Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan may fail as soloists, but as a group, they are one of the hottest boy bands around
HARRY Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan had never crossed paths before they found themselves competing against each other as soloists on X Factor.
Yet, thanks to an amazing twist of fate, the teenagers are, a few short months later, America’s hottest boy band and are working with some of the top producers in the industry.
As they stood on a bare stage in front of the music industry’s toughest critics, the five boys thought their dreams of stardom had been crushed.
As they stood on a bare stage in front of the music industry’s toughest critics, the five boys thought their dreams of stardom had been crushed.
They had just been told that they did not make it through the Bootcamp stage of X Factor in July 2010 and were to pack their suitcases and return home.
But little did they know that, behind the scenes, huge plans were being made for their future. The lads, who had entered X Factor as individuals, were to be put together as the show’s youngest ever boy band.
The plan was devised by Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh, who believed the boys would be stronger together than individuals.
Payne says: “My first thought was ‘are we going to make this work when we don’t know each other?’. It was such a leap of faith.”
The plan was devised by Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh, who believed the boys would be stronger together than individuals.
Payne says: “My first thought was ‘are we going to make this work when we don’t know each other?’. It was such a leap of faith.”
Despite their fears, it took them just seconds to agree to join forces. Malik says: “I didn’t think I would ever want to be in a group. But when I was there and it was happening, and I knew the lads a bit, there was no way I was going to say ‘no’.”
The boys admit they had no idea how to go about arranging harmonies and had little formal musical training.
Payne was studying for a musical technology A-level at college at the time and had once performed in front of a 26,000 strong crowd at a Wolverhampton Wanderers’ football match. He also got through to the Judge’s Houses stage of X Factor two years previously.
The others had even less experience: Tomlinson had “a few vocal lessons” and had played Danny in a school production of Grease. Styles performed once in a Battle of the Bands competition at school. Horan was in the school choir for occasional Christmas performances. Malik did a “couple of musicals” at school.
Malik says: “We didn’t know what a harmony was. We all just sang in unison for two weeks!”
Payne agrees: “We just threw ideas around. The first few days were tough. We all had different ideas but we didn’t really know what a group was about.”
But the boys gelled quickly and, with a tiny amount of preparation under their belts, they sailed through first Judge’s Houses and then the live shows, mentored by Cowell.
But the boys gelled quickly and, with a tiny amount of preparation under their belts, they sailed through first Judge’s Houses and then the live shows, mentored by Cowell.
During the 10 weeks of live shows, One Direction covered songs as diverse as Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn, Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, Kelly Clarkson’s My Life Would Suck Without You, Kim Wilde’s Kids In America and Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars.
As One Direction grew in confidence, it quickly gained a huge fan base and enjoyed every moment of its live performances, although the lads admit that the experience was a huge learning curve.
Payne says: “Normally when you put together a band, it has some time to go away and develop but we had to do that on a live competition, in front of 20 million people.
Payne says: “Normally when you put together a band, it has some time to go away and develop but we had to do that on a live competition, in front of 20 million people.
“If you make a mistake in front of an audience like that, you get voted out. We had no room for error whatsoever. We had to grow up very, very fast.”
The trio made it to the final where they sang Elton John’s Your Song, She’s The One with guest artist Robbie Williams, and Torn by Natalie Imbruglia.
The trio made it to the final where they sang Elton John’s Your Song, She’s The One with guest artist Robbie Williams, and Torn by Natalie Imbruglia.
They were voted into third place and say they had mixed feelings: Disappointed at not winning, but aware of how far they had come since those days practicing in a bungalow with no idea how to harmonise.
There was no question of disbanding or giving up their dreams. They were called to a meeting with Cowell after spending Christmas at home with their families and told they were to be signed to Syco.
Styles says: “Cowell was telling you your life was about to change! It was weird.”
There was no question of disbanding or giving up their dreams. They were called to a meeting with Cowell after spending Christmas at home with their families and told they were to be signed to Syco.
Styles says: “Cowell was telling you your life was about to change! It was weird.”
Tomlinson adds: “We came from nothing and had no experience as a group at all. At the end of the show, we were a completely different group. We had worked so hard and achieved so much. We also became really close mates — we were just so grateful that we got along so well from the start. It’s quite sad actually — even when we go home now or have a day off, we are still texting each other!”
After the X Factor nationwide tour, and the release of their best-selling book, Forever Young, One Direction began work on its first album.
After the X Factor nationwide tour, and the release of their best-selling book, Forever Young, One Direction began work on its first album.
After some discussions, they knuckled down to record with legendary names including Steve Mac, who has worked with Westlife, JLS and Leona Lewis; Rami Yacoub (Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi, Britney Spears), and Matt Squire (Good Charlotte, 3OH!3, Panic! At The Disco, HIM).
Horan says: “These guys are amazing. Basically, name any of the biggest hits of the past 10 years, and the guys we worked with were behind it. To meet them was incredible. To work with them was even better!”
Their single, What Makes You Beautiful (Rami Yacoub/Carl Falk/Savan Kotecha) was released on Sept 11, last year with the biggest pre-order in Sony single history. It landed in at Number one and had the highest first-week sales of the year, shifting 153,000 copies in seven days.
Their single, What Makes You Beautiful (Rami Yacoub/Carl Falk/Savan Kotecha) was released on Sept 11, last year with the biggest pre-order in Sony single history. It landed in at Number one and had the highest first-week sales of the year, shifting 153,000 copies in seven days.
The video, shot on a sun-drenched California beach, had more than two million hits in just four days, and the band have more than two million loyal Twitter followers who regularly get the band trending worldwide in a matter of minutes.
The long-awaited album will follow this autumn, and the boys hope it will appeal to fans of both sexes and all ages.
The long-awaited album will follow this autumn, and the boys hope it will appeal to fans of both sexes and all ages.
Tomlinson says: “I want people to listen to it and say, ‘Wow, is that One Direction?’ It’s not too cheesy — I think it’s the kind of album that guys will like as well as girls. I like to surprise people. We’re not a typical boy band.”
Malik adds: “It’s upbeat, and has a really distinct One Direction sound. We’ve all got quite different sounding voices and our own individual style, so we can play up to that and play to each of our strengths.”
Outside of music, the boys are proud to be ambassadors for Nintendo and their second book, Dare To Dream, was released on Sept 15, 2011 and shot straight to No. 1.
Outside of music, the boys are proud to be ambassadors for Nintendo and their second book, Dare To Dream, was released on Sept 15, 2011 and shot straight to No. 1.
In December last year, the boys will embark on their first headline tour of the UK and Ireland to give a little something back to fans who have waited to patiently for their single and album releases.
And if their meteoric rise to stardom continues at the pace it began, it won’t be long before One Direction are global icons.
And if their meteoric rise to stardom continues at the pace it began, it won’t be long before One Direction are global icons.
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