S Poddar
The fans of One Direction have catapulted the boyband’s five-album catalog back into the Top 40 charts in the UK following the tragic death of Liam Payne last week.
The third album, “Midnight Memories,” issued in 2013, topped the list at No. 13. “Four” came at No. 22, “Take Me Home” at No. 25, and their debut album “Up All Night” at No. 38. This boom depicts how One Direction has sustained its vitality even for its fans and the music industry.
In addition to their albums, three One Direction singles also reached No. 1. “Night Changes” improved to a new high at No. 6, “Story of My Life” followed close behind at No. 9, and “What Makes You Beautiful” re-entered at No. 23. Payne’s solo effort also roared back, but with three of his hits re-charting, out-of-the-Top-40.
31-year-old Liam Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital. Police found evidence that he had consumed drugs inside the hotel room. Sources said toxicology reports showed that Payne had mixed methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, that has been nicknamed “pink cocaine,” crack cocaine and benzodiazepine. His body will be repatriated to the UK at the beginning of next week.
One Direction was put together in 2010 on the reality TV series The X Factor, which they finished third from bottom; however, the boyband swiftly gained fame. They did not win The X Factor but they were one of the UK’s most successful pop acts, and it is estimated that they sold 70 million records worldwide within six years. They topped both the albums and singles chart four times in the UK and spent a total of 329 weeks inside the Top 75 singles chart.
Other notable acts, this week as well: Kylie Minogue scored her 10th No 1 album with “Tension II,” the sequel to last year’s chart-topper “Tension.” New chart-entrants in the Top 10 are Rag’n’Bone Man at No 5 and Confidence Man at No 9.
However, Sabrina Carpenter is still a priority at number one on the singles chart with “Taste.” This now marks nine successive weeks at the top, and it’s pretty clear that, even though One Direction had long since gone on hiatus when Payne died, the heartbreak over his death has extended the band’s popularity beyond its own lifespan.
