One Direction

One Direction are a British-Irish boy band formed in London in 2010, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They signed withSimon Cowell's record label Syco Records after being formed and finishing third in the seventh series of British television music competition The X Factor. They subsequently signedin North America with Columbia Records.
One Direction came to international prominence with the global release of their debut album Up All Night in early 2012, which was acommercial success that topped charts worldwide and marked the first time a debut album by a British group had entered at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. They were inducted intothe Guinness World Records as a result. The album yielded the international chart-topping single "What Makes You Beautiful" and was supported by the Up All Night Tour. Preceded by therecord-breaking lead single "Live While We're Young", the group's second studio album Take Me Home is scheduled for release on 12 November 2012. A follow-up world tour is set torun for most of 2013, with tickets grossing US$15.7 million for their Australian and New Zealand dates.
One Direction have been described as sparking a resurgence in the boy bandconcept, and of forming part of a new "British Invasion" in the United States. As of August 2012, One Direction have sold over 12 million albums, singles, and videos worldwide. Theirachievements include a BRIT Award and 3 MTV Video Music Awards. Generating through combined music, merchandising and touring sales, as of June 2012, according to Nick Gatfield, thechairman and chief executive of Sony Music Entertainment UK, One Direction represent an US$50 million business empire. The Huffington Post proclaimed 2012 "The Year of One Direction".