 After being formed and finishing third in the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010 , One Direction were signed to Syco Music . The number was written by August Rigo and Steve Mac , and was produced by Mac . One Direction premiered the single on BBC Radio 1 on 19 October 2011 , with confirmation that it would serve as the second cut from Up All Night , following their debut single , " What Makes You Beautiful " , which topped the UK Singles Chart in September of that year . Member Zayn Malik , in an October interview with Digital Spy , characterised " Gotta Be You " as " a bit more emotive " than their debut single . It was released by Syco Music via digital download in Ireland and United Kingdom on 11 November 2011 and 13 November , respectively . In both countries , the digital download contains the principal recording , its B @-@ side , " Another World " , and two remixes of the song itself . 
