One Direction ‘to go separate ways’ next year

LONDON | British pop phenomenon One Direction are to take an indefinite break from next year, according to a media report Monday which has left fans devastated.

The four-piece boy band will separate for at least a year from March to pursue solo projects, according to The Sun newspaper, citing a “1D source”.

The band, who enjoy a massive global teenage following, did not comment when contacted by AFP and have not commented on the tabloid report on their various Twitter accounts.

“The guys have been together for five years, which is an incredible run for any boy band,” said The Sun’s source.

“They fully deserve to have at least a year to work on their own projects. There is absolutely no bad blood between them and they are all 100 percent behind the decision.

“It is definitely not a split and they fully intend to get back together at some time in the future.”

They are due to release their fifth album before Christmas, and fulfil promotional commitments by the end of February, the report said.

There will be no tour for the new album.

The band’s last scheduled concerts are at the Sheffield Arena in northern England on October 29, 30, 31.

They are currently touring North America and are due to perform in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday.

Put together for a British television singing contest in 2010, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson swiftly developed a giant, fiercely loyal following of young girls worldwide.

The chart-toppers have sold more than 50 million records around the globe.

Malik quit the band in March, shortly after being signed off with stress.

“I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight,” he said at the time.

The Sun’s report said the split would have happened regardless of Malik’s departure.

The Sunday Times newspaper’s Rich List 2015 reckoned the band members were worth £25 million each.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction teases for new album with single

NEW YORK | Boy band One Direction, whose last album was 2013′s top seller, on Monday announced a November release for their latest record and streamed a free single to whet fans’ appetites.

The British heartthrobs’ fourth album — entitled, simply, “Four” — will go on sale on November 17. In a message to fans on their website, One Direction offered free downloads for one day of the first track, entitled “Fireproof.”

“Fireproof” stays largely true to One Direction’s style, with light guitar-based pop backing up multiple singers, avoiding the heavier sound with which the band flirted on their last album, “Midnight Memories.”

“Midnight Memories” sold four million copies worldwide last year, making it the most-bought album of 2013 even though it was released in late November.

One Direction have been prolific in their output since storming onto the stage in 2010 with performances on the British talent show “The X Factor.”

On October 11-12, a film of one of the band’s concerts in Italy — called “Where We Are,” after the name of their tour — will air in cinemas around the world, following up on One Direction’s documentary film “This Is Us” last year.

One Direction joins a list of bands that have chosen to release albums entitled simply by their number in their respective discographies, with artists as diverse as Beyonce and Stone Temple Pilots also making records called “Four” or some variation thereof.

Listen to “Fireproof” here:

source: interaksyon.com

Boy band One Direction makes chart history with third No. 1 album debut

LOS ANGELES | British boy band One Direction made chart history on Wednesday as its third album debuted at No. 1 on the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, the only group to have its first three albums top the chart in opening week sales.

The quintet’s “Midnight Memories” sold 546,000 copies, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.

The group’s first album, “Up All Night” and second record “Take Me Home,” both released in 2012, also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, but with smaller opening week sales.

One Direction, comprised of singers Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, was formed on the U.K. reality singing television show “The X Factor” in 2010 and has gone on to conquer the United States with songs such as “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life.”

The band’s music is targeted at a young audience, and its fans are mainly teenage girls, dubbed “Directioners.” The group has more than 16 million Twitter followers and 22 million Facebook fans.

One Direction’s big opening week marks an increase in overall album sales for the week ending December 1, due to the shopping boost during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Total album sales were 8.6 million for the week, up 14 percent from the comparable week in 2012, according to Billboard.

Only one other new album debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 this week. Country singer Garth Brooks came in at No. 3 with a box set of music called “Blame It on My Roots,” which sold 164,000 copies in an exclusive deal with retailer Walmart.

On the digital songs chart, which measures single track downloads, rapper Pitbull’s song “Timber” featuring Ke$ha climbed from No. 4 to No. 1 with 237,000 downloads, benefiting from the duo performing the song at the November 24 American Music Awards.

Eminem’s “Monster” featuring Rihanna dropped one spot to No. 2, while A Great Big World’s “Say Something” featuring Christina Aguilera climbed three spots to No. 3 this week, also benefiting from a performance at the AMA.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction launch 3D behind-the-scenes documentary ‘This is Us’

LONDON | British boy band One Direction, one of the pop music industry’s biggest acts in the last two years, plan to show the world what they’re really like in a new 3D documentary that will premiere in London on Tuesday.

The five singers told a news conference in the British capital on Monday that “This is Us” allowed them to present themselves in a more realistic manner than they are depicted on videos, in concert and on the ubiquitous social media sites that track their every movement on and off stage.  




“There is only so much you can get across in terms of your personality, you know, social media and like 10-minute interviews you do with people,” singer Harry Styles said.

“So I think …(it’s) a way for us to get across what we are like and what we are like with each other for the fans to see.”

Band members Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Styles were all on hand to talk about the behind-the-scenes film and the media interest that has engulfed them since they first became a group on a British TV talent show in 2010.

The film, directed by “Super Size Me” documentary maker Morgan Spurlock, includes concert footage, life backstage and on the road. But Styles laughed off one reporter’s question about whether footage with groupies or drugs had been edited out.

“This is a family press conference,” Styles said.

Spurlock said the film would show that part of the band’s success stems from their down-to-earth personalities.

“Part of the reason I think they have been so successful with their fans is that they are so incredibly grounded and normal and that’s what comes off in the movie, there’s no air of superiority,” he said.

‘WE’RE NOT CELEBRITIES’

One Direction shot to fame as runners-up on “The X Factor” television singing competition and have conquered the global market with two albums and a string of catchy hit singles. They said in May they are working on a third “edgy” album and will embark on a world tour next year.

The band, whose members are aged in their late teens and early 20s, topped the Billboard 200 album chart twice last year with “Up All Night” and their second album “Take Me Home”. They were named Billboard’s top new artist/group in 2012.

In an interview with Reuters TV on Monday, Malik said certain aspects of fame took the band by surprise.

“We never wanted to have the title ‘celebrity,’ we just want to be normal lads in a music band. We’re not celebrities, we’re just in a band,” the singer said.

Horan added that the documentary helped the band members themselves process the phenomenon that One Direction has become.

“Because we live in this bubble … we don’t get to see exactly what it’s like because it’s happening to us,” he said.

Hundreds of fans have already started to camp out in London’s Leicester Square for a chance to see One Direction walk the red carpet at the film’s world premiere on Tuesday.

The band has a devoted following of fans around the world mainly comprising teenage girls, including 14 million Twitter followers, and Tomlinson said he felt a certain responsibility to the young fan base.

“Being put in this position, you almost feel with the likes of Twitter, you almost feel pressured to be that role model, and it’s kind of balancing that and meeting in the middle,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction make Billboard history as 2nd album debuts at No. 1

LOS ANGELES – British boy band One Direction made Billboard chart history on Wednesday after storming to the top of the 200 album chart with their second album “Take Me Home,” holding off competition from Christina Aguilera, Soundgarden and Lana Del Rey.

“Take Me Home” notched the third-biggest opening week sales of the year with 540,000 units sold according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, placing it behind only Mumford & Son’s “Babel” and Taylor Swift’s “Red,” which had the year’s biggest opening with 1.2 million copies sold.

This is also the first time a British band have seen their first two albums debut at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Their first album “Up All Night” shot to the top of the chart with 176,000 copies in March this year.

The lead single from “Take Me Home,” “Live While We’re Young”, also made Billboard chart history after selling 341,000 copies in its first week, becoming the biggest opening week single sales for a non-U.S. artist.

One Direction were able to trump a new release from pop star and “The Voice” judge Aguilera, who debuted at No. 7 with her fifth studio album “Lotus,” selling 73,000 copies.

She was unable to replicate the success of fellow “Voice” judge Adam Levine, whose band Maroon 5 shot to No. 2 on the album chart in July with “Overexposed,” selling 222,000 copies.

The members of the British-Irish quintet One Direction, aged between 18 and 20, are Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne. They have come a long way since forming on Britain’s “The X Factor,” coming in third place and going on to conquer the U.S. and build a devoted following of fans.

Their success has also piqued the curiosity of interviewer Barbara Walters, who will be speaking to the band for her annual “The 10 Most Fascinating People,” airing on ABC on Dec. 12.

The band will face stiff competition from R&B star Rihanna for the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart next week, as her new album “Unapologetic” is set for a big debut.

Elsewhere on the album chart, seven new debuts entered the top 10 this week.

Taylor Swift’s “Red” was knocked down to No. 2 by One Direction’s debut, while the soundtrack for the final “Twilight” film, “Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” debuted at No. 3 with sales of 93,000 after the film hit theaters last week.

The soundtrack features lead single “The Forgotten” by Green Day and songs by Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding, Fiest and a duet between “Twilight” cast member Nikki Reed and husband Paul McDonald, a former “American Idol” finalist.

Canadian R&B star The Weeknd landed at No. 4 this week with his hotly anticipated debut, “Trilogy,” while 1990s grunge rock band Soundgarden rounded out the top five with “King Animal,” their first album in 16 years.

Green Day’s “Dos!,” the second installment of their trilogy of new albums this year, came in at No. 9 on the chart with 69,000 copies, a big drop from their first album “Uno!,” which debuted at No. 2 in October with sales of 139,000 copies. The third installment, “Tre!,” is due out on Dec. 11.

Indie-pop songstress Del Rey rounded out the top ten with her latest studio set “Paradise,” an eight-song record which was also offered as part of a deluxe edition of her debut album “Born To Die,” which notched No. 2 on the chart in February.

source: interaksyon.com

One Direction named Penshoppe’s newest international endorsers

After days of teasing and speculation following Zac Efron’s departure, fashion retailer Penshoppe has officially announced its newest international endorsers— the phenomenal British boy band One Direction.

“Introducing the newest members of our TEAM – One Direction #WeAreTeamPENSHOPPE,” Penshoppe posted on both its official Facebook and Twitter accounts late Sunday night.

This was later confirmed by Ivory Music & Video, the local distributor of One Direction’s recordings and DVD with their own FB and Twitter post, “It’s now official! One Direction is the newest endorser of Penshoppe (OFFICIAL)!”

Formed by Simon Cowell on the 2010 series of “The X Factor”, One Direction is composed of 18 to 20 year old lads Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.

The boy band made pop music history when they became the first British group to enter the Billboard 200 chart at number one with its debut album, “Up All Night” only last March. The record-breaking album went on to sell over 2.3 million copies worldwide and is a certified number one release in 16 countries.

Following the release of their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” late last year, One Direction have since been a ubiquitous presence in the music charts. With over 12 million records sold worldwide, 1D Mania has indeed swept the globe.

Outside of the official announcement of the boy band’s association with Penshoppe, there is no other official word yet on whether 1D will visit the country for their own fan conference or if they would headline their own concert.

Fans of the group, particularly the Juan Directioners, will have to wait for further announcements.

One Direction’s music and videos are distributed by Ivory Music & Video and are available at AstroPlus and Odyssey Music and Video.

source: interaksyon.com

Souvenir edition of One Direction’s phenomenal debut album to be launched at SM malls

Sorry, there’s no sign that One Direction is going to perform in Manila anytime soon. Local fans, or Juan Directioners as they are so called, will be treated to the next best thing as the phenomenal British boy band will launch “Up All Night: The Souvenir Edition” on September 16 simultaneously at AstroPlus at the Skydome of SM North EDSA and at Odyssey Music and Video at SM Megamall.

In a feat that not even The Beatles and Coldplay were able to achieve, One Direction made history when they became the first British group to enter the Billboard 200 chart at number one with its debut album, “Up All Night” only last March. The record-breaking album went on to sell over 2.3 million copies worldwide and is a certified number one release in 16 countries.

Jeff Joson of Ivory Music and Video said that the Souvenir Edition will only be available in limited quantities and will include five exclusive tracks, a 32-page booklet, and five photocards with a special message for the Directioners.

In addition to the Souvenir Edition, Joson said that One Direction’s “Up All Night: The Live Tour” DVD is now available.

The live DVD features a 73 minute concert of their hit songs, plus never before seen, behind the scenes footage and three music videos, namely “Gotta Be You,” “One Thing” and “What Makes You Beautiful”, which won the Most-Shared Video and Best Pop Video in addition to the group’s Best New Artist award at the MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday.

In a recent review of one of their concerts, Jon Caramanica of the New York Times wrote, “Onstage the men, who are 18 to 20, are barely choreographed, unlike a group that has been training for years…One Direction is the most casual of boy bands, a British import that emphasizes panache above all.”

Ivory also announced that One Direction’s latest single, “Live While We’re Young”, which is scheduled to be officially released on September 30 in the UK and October 1 in the US and Canada, is the fastest selling pre-order in history. It became available on iTunes last August 24 and immediately hit No.1 in 40 countries, including the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Spain, France, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico and, yes, The Philippines.

In less than a year, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson have achieved things that only a few other artists, if they’re lucky, would take a lifetime to achieve.

Formed by Simon Cowell on the 2010 series of “The X Factor”, they released their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” in September 2011 and have since been a ubiquitous presence in the music charts. With over 12 million records sold worldwide, 1D Mania has indeed swept the globe.

source: interaksyon.com

UK boy band One Direction big winner at MTV video awards

LOS ANGELES – British boy band One Direction were the big winners at the MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday, edging out Rihanna and taking home three prizes to crown their arrival on the U.S. pop scene just six months ago.

The five baby-faced guys, contestants on the British version of TV singing contest “The X Factor,” beat Justin Bieber and Rihanna for best pop video, and fellow all-boy British outfit The Wanted as best new artists.

They also won the most-shareworthy video award – which was voted on by fans – for their debut hit single “What Makes You Beautiful” and later performed their latest release “One Thing” to hordes of screaming girls at the two-hour Los Angeles ceremony.

“To win one Moonman is amazing, to win two is incredible,” said Harry Styles, as the band collected the silver VMA trophy for best new artists.

“Thank you so much! We have grown up watching this show and to collect one of these straight away is incredible,” said a jubilant Niall Horan.

One Direction, which is managed by British TV entrepreneur Simon Cowell, made history in March when it became the first UK group to see its first album, “Up All Night,” debut at the top of the Billboard 200 chart.

Rihanna, who went into the VMA’s sharing a leading five nominations with Canadian rapper Drake, came away with just one award.

But it was the most coveted award of the night – video of the year – and the Barbados-born superstar won it for her dizzying visual romp in hit single “We Found Love.”

“I love you guys! This is awesome,” Rihanna told her fans as she collected the Moonman trophy and showed off a new pixie hair cut.

In a hip-hop-heavy show, rapper Nicki Minaj won best female video for “Starships,” while Chris Brown won two awards – best male video and best choreography for “Turn Up the Music.”

Drake also came away with just one win, for his hip-hop video “HYFR,” which celebrates his Jewish heritage. “I want to dedicate this award to any kid who has had a long walk home,” Drake said.

The VMA’s have become known as one of the more unpredictable and controversial award shows, but Thursday’s ceremony had none of the jaw-dropping moments – like the steamy 2003 Madonna/Britney Spears kiss – that have marked previous years.

This year, U.S. Olympic gymnastics champion Gabby Ross, 16, back-flipped and leapt across the stage while Alicia Keys sang her new single “Girl On Fire.” Ross and her four fellow team-mates also introduced Keys.

Punk rocker Billie Joe Armstrong seemed fully recovered from a weekend dehydration episode that forced Green Day to cancel a performance in Italy, and he was mobbed on Thursday while singing after inviting fans to come up on stage.

Lil Wayne gave the first televised performance of his new single “No Worries,” and Frank Ocean, who made headlines in July by coming out as a rare gay hip-hop artist, performed an emotional version of “Thinkin Bout You.”

Calvin Harris was the winner of the VMA’s first award in the increasingly popular electronic dance music category for “Feel So Close.”

Country-pop crossover singer Taylor Swift closed the show with her best-selling single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and other performers included Pink, Minaj, and Rihanna.

source: interaksyon.com