Pardon The Introduction: One Direction Shares A "Stan" Story

One Direction (@onedirection)

Home base: United Kingdom

Members: Niall Horan (@NiallOfficial), Zayn Malik (@zaynmalik), Liam Payne (@Real_Liam_Payne), Harry Styles (@Harry_Styles), Louis Tomlinson (@Louis_Tomlinson)

Album: Up All Night

Props: Best BRIT Single, 2012 BRIT Awards

The sound: Justin Beiber x 5

Download this: “What Makes You Beautiful”

Passport stamp: Simon Cowell can be a douchebag, but the man is a sniffing dog for talent. Which is why he pooled five X-Factor hopefuls into a squeaky-clean quintet with bubble gum pop sensibilities. With a UK fan base rivaling Belieber thirst, these barely legal blokes are only headed in one direction: Up.

Groupie think: “Somebody was ringing the bell outside my apartment," recalls Zayn. "I pick up the [intercom] phone and they’re like ‘Can we use your toilet?’ They must’ve been 16 or 17. I was like, 'Sorry, I’m not gonna let you in' and one of them went crazy, screaming and whacking the camera [laughs]."