One Direction, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ – Song Review

U.K. boyband vocalists One Direction feature a poppy guitar riff and a healthy dose of cowbell on their debut single, 'What Makes You Beautiful.'

The British-Irish singers, who got their start on the U.K. version of 'The X Factor,' where they finished third, sing about a girl who lacks confidence and doesn't realize that she is attractive:

"Baby you light up my world like nobody else / The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed / But you when smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell / You don't know, you don't know you're beautiful / If only you saw what I can see / You'll understand why I want you so desperately / Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe / You don't know, you don't know you're beautiful."

The song has been blowing up the U.K. charts, thanks to its fun vibe and interesting music video, featuring lots of beach scenery and an awesome vintage VW van. The boys obviously have talent; they were mentored on 'X Factor' by Simon Cowell, who has predicted huge things for them.

With just a moderately catchy hook and somewhat lightweight lyrics, 'What Makes You Beautiful' is a so-so effort, but as an introductory single for a teen pop band still discovering its sound, it's more than acceptable. The track will likely appear on their still-untitled debut album.

Listen to One Direction, 'What Makes You Beautiful'