Simon Cowell had a lightbulb moment.
One Direction’s Zayn Malik and Ella Henderson are celebrating their birthdays today. Zayn is 21 and Ella 18.
How One Direction Got Back To Pop Radio’s Top 10
‘Story of My Life’ becomes the boy band’s first Pop Songs top 10 since its debut hit ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ six singles ago. Programmers share insights as to why ‘Story’ has soared
One Direction enjoys upward direction on Billboard’s Nielsen BDS-based Pop Songs radio airplay chart, as the folk-inflected “Story of My Life” lifts 11-10. The song becomes the boy band’s second top 10 at the format and first since its pure-pop debut entry “What Makes You Beautiful” reached No. 3 in 2012. In between, the quintet’s next five chart hits peaked between Nos. 15 and 19 on the survey.
Read more: Billboard
One Direction merchandise: 27 pictures and a small amount of commentary
A month or so before Christmas, we started noticing how much One Direction merchandise it was possible to buy.
We started taking pictures of merchandise when we saw it.
Some sort of blog post at some point in the future must have been the vague subconscious plan, but there wasn’t really a point to these photos.
There certainly wasn’t a “let’s take a photograph of every One Direction trinket it’s possible to buy” agenda.
We didn’t actively seek out One Direction merchandise.
All we did was take a snap every time we saw a One Direction item while we were looking for something else.
There was quite a lot of it.
Read more: Popjustice
Harry Styles ‘forbids Kendall Jenner from filming KUWTK scenes with him while they are dating’
Harry Styles may have found fame on one reality series, but it doesn’t mean he’s keen to join another.
The One Direction star has reportedly banned Kendall Jenner from inviting cameras for her family’s TV series Keeping Up With The Kardashians, to film them while they are dating.
The show’s producers are pushing for video footage of the two, but Harry, 19, is reportedly adamant that Kendall cannot turn their burgeoning relationship into fodder for her reality show.
Read more: Daily Mail
Tatt’s your lot! Zayn Malik adds final design to intricate sleeve tattoo during New Year break … but Perrie Edwards is forced to wait at local pub as fans clamour outside
He’s been enjoying a New Year break with fiancée Perrie Edwards on the south coast – and Zayn Malik put his free time to good use by adding the final design to his sleeve tattoo.
The 21-year-old singer called into Weymouth ink specialists Tattoo Magic last Tuesday to add the design that completes his intricate sleeve tattoo – a crying eye with tears that transform into smoke and clouds around his right elbow.
Having previously called in last June, when hundreds of baying female fans clamoured to get a glimpse of the star while he had a wolf etched onto his lower left leg, Zayn reportedly asked the owner if he would lock the door while he sat for his latest piece of body art.
Read more: Daily Mail
Surprise! Perrie Edwards whisks fiancé Zayn Malik to Disneyland Paris to celebrate his 21st birthday
They’re both part of hugely successful bands and are kept busy with their various professional commitments.
So when Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik both had some time off to celebrate his 21st birthday, the Little Mix singer decided to go all out to surprise her beau on the occasion.
The pretty blonde treated the One Direction heartthrob to a trip to Disneyland Paris earlier this week ahead of his big day on 12th January.
Read more: Daily Mail
XFactor’s Nicholas McDonald signs RCA record deal
X Factor 2013 runner up Nicholas McDonald has apparently signed a record deal with RCA.
The Scottish singer finished second to Sam Bailey in last year’s final and has also scooped himself a record deal, The Sun newspaper reports.
A friend told the newspaper: “He is over the moon right now.
“It’s every X Factor contestant’s dream to get a deal like this, particularly someone as young as Nicholas. He’s absolutely thrilled.”
Nicky himself hasn’t confirmed the signing but did hint at it on Twitter this week by tweeting: “BIG NEWS COMING UP …..I love you all”
Read more: TellyMix
X Factor EXCLUSIVE: Tamera Foster DOES have a deal with Sony & she reveals what type of music she wants to release
I had the AMAZING opportunity to catch up with the insanely talented Tamera Foster this week and it was such a pleasure to speak to her.
Throughout The X Factor, Tamera was my firm favourite to go on and win the show, but unfortunately, she was given the boot in week 8 – which was far too early in my humble opinion. However, when I caught up with Tamera this week, she revealed that she does indeed have a deal with Sony and we had a little chat about what sort of music she’d like to release.
Read more: Unreality TV
X Factor EXCLUSIVE: Luke Friend confirms he HAS been talking to record labels & life has been CRAZY since The X Factor ended
I recently caught up with Luke Friend to see what he has been up to since The X Factor came to an end last month, and it seems he has been really busy.
Whilst on the phone with Luke, he even got mobbed by a load of fans, so that tells you how much his fans love him. However, he has dismissed the rumour that he’s not been offered any sort of record deal…
Read more: Unreality TV
Mystery of Kylie ‘snub’ to X Factor: She claims she rejected Cowell but show insiders say she was never ‘seriously considered’
The Voice star Kylie Minogue has revealed that she snubbed Simon Cowell’s offer of a chance to appear on his rival talent show The X Factor.
Kylie, 45, appeared on the BBC1 singing competition for the first time last night after a major overhaul of judges, following the exit of Jessie J and Danny O’Donoghue.
The Australian pop superstar said last week that she had previously been approached by The X Factor.
Her sister Dannii had appeared on the ITV show before a bitter public feud with TV mogul Cowell.
But sources connected to Cowell’s show insisted to The Mail on Sunday that the singer had ‘never been in serious consideration’ for a judging role on The X Factor.
Her younger sister Dannii, 42, appeared alongside Simon Cowell on The X Factor between 2007 and 2010 but fell out with her co-star when he allowed details of their romantic fling to be revealed in an ‘unauthorised’ biography.
Read more: Daily Mail
‘I had a lightbulb moment’: Simon Cowell to instate ‘free voting’ on X Factor ‘to engage younger viewers’
Simon Cowell is preparing to make voting for contestants on X Factor free to help boost the engagement of young people, it’s been claimed.
A source said: ‘Simon is determined to introduce free voting this year because it will reinvent the show. It will mean millions more young people will be able to vote on websites like Twitter.’
The music mogul, 54, took to Twitter, saying: ‘Next year on our shows the rules change. I had a light bulb moment two weeks ago.’
Read more: Daily Mail
_ _ _
Irish Charts
Singles
1 Pharrell Williams – Happy
.
8 Sam Bailey – Skyscraper
11 One Direction – Story of My Life
17 Little Mix – Move
23 Gary Barlow – Let Me Go
27 One Direction – Best Song Ever
28 Little Mix – Little Me
46 One Direction – Midnight Memories
70 James Arthur – You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You
92 One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
Albums
1 Ellie Goulding – Halcyon Days
.
3 One Direction – Midnight Memories
7 Gary Barlow – Since I Saw You Last
14 Robbie Williams – Swings Both Ways (features Olly Murs and Kelly Clarkson)
17 One Direction – Up All Night
20 James Arthur – James Arthur
24 Little Mix – Salute
25 Olly Murs – Right Place, Right Time
31 One Direction – Take Me Home
_ _ _
The Official Charts
Singles
1 Pharrell Williams – Happy
.
14 Little Mix – Little Me
20 One Direction – Story of My Life
22 Gary Barlow – Let Me Go
23 Sam Bailey – Skyscraper
29 Little Mix – Move
60 One Direction – Best Song Ever
90 One Direction – Midnight Memories
98 Olly Murs – Dear Darlin’
Albums
1 Ellie Goulding – Halcyon Days
.
3 Gary Barlow – Since I Saw You Last
6 Robbie Williams – Swings Both Ways (features Olly Murs and Kelly Clarkson)
12 One Direction – Midnight Memories
17 Olly Murs – Right Place, Right Time
29 James Arthur – James Arthur
33 Little Mix – Salute
47 Rebecca Ferguson – Freedom
51 One Direction – Take Me Home
58 One Direction – Up All Night
87 JLS – Goodbye The Greatest Hits
100 Union J – Union J
