The history of the boy band in popular music doesn’t have a definitive start date, but the latest and most popular modern incarnation sets up shop in the KFC Yum! Center on Sunday, June 16 as One Direction brings their brand of harmony to Louisville. 5 Seconds of Summer opens the proceedings amidst the teen screams that are sure to emanate from 2nd and Main Streets for the majority of the evening.
The English and Irish members of the band came together under the tutelage of Simon Cowell after each member auditioned separately on the British version of “The X Factor.” Someone mentioned that they should compete as a group, which they did.
That’s not the fairytale beginning however. They only finished third on the show. The real dream began when Cowell signed them to his Sysco Records label despite the fact that the boys did not win. That put them in the studio right after the obligatory X Factor contestant tour in 2010.
By 2011, the “Up All Night” album was finished and hit the charts by rocketing to number one. The big hit single “What Makes You Beautiful” achieved platinum status. A world tour followed that brought members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson to the heights of rock star fame.
If life was good then, imagine 2012 was even better. The album “Take Me Home” shot to the top of the charts and yielded hits like “Live While We’re Young,” “Little Things” and “Kiss You.” Then, to make it better still, MTV voted the group Artist of the Year. Not bad for five guys who didn’t even know each other just two years prior.
To say their popularity is off the chain might be understating it. 8 million albums and 14 millions singles have been sold to date. In an era where all records companies are singing the blues about their own poverty, One Direction has found pop music success. With that, they’re sharing some time with fans in Louisville on their 2013 World Tour.
The show is sold out via conventional methods. The best bet to get tickets would be through online ticket brokers, but time is running out.
