Going in One Direction By Shailee Koranne Grade 10, White Oaks S. S. boy-band is taking over the world. Louis Tomlinson, 20, Harry Styles, 18, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, all 19, are five boys from England and Ireland who make up One Direction. They auditioned separately as solo acts for the popular U.K. talent show The X-Factor. They didn't make it as soloists, but were put together as a group and finished third in the seventh season of the show. Noticing the boys' talent and their effect on the people that watched them, show creator Simon Cowell signed the group to Sony Music Entertainment. In their short time together as a band, the boys have stolen hearts and broken records. Their first single, What Makes You Beautiful, was released in September 2011 and became a No. 1 hit in the U.K. U p o n releasing their debut album Up All Night, One Direction went on a U.K. tour, which sold out in minutes. The album was the fastest-selling debut album on the 2011 U.K. Albums Chart. One Direction quickly gained popularity internationally via their fans (called `Directioners') spreading the word on the Internet. Girls (and boys) everywhere fell for their great voices, looks and charm. The group went on U.S. and Canadian tours, opening for fellow boy-band Big Time Rush -- the group is planning a summer tour as well. The five boys would all have been in college right now had they not been put together as a group on X-Factor, living their lives as normal teenagers, not knowing of each other's existence. One Direction has had a wonderful career so far -- winning a Brit award for Best Single; landing a spot on the popular TV show iCarly, as well as Saturday Night Live; selling out Madison Square Garden in 60 seconds (a record); and having more than 160 million views for their three music videos. The band has inspired thousands of blogs, Twitter accounts and Facebook fan pages. One Direction is expected to be the most popular boy-band in history, which is easy to see as the boys have nothing but talent, dedication, love for their music, and faces that make people swoon. They are a perfect boy-band. 25 · Friday, April 20, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com A