One Direction

     One Direction is an English/Irish boy band consisting of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson. In 2010, each of them auditioned separately for X-Factor. Simon Cowell then decided after many weeks of performing on the X-Factor, to put them as a group now called One Direction. They signed in North America to Columbia Records.  In September 2011, One Direction released their debut single, "What Makes You Beautiful".  It ranked number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. Other singles, "Gotta Be You" and "One Thing" were ranked in the UK Singles Top 10. 

        One Direction attended the 2012 Brit Awards at which "What Makes You Beautiful" won for Best British Single. In December 2011, they started on their first UK tour, the Up All Night tour. The tour, resulting in 62 shows, ended up both critically and commercially. In May, 2012, they started recording their second album, Take Me Home. There album will be released on November 12 and will be bought by hundreds.