It's always great as a performer to get a huge act to collaborate with you, as it amplifies both attention and sales for your wares. One Direction is among a few acts that surpass basic stardom, and can maneuver its massive fan base into supporting other performers via simple social media interactions. Several acts have experienced what's being called the "One Direction" effect in the last year.
Jason Derulo is the most familiar to American audiences. His single "Talk Dirty," which is currently the third-most downloaded song in the United States, has been a hit in Europe for much longer. One Direction posted a video on YouTube of its members dancing shirtless to the track. That was in November, before American audiences had warmed to the song. Fan remakes of the One Direction video spread like wildfire, and doubled downloads from a mere 4,000 to 8,000 in one week. The track sold 242,000 copies last week.
Little Mix, a British girl group, has the benefit of member Perrie Edwards being engaged to One Direction member Zayn Malik. Mix hasn't released a single in the United States for its new album Salute, and yet the record debuted at no. 6 on the Billboard 200, selling 43,000 copies. The explanation could lie in One Direction's influence: Malik tweeted words of support for his future wife's group, and the post got 90,000 retweets. Fellow One Direction member Niall Horan did the same and got 75,000 retweets. Who needs singles when you have a two individuals with nearly 30 million fTwitter followers between them in support?
Ed Sheeran owes at least a little of his current fame to One Direction, although to be fair they owe him as well. Sheeran wrote the tracks "Over You" and "Little Things" for the group, and that connection to the group has drawn the curiosity of "Directioners," allowing him to sell out huge venues. Of course, Sheeran also has Taylor Swift's dedicated fans on his side as well. It's who you know, not necessarily what you know.
