Posted by Emily Exton on 07/18/2012 at 6:02 PM Photos

The Popdust Files: harry styles, one direction, Zayn Malik

Moving forward with plans for their latest album, the boys of One Direction tended to business at the Sony offices in London on Wednesday. But wait, something’s different. Are Niall’s braces off yet? Can Harry’s nipples really cut glass? Have the pants of Louis Tomlinson gotten tighter? It’s Zayn’s hair, you geezers! Zayn’s hair.

If you are able to notice that the tattooed, secret smoker is currently opting not to spike his hair towards the sky like usual, congratulations! You and I share a terribly mixed up set of priorities and grand appreciation for all things 1D. Who says Taylor Swift’s jump to the dark side is the only hair news worthy of deep analysis?

Apparently gel is not allowed in high-powered offices (too much potential for mess), as Zayn makes his way down the block rocking a particularly adorable natural mess Harry Styles couldn’t shake together better himself. Hair is important in the boy band/heartthrob industry, but whether this new look is the result of an image makeover or simply too many snooze alerts, has yet to be seen.

We know you’re finished with the Up All Night tour and are in between albums, but experimenting with such a major stylistic change like this is always best when you don’t have the probing paparazzi snapping away, and mindless bloggers analyzing your every move. You saw what happened when Justin Bieber got a haircut, right? Lucky for you, Z, we’ve gone ahead and demonstrated how you’d look with a full-on Styles Swoop. But is one boy band big enough for too bedheads? Stay tuned.

[Sugarscape]