The United Kingdom has always been a source of pop culture phenomenon in America. In the past, Americans were captured by The Beatles, fashion icon Twiggy, and Princess Diana. More recently, we’ve come under the spell of William and Kate, J.K. Rowling, and Adele. But there’s a new British act for us to all fawn over—cue the fangirling! — 2010’s The X Factor semi-finalist’s One Direction!!
Now I’m sure you’ve seen their pictures plastered on the cover of every tween magazine at your local grocery store, but there is so much more to this quintet than their massive following of devoted “Directioners”, great voices, good looks, and precious bromances. One Direction is made up of adorable Brits Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson, and Irish cutie Niall Horan. Each of the boys auditioned for the seventh season of The X Factor as solo artists. After making it through the first few rounds, the boys were eliminated at the conclusion of boot camp. Along with Nicole Scherzinger, mentor Simon Cowell decided to put all five boys into a band and re-enter them into the competition under the Groups category. Although the boys barely knew each other, they decided to make the most of their second chance and took the competition by storm. One Direction developed a strong fan base from the first episode, and after placing third on the show, signed a record deal under Simon Cowell.
The boys back in 2010 with mentor Simon Cowell (From Left to Right: Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan)
From the outset, One Direction has captivated audiences with their combination of to-die-for vocals, adorable personalities, and the strong individuality of each member of the group. Each boy brings something different to the table—they have the charm, the wit, the personality, and most importantly, the talent. It’s easy to notice that Liam, Harry, and Zayn are definitely the vocal frontmen of One Direction. Liam has referred to himself as “first-verse man”, Harry is almost always at the forefront of the choruses, and Zayn continually delivers the bridges and runs of each song. Louis and Niall, however, have voices so endearing that a smile always creeps up when they are brought into the solo spotlight. The combination of their voices is the recipe for their superstardom – Liam starts the mix with crazy talent that exceeds his young age, Harry builds upon that with his deep and sultry voice, Zayn adds in the sexy and smooth, Louis contributes a voice as sweet as his personality, and Niall rounds out the vocal dish with his angelic sound. Their songs are just the garnish on their musical dessert. “What Makes You Beautiful”, the first single off their debut album Up All Night (which immediately hit number one in the US on the Billboard Hot 200, making them the first UK group to ever accomplish that feat!), is a great start to their career. The boys play up their youth and freedom on dance-inducing tracks such as “Stole My Heart”, “Everything about You”, and the title track “Up All Night”. They then showcase their softer, romantic side with heart-wrenching lyrics and harmonies on “Same Mistakes”, “I Wish”, and the powerful “Moments” (a track only available on the deluxe edition of the CD). I know it sounds like I’ve listed almost every song on the album, but believe me when I say the entire compilation is seriously impressive. And luckily, their fresh playful sound creates the soundtrack for your summer!
One Direction are hard at work in the studio getting started on their sophomore album, but will be coming to the States later this month for a short U.S. Tour. They made history on April 11th, when tickets for their December concert at Madison Square Garden in record time, and beginning in June 2013, the boys will embark on their first world tour that is selling out seriously fast. I think it’s safe to say this is one British obsession that won’t be leaving America for quite some time.
Zayn, Niall, Harry, Liam, and Louis performing on Today the day before Up All Night’s U.S. Release
If all this isn’t enough to convince you, check out their many video diaries from their time on The X Factor and a few from their most recent tour. Their crazy personalities, sexy accents, and precious brotherhood will jump right through your computer screen and sweep you off your feet! But be warned: once you catch the One Direction Infection, the only cure is to take in as much Vitamin 1D as you can. Thank God for the repeat button, because you are going to be using it quite a bit—take it from this Directioner!