One Direction storm US charts with debut single

Image source, PA

Image caption, One Direction picked up the Brit award for best single
  • Author, Greg Cochrane
  • Role, Newsbeat music reporter

One Direction have scored the highest chart position from a UK act with a debut single in the US for nearly 14 years.

What Makes You Beautiful sold 132,000 downloads in its first week reaching number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The song reached number 12 on the digital songs chart.

The group won the award for best British single at Tuesday's Brit Awards for What Makes You Beautiful.

Brit success

It's the highest US entry since Jimmy Ray's Are You Jimmy Ray reached number 26 in February 1998.

The last UK act to see their debut track chart higher was the Spice Girls in 1997 - they scored a number 11 hit in January 1997. It later went to number one.

One Direction's next single in the States will be Up All Night.

Back in the UK the X Factor boy band have announced a UK arena tour for early 2013.

Meanwhile, Adele's album 21 remains number one on the Billboard Top 200.

Nielsen Soundscan reports that the London singer sold 730,000 copies the week after she picked up six Grammy Awards.

At Tuesday's Brit Awards the singer picked up prizes for British female solo artist and British album of the year.