▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁as ▁One ▁D irection ▁worked ▁with ▁produ cers ▁Carl ▁F alk , ▁Sav an ▁K ote cha , ▁Steve ▁Mac , ▁Red One , ▁T oby ▁G ad ▁and ▁R ami ▁Y ac ou b , ▁among ▁others . ▁The ▁album ▁also ▁features ▁songs ▁written ▁by ▁Ed ▁She er an , ▁Kelly ▁Clark son , ▁and ▁Tom ▁F let cher . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁K ote cha ▁spoke ▁to ▁Digital ▁Sp y , ▁and ▁he ▁elabor ated ▁that ▁One ▁D irection ▁were ▁" ex periment ing " ▁with ▁sounds ▁on ▁their ▁debut ▁album . ▁K ote cha ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁" ear ly ▁stages " ▁of ▁producing ▁the ▁record . ▁" The ▁stuff ▁I ' ve ▁heard ▁has ▁been ▁really ▁catch y ▁and ▁everyone ▁lov es ▁the ▁guys , ▁so ▁it ' s ▁just ▁about ▁capt uring ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁music , ▁which ▁I ▁think ▁is ▁what ▁they ' re ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁doing ." ▁Son ny ▁Tak har , ▁the ▁chief ▁executive ▁officer ▁of ▁Sy co ▁Records , ▁in ▁an ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁issue ▁of ▁Music ▁Week , ▁described ▁the ▁recording ▁process ▁as ▁a ▁" very ▁int ensive ▁period " ▁for ▁the ▁group . ▁Tak har ▁added ▁the ▁resulting ▁album ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁pop ▁records ▁made ▁by ▁Sy co ▁Records ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁few ▁years , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁confident ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁successful . ▁In ▁November ▁