2012
BIOGRAPHY
One Direction: The UK’s Record-Breaking Boy Band
One Direction is a boy band consisting of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan. The group was formed during the 10th season of The X Factor UK when each of the members initially auditioned as solo artists. However, they were later brought together to form a group, which ultimately led to them signing a record deal with Simon Cowell’s label.
Following their formation, they began recording in Los Angeles and Sweden, and in November 2011, they released their debut album Up All Night. The album quickly gained popularity, and after a promotional tour, it achieved number one on the US charts, making history as the first UK group to debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In November 2012, Harry Styles was rumored to be dating Taylor Swift, further attracting media attention. That same month, One Direction released their second album, Take Me Home. The following year, in 2013, they released their third album, Midnight Memories. Impressively, all three albums debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200, setting a Guinness World Record for the only boy band to achieve such success.
While previous UK boy bands like Take That, Westlife, and Boyzone had also gained significant fame, One Direction’s global success was on a whole new level.
INTERVIEW
This is One Direction’s official interview conducted for the release of their album FOUR. On the day of the interview, Zayn was absent due to illness, but the rest of the members participated.
"I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being famous... or maybe I will?" (Niall)
How do you feel about the release of FOUR? Liam Payne: Everyone is really excited. This album has been in the making for a long time—longer than any of our previous albums—so we’re really looking forward to sharing it with our fans as soon as possible.
Did you have any particular vision for the sound of the album? Harry Styles: Since we had already established the sound of Midnight Memories, we wanted to build upon that and take things even further with this album. The sound has evolved a little, and I think it has naturally matured as well. We’re really proud of how it turned out. It still feels like us, but it has a grander, more refined sound. Everyone is super excited. We even worked on the album while touring, so it felt like we were balancing two things at once.
Liam, you were quite involved in the production of this album, right? Liam: Yeah, there were a lot of great songs to choose from, but when we put together the album, some just didn’t feel like the right fit. Still, we recorded so many tracks, and in the end, the album turned out to be a much bigger project than I originally expected. I was honestly surprised at how much we accomplished.
What was the songwriting process like? Liam: It was more fulfilling than I could have imagined. There were times we stayed up working until 8 AM because we were so immersed in it.
Louis: Yeah, it was really fun. We’d all get together, relax, and just start working. Before we knew it, we had spent hours creating something we were proud of. When a great idea came to us, we didn’t want to stop writing. There were times we just didn’t want to leave the studio.
Most of the songs were written by you guys along with songwriters, right? How was that experience? Louis Tomlinson: Yeah, it was really great. Working with talented songwriters like Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic was inspiring. After that experience, I knew I wanted to be even more involved in the songwriting process going forward.
Liam: For me, writing songs is the best creative outlet. Sometimes, even when we couldn’t physically be with our fans, writing music felt like a way to stay connected to them.
Was there ever a time when a song didn’t feel right and you had to start over? Liam: Yeah, plenty of times. Sometimes we’d have what seemed like a great idea, but once we actually heard it, it didn’t quite fit. But that’s all part of the fun—reworking things until they’re just right.
Once again, Ed Sheeran has contributed a song to this album. What do you think about working with him? Harry: He’s amazing. Honestly, we’re so lucky to have the opportunity to work with such talented people. Ed is incredibly gifted, and I feel really lucky that he still wants to work with us. I’d love to collaborate with him again.
Do you have a favorite song from FOUR? Niall: Yeah, "Fireproof" was one of my favorites right from the start. It just has this really warm, feel-good energy.
Liam: The harmonies on that track are incredible, and the backing vocals really stand out.
Niall: Yeah, I love how different the songs on this album sound from each other. "Steal My Girl" feels very different from the rest of the album, which is cool.
What was it like working with Danny DeVito for the "Steal My Girl" music video? Niall: It was absolutely surreal. He was such a relaxed, easygoing guy, and the fact that he agreed to be in our music video was amazing. We were so grateful to have him on set.
Liam: Yeah, I even posted about it on Twitter. It was such a crazy experience to work with someone like him.
Since you were on a stadium tour while making this album, did that affect the way you wrote the songs? Liam: Definitely. We were constantly thinking about how the songs would sound in a stadium setting. The album naturally turned into something that felt made for live performances.
What was it like shooting the music video with Danny DeVito? Niall: He was hilarious. He brought such a great energy to the set. It was an honor to work with him.
Are you looking forward to performing these songs live? Louis: Absolutely! We kept the live performances in mind while making the album, so it’s going to be amazing to finally play these songs for the fans.
What do your fans mean to you? Harry: They mean everything to us. No matter how much time passes, we’re always in awe of their support. Sometimes we think, “Will fans slowly start to drift away?” But they never do. They’re always there for us.
Liam: We always try to put messages in our songs that we want to share with them. This album is kind of like a little box filled with pieces of who we are.
Do you think you’ll ever get used to being famous? Niall: I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it… or maybe I will?
Louis: I think the hardest part is accepting that you are a “celebrity.” But once you accept it, you just learn to enjoy the experience.
Liam: Yeah, we’ve thought about it a lot. But instead of overthinking, it’s better to just go with the flow and enjoy the ride.
Are you excited for the American Music Awards? Liam: Yeah! I still remember the first time we performed there, I was so nervous. I even locked eyes with R. Kelly in the audience, and for a second, I just froze. It was one of those surreal moments where I thought, “Wow, this is my life now.”
What do you want for Christmas? Harry: I have no idea. My mom always asks me what I want, but I never know what to say.
Liam: Same here. I never know what I want for Christmas.
Harry: Honestly, I just end up getting socks every year. But hey, you can never have too many socks, right?
What message do you want to convey through this album? Liam: We just want people to enjoy this new sound. Out of all our albums, I think this one captures us the most. It has a fresh energy to it, and the things we wanted to express are packed into this little box called FOUR.*
HARRY STYLES
What is Harry Styles' life motto!? A look back at 18-year-old Harry—so charming even back then! Excerpt from his first-ever official interview in Japan INTERVIEW: AI ANAZAWA
"Every day is so busy, and no matter where I go, people recognize me as Harry Styles. But we’re just a group of 18, 19, and 20-year-old guys (now 21–23). Being in the spotlight is fun, and we’re all really close. That’s why every day is exciting."
Were you the type to be loved by everyone as a child? Were girls always drawn to you? Harry: There were always a lot of girls at school, yeah. And I had good friendships with them as well. So, I don’t know…
You were raised by your mother, right? Do you think that influenced how you interact with women? Harry: Yeah, maybe. I guess it helped me understand how to talk to girls and how to treat them.
Niall once mentioned that One Direction was like having "built-in best friends." What was it like suddenly being in a group with these guys? Harry: It’s been amazing. Like you said, I didn’t grow up with brothers, so getting to experience tour life together feels like I suddenly have big brothers. It’s been great.
Was there anything that took time to adjust to? Harry: Not really. We didn’t have to try hard to get along—it just happened naturally. I think we were really lucky to click so well right from the start. It all just fell into place perfectly.
You’ve always seemed so close, but you and Louis Tomlinson had an especially strong bond, right? Harry: Yeah, when we started living together, we got along really well. We have a similar sense of humor, so we just clicked immediately. From the beginning, we were good friends, and since we lived together, that bond only grew stronger.
When you have something on your mind, do you still go to Louis first? Harry: Hmm… now I feel like I can talk to any of the members about anything.
As a kid, were you always into music? Harry: I loved it. I’d sing along to songs in the car, and I’d always have music playing in my room. I think I grew up knowing music would always be a big part of my life.
You were in a band called White Eskimo. What kind of music did you play? Harry: We did covers—Blink-182, Nickelback, Bryan Adams… and we also played Jet’s "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" We tried all kinds of music. It was really fun.
So it was more of a rock band? Harry: Yeah, pretty much.
What do you like listening to now? Harry: Lately, I’ve been into The Beatles. I also love The Rolling Stones, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Simon & Garfunkel. That kind of classic sound really speaks to me.
Any recent artists you like? Harry: I like The Maccabees. And, well… a lot of different things, really.
Who in One Direction is the biggest music geek? Harry: Hmm… I think we all love music in our own way. Niall listens to a lot of chart music and keeps up with what’s trending.
You don’t dance much on stage. Is that a conscious choice? Harry: It’s not that I decided not to dance—it’s just that I don’t really know how! Also, we want to be ourselves, and if I suddenly started busting out dance moves, it wouldn’t feel like me.
Do you read books? Harry: I haven’t read much recently, but a few weeks ago, I read a book about Buddhism.
Are you interested in Buddhism? Harry: It seemed interesting, so I gave it a read.
Did you learn anything from it? Harry: Yeah, I find mindfulness and meditation really fascinating. The book had some really interesting insights.
Do you have a life motto? Harry: Not really, but I try not to take things too seriously. At the same time, I want to dedicate myself fully to whatever I do. I also make sure not to do things that would hurt others. If you put good energy into the world, good things will come back to you.
Do you have a favorite comedian? Harry: Yeah, I really like Sean Lock—he’s hilarious. Michael McIntyre is great, too.
What about David Walliams and Little Britain? Harry: Oh yeah, that show is really funny.
David once made a joke on Channel 4 about wanting to, uh… do something explicit with you. Harry: Yeah, I heard about that. I guess that means I’m good-looking, right?
Do you ever wear cologne? Harry: Nah, I don’t really use it.
What’s the hardest part of being famous? Harry: Not being able to see my friends as much. I miss the people I used to spend every day with. But at the same time, I get to do what I love, so I can’t complain.
Do you call your mom often? Harry: Yeah, I try to call her almost every day. Sometimes I’m too busy, but whenever I have time, I make sure to check in.
Thanks for today, Harry. Harry (in Japanese): Arigatou gozaimasu!
FACT FILE
NAME: Harry Edward Styles
DATE OF BIRTH: February 1, 1994
PLACE OF BIRTH: Holmes Chapel, UK
FAVORITE ARTISTS: The Beatles, Coldplay, Foster the People, Kings of Leon
