Midnight Memories | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 25 November 2013 | |||
Recorded | December 2012 – September 2013 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 47:41 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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One Direction chronology | ||||
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Singles from Midnight Memories | ||||
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Midnight Memories is the third studio album by English-Irish boy band One Direction, released on 25 November 2013 by Columbia Records, Syco Music and Sony Music. It was described as having a "slightly rockier tone" than their previous efforts.[1] The album became the fastest-selling album in Amazon UK history, breaking the record set by their previous release, Take Me Home (2012).[2] It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, making One Direction the first group in history to debut at number one in the US with their first three albums.[3] Despite being released five weeks before the year's end, Midnight Memories nevertheless became the best-selling album of 2013 as listed by the IFPI, with sales of four million copies.[4][5] The album was supported by four singles: "Best Song Ever", "Story of My Life", the album's title track "Midnight Memories", and "You & I".
Upon the album's release, Midnight Memories received mixed reviews from music critics. Many critics praised the lyrical depth and musical composition on the album, as well as the group's level of involvement in the production process. However, others argued that the material was less memorable than their previous work and felt the themes were not as mature as expected.[6] To promote the album, One Direction embarked on their Where We Are Tour in 2014, with this being their third world tour and their first stadium concert tour.