One Direction, the boy band compiled of once ‘X-Factor UK’ contestants, have sparked another wave of the British Invasion here in the United States. Featuring five talented and hopelessly good looking lads between 18 and 20 years old, One Direction could be on their way to a bright future with a dedicated and ever growing fan base.
No less a fan than Simon Cowell is predicting great things. “One Direction a group who were third on the X Factor UK in 2010 are about to literally explode in America,“ he said.
Though a British-bred band, One Direction does feature one of Ireland’s own. Niall Horan (18) hails from Mullingar in Westmeath. On the possibility of an US summer tour for this year, Horan said “We're just waiting to see what the demand is like. That'd be absolutely incredible."
USA Today reports that after finding big success in the UK, One Direction is prepping for the US release of their debut album ‘Up All Night’ for this Tuesday. Their song ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ is steadily climbing the radio charts, and the group is set to perform it live for their American television debut on Monday on NBC’s ‘Today’ show.
One Direction is formed of five boys - four British and one Irish - who didn’t make the cut as soloists on the 2010 British season of ‘The X Factor.’ Producers grouped the boys together to form the band, and although they ultimately came in third in the music competition, Simon Cowell signed the group to his record label at the end of their run on the show.
Band member Louis Tomlinson credits the Internet for the band’s meteoric rise. Having sold 255,000 copies of ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ in just three weeks, One Direction had the highest debut on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart of any UK group since the Spice Girls."It just shows how powerful the Internet is," said Tomlinson. "That's basically what spread the word."
Indeed, One Direction has already developed an impressive fan base of mostly teenage girls. Nicknaming themselves ‘Directioners,’ fans have been keeping a close eye on their idols as they make their break for the big time.
Up next for One Direction? It was revealed that the British group will be the musical guest on April 7th’s episode of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ along with host Sofia Vergara. Rumors are also heating up that the band may be joining forces with other teen heartthrob Justin Bieber for a collaboration.
The lads’ future looks bright in America. Niall Horan (@NiallHoran) last week tweeted “Who would have ever thought, that us 5 kids could ever get spotted in the streets of NY ! #dreamscometrue”
Below, watch the video for the boys’ new hit ‘What Makes You Beautiful’"
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