It’s not every group of teen idols who would tweet pictures of their most popular member in his underwear. Or would talk on their YouTube channel about wetting their trousers, or blab about how much they like to drink in their time off.
Disclosures on that order have become a central part of the marketing scheme behind One Direction, the singlemost popular teen act to hit the U.S. since the ’90s.
“They’re the perfect teen act for the Tumbler-slash-Twitter generation,” says Keith Caulfield, Billboard’s chart czar.
In other words, they’re the first to fully recognize the value of sharing “too much information” in a world where there’s no longer any such thing.
Each of their group’s five members has his own feverishly-employed Twitter account, with between 3 and 4 million followers apiece. In addition, they have a group account with its own 4 million eyeball count.
That flirty underwear footage — now viewed some 960,000 times on YouTube — captures the fivesome’s most screech-worthy member: Harry Styles, a kid who earned that coveted position mainly by having the floppiest hair. (Imagine Justin Bieber’s old shaggy ’do mixed with a Shetland pony.)
Harry’s choice of undergarments has equal significance. “Notice that Harry’s boxers are black, not white,” observes Matthew Rettenmund, editor of Popstar magazine. “Bad boys wear black.”
Such relative edginess has helped make One Direction the first teen idol group of genuine commercial prominence since the ancient days of the the Backstreet Boys and ’N Sync. When the first CD by this U.K. concoction, “Up All Night,” came out in March, it became the first debut by a Brit band in history to open at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. Their initial U.S. single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” had the highest charting start for a U.K. band in 14 years, making them Britain’s sole hit teen-scream act in the U.S. since the Spice Girls back in the age of Clinton.
This weekend, the five guys — aged 18 to 20 — play four sold-out shows in our area: Friday at the Izod Center, Saturday and Sunday at the Beacon, then Monday at the Garden. They’re so confident of their staying power, they've already put on sale tickets for three shows at Jones Beach and the Izod for next summer.
Such blockbuster successes starkly contrastan act like the Jonas Brothers, who were supposed to take over the teen world five years ago, but whose hype outdistanced their sales. “They were family and talked about saving themselves for marriage,” Caulfield says. “Maybe that’s not as appealing anymore. One Direction are five guys who definitely aren’t wearing promise rings.”
More, they have the exotica of coming from the U.K., a factor which, after drawing yawns from several generations of Americans, seems to have some of the allure today that the stars of the original ’60s British Invasion had. “It’s tantalizing that they’re from the U.K. and that they’re cheeky,” says Rettenmund. “It’s exciting just that they use the word cheeky.”
It helped that the group had far more time to build their following in the U.S. than grownups may be aware. Back in 2010, the members first performed individually on Simon Cowell’s Brit version of “The X Factor.” But the judges liked them more as a group, so they anointed them one.
While most teen groups are cast behind the scenes, One Direction became the first to be assembled right in front of the audience, making fans feel a part of the process. News of the group’s rare ascent had enough buzz to make its way to teen girls in this country. “The Internet knows no boundaries,” says Caulfield.
The group earned added buzz when member Zayn Malik dated a woman 7 years older than himself: Rebecca Ferguson, another “X Factor” contestant. (In the end, she beat them, coming in second to One Direction’s third). To boot, Malik’s presence in the group gives them an au courant, ethnic twist. His dad is half Pakistani.
The group’s music — oh yeah , that — also holds some small distinction. It lacks even a whiff of R&B or rap. Instead it opts for the very now sound of pure pop.
One Direction isn’t the only teen group currently making the scene. There’s also The Wanted and Big Time Rush, but those acts rank as fleas on One Direction's ample rump. Neither has made as smart use of the latest social networking tools. “It’s not something anyone trying to break an act should even have to think of as a strategy anymore,” Caulfield says. “It’s all this generation of teen girls has known. It has a life of its own.”
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