutterstock

Outkast, the famous '90s hip hop duo, went on hiatus in 2007 after releasing their sixth studio album, Idlewild. And while the act reunited to headline the Coachella Festival in 2014, no new music came from it—and the possibility for new music at all doesn't look too good. "If we [Outkast] never do another album, I'm totally fine with that," André 3000 told Complex in 2017.

So, what did Outkast's other half, Big Boi, have to say? Speaking to the Daily Beast on whether or not fans will ever get a new album from the duo, he simply said, "You've gotta talk to Jesus."

5 | Spice Girls

the spice girls at a hotel in las vegas in 1997Alamy

Fans were delighted to get a Spice Girls reunion tour in 2019, but without Victoria Beckham—and with no news of new music—it may not be enough to smooth over the girl group's nearly 20-year-long hiatus. The group entered a hiatus around the end of 2000, following Geri Halliwell's departure in 1998, and the release of their last album, Forever, in 2000.

And while the Spice Girls reunited for a 2012 Summer Olympics performance and the 2019 reunion, that's all Scary, Sporty, Baby, Ginger, and Posh have really given us since—well, except the odd leak of a song called "Song for Her" in 2016. But without Beckham or Mel C on the track, does it even count?

6 | One Direction

one direction band, band hiatusShutterstock

Ah, the break that broke hearts around the world. After Zayn Malik left the band in 2015 during the middle of a world tour, British boyband One Direction announced their hiatus at the beginning of 2016. Since then, from insults to battling solo careers, it's been anything but a clean break. Malik went on to release hits like "Pillowtalk," while Harry Styles not only found fame by releasing the hit single "Sign of the Times," but also by starring in the Oscar-winning movie Dunkirk.

So what's the last we've heard from the band? Well, in a 2019 interview with ITN, Louis Tomlinson spoke positively about a future reunion. "I do think it will happen," Tomlinson said. "I'd certainly have something to say about it if it didn't. I think it's inevitable. When is the big question. That's something none of us really know the answer to at the moment."

7 | Big Time Rush

big time rush band members, band hiatusShutterstock

Big Time Rush had their own eponymous television show on Nickelodeon, but once the series ended in 2013, the band announced an "indefinite hiatus" in order to pursue solo careers. Since then, the members have all been busy pursuing their own paths. James Maslow recently appeared on the first American season of Celebrity Big Brother, while Carlos Pena married Spy Kids actress Alexa Vega and started a shared YouTube channel, LexLovesLos. (Adorably, the couple both officially changed their last names to "PenaVega.")

Luckily for fans, however, the boys have spoken positively about a possible reunion. Kendall Schmidt teased a return on Twitter in 2019, and also gave this statement to Celeb Secrets: "Big Time Rush hasn't ever broken up, so I suppose whenever a good tour comes around, we'll be there."

8 | The Wanted

the wanted band, band hiatus Shutterstock

This British-Irish boyband never quite rose to the ranks of their peers One Direction, but they did produce a few good hits—chiefly, the chart-topping "Glad You Came." However, after a lackluster world tour in 2014, rumors hit that The Wanted had been dropped from their label, which they quickly followed up with a hiatus announcement.

Since then, all five of the members have kicked off their own solo careers, and there appeared to be no end to the hiatus in sight—that is, until June 2019, when member Max George told BANG Showbiz, "Me, certainly, and I know one or two of the other lads would probably do it, so we might have a conversation in the next year."

9 | Destiny's Child

Destiny's ChildEverett Collection / Shutterstock

Destiny's Child, which birthed the icon that is Beyoncé Knowles, reined supreme in pop music for much of the 2000s. But after dominating TRL and the Billboard charts, the girl group decided to step away. "We have been working together as Destiny's Child since we were 9, and touring together since we were 14," the group told MTV News in a statement in June 2005. "After a lot of discussion and some deep soul-searching, we realized that our current tour has given us the opportunity to leave Destiny's Child on a high note, united in our friendship and filled with an overwhelming gratitude for our music, our fans, and each other."

Shortly before the announcement, Knowles told the Associated Press, in November 2004,"I think as far as Destiny's Child, our main focus is for us to maintain our friendship. And if in three years, five years, 10 years, whenever we decide we wanna do another Destiny's Child record, then we will do it." Looks like that time hasn't come just yet.

Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams, however, did reunite at the 2013 Super Bowl, where they performed a medley with Queen B. The trio also performed together at Coachella during Bey's set in 2018. We still haven't gotten that follow-up record though.

10 | Say Anything

a portrait of the pop punk band say anythingAlamy

Pop-punk superstars Say Anything announced their separation in 2018, while also announcing the release of their eighth album, Oliver Appropriate, at the same time. In the nine-page announcement, lead singer Max Bemis announced things were ending for a simple reason: He needed a break.

"Our plans as a collective are to, kind of, sort of, end Say Anything. Or, the first era of Say Anything. Whatever you want to call it, it’s that thing... I need a break. We’ll return one day to play festivals and scoff at our career. But I want to say goodbye," Bemis wrote. In the same announcement, however, he said it was neither an "indefinite hiatus" nor a "breakup." Bemis is set to embark on a solo tour for the end of 2019.

11 | *NSYNC

NSYNC at the American Music Awards in 2000Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

Given the massive success of Justin Timberlake's solo career, it may seem like *NSYNC is done for good. But the band never technically announced a breakup. In 2002, accompanying the release of Timberlake's first solo album, Justified, the band entered a hiatus.

Since then, the group has come back together many times—from a 2003 Bee Gees tribute at the Grammys to a surprise performance (albeit sans Timberlake) with Ariana Grande during her 2019 Coachella headlining performance. Still, despite the group's various performance reunions, there's been exactly zero news about any new music. And for more musical nostalgia from their era, check out these 25 Songs Every ‘90s Kid Knows By Heart.

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