One Direction Affection

Over-exaggerated hair, colorful trousers and skin-tight tops may sway you from the latest creation in teen-pop boy bands, or possibly draw you in; either way, it’s safe to say that Britain’s latest sensation, One Direction (1D), is having no trouble ensnaring fans worldwide. Their album “Up All Night” premiered at No.1 in America, as well as Italy and Sweden, making 1D the first UK group to do so with their debut album.  While their album is filled with catchy guilty pleasures, it may not be just their music that has landed them to on the top of the charts, as well as in the center of million teen hearts. What sets 1D apart is the quirky, mischievous and honest charisma of the boys themselves.

Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson all auditioned separately two years ago for Simon Cowell’s “The X-factor”, a British singing competition. After they were each eliminated, they were brought back to

the stage as a single vocal group: One Direction.The guys proved their talent and sang their way to the final three before their elimination as a band. The day after their elimination Simon Cowell broke his own promise to only sign the “X-Factor” winner, and signed the boys to his record company, Syco Records.“Up All Night” consists of an even blend between catchy pop dance tunes and slower purer ballads. Unlike other boy bands of the past, even their more delicate tracks still bring smiles to listeners’ faces with their beauty rather than the looming pathetic and sappy feel brought on by similar songs.

The single from their album and most widely known in the United States, thanks to its new-found radio play “What Makes You Beautiful,” won the boys a 2012 Brit (the UK equivalent of a Grammy) for Best British Single. The boys have also just recently announced, in their beloved mix of British and Irish accents, a 2013 United States arena tour which will be making a stop at the Sprint Center on July 19. Their three music videos,  “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Gotta Be You” and “One Thing” have nearly 200 million views, collectively, on “Youtube” thus far.Whether the song is intimate, quick or danceable, the entire album remains light-hearted and sweet. The music feels genuine, which results from both the strong sense of friendship fans feel they hold with bandmates as well as a non-existent auto-tune.

But is it just their music that has earned them the title ‘biggest boy band in the world?’ Or featured them in Rolling Stone Magazine? Or landed them their recent performance on “Saturday Night Live”? One Direction’s true hook is the boys themselves. Their connection to their fans and their relatability is the real fuel behind the 1D frenzy, not to mention their notable good-looks.

The band is famed for their Video Diaries that dominate the “Youtube” search bar, which they started in their first week together on the X-Factor. These diaries have continued throughout the band’s journey, made and filmed completely by the boys themselves. Their diaries have morphed into homemade game shows such as ‘Megamind’ and ‘Spin the Harry,’ created by the band as new ways to answer fan questions  as well as bizarre intricate plotlines and short films to entertain their fans.

You get attached to Liam’s humility, Harry’s charm, Zayn’s mystique, Niall’s constant laughter and Louis’ adorable, unpredictable humor. The boys have done a remarkable job of remaining unchanged by their recent super-fame. Their attitudes and down-right crazy antics of their latest video diary still match those found sitting in a poorly-lit stairwell of “1D Video Diary X-Factor Week One.”

The charm of their music may be slightly attributed to the images that come to mind, when it is heard. When fans listen to the music, they think of the boys, their jokes, their laughter, their smiles: the true trick to winning a fan’s heart.

The boys are also open about everything to their fans, nearly. They don’t try to hide their immaturity and irresponsibility, and aren’t working to uphold that fake innocence and “picture perfect image” most teen bands are pressured to maintain. The way they disregard their production team to remain who they are, teenage boys that is, with constant mischief. The boys are known for cracking dirty jokes during their interviews or highlighting their fake interband relationships such as the famous Larry Stylinson, Louis and Harry’s couple name, they reveal the attitudes of any five normal teenage boys – unchanged by fame. Even their concerts have a honest quality about them, with minimal choreography and production, each concert is original and holds spontaneous quirks only ever experienced by the crowd in the stands at that time- making it all feel more personal and unique for every fan.

The boys’ enticing desirability has spawned millions of fan-girl Twitter accounts, thousands of dedicated fan-sites, entire tours sold out in 12 minutes, mass-produced replica 1D dolls and one of the largest and most dedicated fandoms, consisting of hundreds of millions of ‘Directioners’ worldwide.

No matter your opinion on pop bands, the second you hear a snippet of one of their songs, catch a glimpse of their addicting video diaries or read a story of their rebellious and carefree antics, you’ll be hooked. Yes, to many people of the world, hating the entire “boy-band” phenomenon seems to be the most dignified thing to do, but it’s a right challenge to try and avoid the lethal epidemic that is One Direction Infection for which, there is no cure.