One Direction

One Direction

One Direction is an English-Irish pop boy band from Wembley, England. The group forms in 2010 on The X Factor, when Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik are put together as a band rather than competing as solo performers. It starts as a five-piece and later continues as a four-piece after Malik leaves in 2015. The group is active from 2010 to 2015 and is also described as going on indefinite hiatus in 2016.

The original line-up is Liam Payne, from Wolverhampton; Louis Tomlinson, from Doncaster; Niall Horan, from Mullingar in County Westmeath, Ireland; Harry Styles, from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire; and Zayn Malik, from East Bowling, Bradford. The group is associated with Syco Music and its music spans dance-pop, folk pop, pop, pop rock, power pop and teen pop.

Early releases and chart success

One Direction's first single, What Makes You Beautiful, receives its first airplay in August 2011 and is released the following month. It becomes the fastest-selling single of 2011 and reaches number one on the UK Singles Chart. The second single, Gotta Be You, follows in November 2011 and reaches number three in the UK.

The debut album, Up All Night, is released in November 2011. It reaches number two on the UK Albums Chart and later debuts at number one in the United States, setting a record as the highest-selling debut album by a British boy band. The band's first headlining UK tour sells out all 22 dates within 12 minutes.

Later history

Zayn Malik announces his departure from the group in March 2015, after which the remaining members confirm that they continue as a four-piece. The band then plans a break after promotion of its fifth studio album, Made in the A.M., with a return expected at an unspecified later time.