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SALT LAKE CITY — A band of Britons has again overtaken the United States, and some are saying the country is beginning to experience its next case of Beatlemania.
One Direction, a five-member boy band that competed on the seventh season of the U.K.'s "X-Factor," threatens to become to today's teens what The Beatles were to the teens' grandparents decades ago.
Masses of screaming fans camp outside wherever the group happens to be meeting on a certain day, hoping for even a glimpse of the boys as they travel around town. Legions of followers unite on social media, hoping their combined efforts will bring One Direction to a city near them.
In Salt Lake City, "#UtahWants1DConcert" was one of the top-10 most mentioned phrases on Twitter Friday morning. Fans of the group hoped to catch the members' attention as top-40 radio station 97.1 ZHT interviewed the band.
One Direction does not currently have plans to perform in Salt Lake City.
Part of the popularity of the group may be that it is again OK to find "boy bands" cool — something that has not been a consistent part of American popular culture since the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC dominated the airwaves around the turn of the century.
Another reason for the band's success in the U.S. may be the use of social media by fans: trending topics on Twitter and shares on Facebook have helped spread knowledge of the group far faster than the publicity tour the group is currently on ever would.
And the intense popularity of the group may bring its members to the U.S., as is what happened with The Beatles in 1964. One Direction already has already gone double-platinum in the U.K., and their debut album, "Up All Night," threatens to debut at number one, according to Billboard.
Since its release Tuesday, "Up All Night" has been the most-downloaded album on iTunes, and it is expected to sell between 160,000 and 180,000 copies. And judging by the thousands of fans that show up at every media appearance, the group will not disappoint.
They have said that, depending on the demand, a U.S. summer tour could be a possibility. For now, a March 31 appearance on Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards will have to suffice.
