Other singles included “Perfect” and “History”. The boys worked incredibly hard on their fifth album, Made in the A.M., from which “Drag Me Down” was the lead single. News soon broke that he had signed a solo deal with RCA Records and he now records as ZAYN. Whilst fans were originally told that he wanted to live a normal life, he explained later that being in the band was taking a toll on his mental health, and he wanted to produce his own music that was more his style. Directioners were left shocked and confused as to why Zayn departed. On March 25, 2015, it was announced that Zayn Malik was leaving the band. Their fans, often dubbed ‘Directioners’, loved “No Control” so much that they campaigned for it to be a single, though it was never officially released as one. Fan favorites included “Steal My Girl,” “Night Changes,” and “No Control”. The band’s fourth album, appropriately named Four, continued the pattern of each album’s increasing maturity. The music video for “Best Song Ever” even broke the one-day Vevo record, racking up 10.9 million views in 24 hours.

Singles including “Best Song Ever” and “Story of My Life” became smash hits. Their third album, Midnight Memories, introduced a maturer sound to previous albums. Propelled to international success by the power of social media, their two albums Up All Night and Take Me Home, released in 20 respectively, broke several records, topped the charts of most major markets, and generated hit singles, including “What Makes You Beautiful”, “One Thing” and “Live While We’re Young.” Check out their journey on the competition here.

They signed with Simon Cowell’s record label Syco Records after being formed and finishing third in the seventh series of the British televised singing competition The X Factor in 2010.

One Direction is an English-Irish pop band based in London, consisting of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik.

One direction history of band