What Makes You Beautiful

The debut single from the British-Irish group One Direction arrived on September 11, 2011, as a defining moment for teen pop in the early 2010s. Written by Savan Kotecha, Rami Yacoub, and Julian Bunetta, the track relies on an uptempo power pop structure with a driving guitar riff and a chorus built around a repetitive "na na na" hook. The lyrics depict a young man trying to reassure an insecure partner that she is beautiful despite her own doubts.

Commercial performance was immediate and substantial. The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart after setting a pre-order record for Sony Music Entertainment with 153,965 copies sold in its first week. It reached the top of the charts in Ireland and Scotland while securing top ten positions in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan. In the United States, the single peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually earned quadruple platinum certification from the RIAA by June 2016, representing 4.8 million units sold.

The accompanying music video premiered on YouTube on August 19, 2011, under the direction of John Urbano. Shot on a beach in Malibu, California, the clip features the five band members interacting with fans and each other before it went on to win three MTV Video Music Awards in 2012: Best Group, Best Pop Video, and Best Choreography. Critics praised the song's catchy sensibility and its direct appeal to a teenage demographic, leading to a Brit Award for British Single of the Year later that same year. [edit]