One Direction Biography
Formed (2010)
One Direction is a British boy band, formed in 2010 on the UK TV talent show X Factor. The band's members (Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan) all auditioned for the show as solo members but didn't quite make the grade. However, the X Factor judges could still see potential in all of them, so asked them to return as a group, which they did. They may not have won that competition but they have gone on to become the most successful act from that year's show, by a long shot.
X Factor
It was Harry Styles that came up with the name One Direction, once the band had been asked to get together to remain in the show. Along with the other groups, Diva Fever, Belle Amie and F.Y.D., One Direction had Simon Cowell as their mentor on the show. Within four weeks, they were the last of Cowell's acts still in the contest. Eventually, they finished in third place behind the winner, Matt Cradle and runner up, Rebecca Ferguson. Not long after the show had ended, it was announced that the band had signed to Simon Cowell's label; Sysco for a reported £2 million.
Life After X Factor
In January 2011, One Direction began recording their debut album in Los Angeles, where they worked with RedOne on production duties. The following month, they embarked on the now-traditional X Factor Live tour, with the other finalists, where they performed to around 500,000 people around the UK. The band's debut single, 'What Makes You Beautiful,' was released in September 2011 and went straight to the top of the UK singles chart. It also broke the record for pre-sales for Sony Music Entertainment. Their follow-up tracks, 'Gotta Be You' and 'One Thing' were both top ten hits and the band went on to sign a deal with Columbia Records in North America. When 'What Makes You Beautiful' was released in the USA in February 2012, it debuted at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest charting debut for a British band since 1998. The track peaked at number four in the US and has since sold over 3 million units stateside.