Taylor Swift v One Direction Pop Slam!

Two of the biggest pop stars in the universe are about to

go into battle -

the sensational Taylor Swift against the mighty One Direction.

There can only be one winner, so stay right here.

I'm Amberley Lobo and this is Pop Slam!

Going head-to-head we've got...

# Hey, I don't know about you

# But I'm feeling 22! #

..Taylor Swift.

The American singer who's not only

one of the biggest pop stars in the world

but also one of the most successful country music singers

of all time.

And she's up against the phenomenon that is...

# Girl, if every time we touch... #

..One Direction.

These five heartthrobs - Harry, Niall, Louis, Liam and Zayn -

have taken the world by storm with their songs, charisma

and totally awesome hair.

# Yeah, yeah, yeah

# Yeah, yeah, yeah... #

This Pop Slam could not be bigger.

So, whose team are you on, Team T Swizz or Team 1D?

# Yeah, yeah

# And let me kiss you. #

Harry! I'll be pounding the pavement to find out everything

there is to know about their superstar lives

and see who deserves to win one of the coolest prizes in pop -

the Ambo!

There's only one way to win the Ambo, and that's by gaining

as many of my Ambo points as possible.

I'll be dishing them out over three slamming rounds of popocity,

where I meet the people who knew the stars back in the day,

then I check out how hard they've been working

and finally I scrutinise their style,

all before the big moment.

And the winner of the Ambo is...

This could get controversial,

so if you don't agree,

pop onto the CBBC website

and have your say.

Seriously, who do you think is going to win?

I mean, Taylor, she is one of the highest selling artists of all time.

And, well, so is One Direction.

It's a tough one. There's only one way to sort it.

It's time for Pop Slam!

Woo!

Round 1 - Pop potential.

This round is all about how our stars made it big.

# The story of my life

# I give her hope. #

One Direction are one of the biggest boy bands the world has ever seen.

Like, ever.

But before that, they were just five young boys living five normal lives

in totally different directions around the UK and Ireland.

# Losing him was blue like I've never known. #

And before Taylor Swift was THE princess of pop...

She was a teenage country music lover right here,

in Hendersonville, Tennessee!

So how did One Direction and Taylor Swift become

the superstars they are today?

I'm going to find out. First up...

# Let's go

# Crazy, crazy, crazy 'Till we see the sun. #

..1D.

# I know we only met But let's pretend it's love. #

OK, so if you don't know who One Direction are,

then what have you been doing?!

Seriously, they're, like, massive and have performed in front

of millions of people around the world!

But it wasn't always that way.

Back in 2010, they were just five guys with a dream,

and it totally came true! Here's how it happened.

# Tonight let's get some

# And live while we're young. #

Before the boys met, they had very different lives.

Want to know what they got up to?

When Liam Payne was a kid, he wasn't interested in singing.

Life for Liam was all about running.

# Yeah, get together

# Don't let the pictures... #

In Bradford, Zayn Malik would spend a lot of his time

in his younger years reading comics.

The blonde bombshell that is Niall Horan grew up in Mullingar,

in the Republic of Ireland,

where he started his singing career in his school choir.

# Every night

# Now I can't get enough... #

When Louis Tomlinson was in Sixth Form at Hall Cross School,

in Doncaster, he took the lead role in the school's production of Grease

as Danny Zuko.

But the aspiring star also had to work pretty hard -

he had a job in a cinema, as a waiter and in a toy store,

just like this one.

Got it, got it, got it... No way!

Now my collection is complete.

Best day of my life! Oh! I forgot about Harry...

# But I know that I won't forget her! #

Back before his 1D days, Harry would spend a lot of time

working at his local bakery in Holmes Chappell, Cheshire.

Now, I don't know if this is a fact,

but I'm pretty sure he would have spent a lot of time doing this.

But, of course, baking wasn't Harry's only talent.

When he was at secondary school, Harry was in a band called

White Eskimo with his friend Will,

and - oh, my giddy aunt - I'm actually going to meet the band

right now to chat about the Stylesmeister.

# You're never gonna teach me patience

# And I'm never gonna keep it on time

# And I'm never gonna know... #

Hey!

Sorry for the interruption. Alex, get here.

Guys, gather in. This is great.

Have I just interrupted an actual practice session?

Yeah.

# Can't wait I can't wait for this. #

White Eskimo is still going

and have just recorded this song, Can't Wait,

with Harry's friend, Will, now fronting the band.

# Never gonna miss this one

# Can't wait, I can't wait... #

I understand Harry Styles actually used to be in White Eskimo.

What was that like?

Yeah, it was cool. We used to annoy the music department a lot cos we'd

overstay our hours and stuff.

It was good. It was good.

# But you're never gonna teach me patience

# And I'm never gonna keep it on time. #

So, when he first started singing for your band,

-was he any good?

-Yeah. I mean, obviously he was quite nervous

to sing, the confidence levels weren't really there,

but I think that's like anything, really, isn't it?

So just needed to keep doing it more and more.

# We're already living in the best days of our lives. #

Gigging with your mates in a band is

a great way to get your pop career started, Harry Styles.

Have two rocktastic Ambo points

for gaining early front-man skills.

So, Harry was singing in his band and Liam, Niall, Zayn and Louis

were also trying to pursue their passions for singing.

So in 2010, they all decided to audition for The X Factor.

On the seventh series of The X Factor,

the five lads were put together to form...

They were mentored by Simon Cowell.

And from the word go, the public loved them.

# I'm all out of faith This is how I feel

# I'm cold and I am chained Lying naked on the floor. #

I remembered being back stage at The X Factor

the year One Direction were on us.

There was a special buzz around them at that time

and everybody on the show was very excited.

Um, it was evident

even then that they were going to be massive.

# Cos I'm already torn. #

It is fair to say that One Direction were a massive hit

with The X Factor viewers

and built a huge fan base week after week.

Have an Ambo point for being

generally lovable.

# Torn.... #

But despite being uber popular and making it to the live finals,

One Direction did not win The X Factor.

In fact, they came third, losing to Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson.

And, well, that was that.

Sad times.

Jokes, jokes, jokes!

See, even though they didn't win X Factor, Simon Cowell still saw

something pretty special in them,

so he signed them to his label for a cool £2 million.

Nice one, Si.

ALL: Woo!

Have three Ambo points

for getting signed, boys.

They may have landed a record deal after The X Factor, but they had to

make sure they lived up to the hype that had been built up around them

and release a killer first single.

A lot of people

come of The X Factor and, you know, aren't so successful.

So, it's really important

that your first single does well. Otherwise, the media can tend to

write you off quite quickly. There's not that many chances.

So, we needed a big, smash hit for the first single.

And a smash hit they got.

# Baby, you light up my world like nobody else. #

Their first single, What Makes You Beautiful,

was released in September, 2011, and went straight in at number one

and went on to become one of the best selling singles of all time.

Have four Ambo points for releasing

a legendary first single.

# You don't know you're beautiful

# Uh-oh

# That's what makes you beautiful. #

One Direction were on their way,

but they weren't the only ones who were destined for stardom.

Let's cross the pond to Tennessee, USA,

and check out Taylor Swift's story.

# Take me somewhere we can be alone. #

Taylor grew up in Pennsylvania.

When she was 14, she moved here, to Hendersonville, to be closer

to the home of country music, in Nashville.

# It's a love story

# Baby, just say yes. #

It was a good move, as Taylor is now one of the biggest singers

on the actual planet.

But her musical journey started at a very young age.

How young? Very young.

From the age of four, Taylor sang and acted in musical theatre.

She also loved writing, especially poetry.

This would lead to her love for song writing.

# Got a white dress

# It's a love story

# Baby, just say yes. #

Around here, the story goes that Taylor was so keen to get signed

she'd just walk into the big labels and go,

"Hey, my name is Taylor Swift and I'm a singer-songwriter

"and I really want to get signed."

But it didn't really work.

It did make her realise she needed something to stand out,

so she learnt how to play the guitar.

# Someday... #

And not just any old six-string guitar either.

Oh, no. Tiny T Swizzle upped it for a big 12-string guitar.

# Why you gotta be so mean? #

And it all paid off.

At just 14, Taylor's talents got spotted and she landed a job

writing songs for other people.

Have four Ambo points

for your pure determination.

But that wasn't enough for Taylor.

She wanted to sing the songs she was writing herself.

So she came here, to the famous Bluebird Cafe, in Nashville,

to perform in front of lots of music industry bigwigs.

Taylor was right here, on stage, belting her heart out

when she was noticed by Scott Borchetta,

who owns Big Machine Records.

"Hi, I'm Scott Borchetta. I'm kind of a big deal."

Now, I wasn't here at the time,

but I imagine it went a little something like this.

And sing.

"Hey, everybody, my name is Taylor Swift

"and this next song is called Tim McGraw."

Tim McGraw? I love this song.

# When you think Tim McGraw

# I hope you think my favourite song

# The one we danced to all night long

# The moon was like a spotlight... #

You guys listening to this?

# Eh... #

Yeah!

I love it! I love it, you've got yourself a deal.

Welcome to Big Machine Records.

That saved my life!

# When you think Tim McGraw... #

At just 16 years old, Taylor was signed to Big Machine Records

and released this track, Tim McGraw,

as her first ever single and video.

Take four country music Ambo points

for making it at such a young age.

# I hope you think that little black dress

# Think of my head on your chest

# And my old faded blue jeans... #

Imagine that, you're recording an album in the studio one minute,

the next minute, you've got Maths.

I've got to find out what all this is about.

This is the very high school that Taylor went to.

And I'm going to meet with her old vice principal, Mrs Washam,

to get the goss.

Thank you so much for having me. I can't believe we're actually

at Taylor's school. Can we have a sneaky tour?

You may.

-Which way?

-Let's go up the steps first.

Beat you up there! Jokes, jokes, jokes.

-I won't make you run.

-I might be able to beat you.

# I was riding shotgun with my hair undone

# In the front seat of his car. #

So, was Taylor actually a good student?

Yes, she was. She was a very good student.

She wrote so well

that sometimes her English teachers would question

whether it was her writing or not.

And they were amazed because she was such a good writer.

# And he says

# Our song is the slamming screen door

# Sneaking out late Tapping on your window

# When we're on the phone And you talk real slow

# Cos it's late and your mama don't know. #

Amberley, I want to show you something.

I want to show you Taylor's yearbooks.

Oh, no way!

There's Taylor.

Oh, she hasn't changed much, has she?

# Amen Asking God if He

# Could play it again. #

Did you know back then that she was going to be someone special?

She had a little star quality about her that we thought

that there might be something. But, you know, you never know.

# Trampled on And lost and thrown away. #

Taylor's school are megaproud of her, and who could blame them?

Have two Ambo points

for not being too cool for school.

# Roses and a note that said

# Our song is the slamming screen door

# Sneaking out late Tapping on your window. #

In 2006, Taylor released her first album called Taylor Swift.

It got to number one in the US country music charts

and was certified five times platinum. Wowzers!

Have three Ambo points.

Taylor was on the road to success, but the best was yet to come

for the young country music princess.

# Could play it again. #

Let's check out the scores.

Taylor and 1D worked hard to get

to the dizzy heights of stardom,

but because Taylor was writing,

singing and playing the guitar

from such a young age,

that has put her in the lead.

Sorry, Directioners! I know it's controversial.

Get on that website

and have your say!

Round 2 - Pop success.

This is all about what our stars have been up to to make sure

they stay at the top of the charts.

First up, One Direction.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again,

One Direction are massive!

Even though they've only been around since 2010,

they've had seven top fives in the UK,

including three number ones.

Oh, love!

# Party with a crowded kitchen. #

Good work hitting the charts, boys,

have three Ambo points.

But 1D aren't only massive in the UK. Oh, no, no, no.

These guys are global. Here, in the USA, they are the only group

to have their first three albums go straight to number one.

# Midnight memories! #

For totally cracking America,

have three Ambo points

for some transatlantic domination.

But 1D aren't the only ones with some off-the-hook success.

T Swizzle is also riding high.

# We are never ever ever

# Getting back together. #

We all know Taylor's a global megastar. And with global success,

comes global money. Get this.

Taylor was recently estimated as being worth £120 million.

That's like crazy rich.

She could have anything she wanted.

She could take a helicopter to the shops,

have a room full of marshmallows,

have a room full of ponies,

maybe give Amberley £5...

No, but, seriously...

# I'm really going to miss you picking fights

# And me falling for it Screaming that I'm right

# And you would hide away and find your peace of mind

# With some indie record that's much cooler than mine. #

And it's no surprise that Taylor's rolling in the cash.

She sells tonnes of music.

Check this out.

When she released her album Red, it sold 1.2 million copies

in one week - kaching!

Have three Ambo points

for some megasale success.

# We are never ever ever

# Getting back together. #

Taylor's doing pretty well and is clearly an awesome singer,

but she doesn't rest on her laurels.

She wants to continue to improve her voice.

So she still has vocal coaching lessons and - hold the phone, guys -

I'm going to meet the very man who helps Taylor to sing -

the legendary Brett Manning.

Amberley.

Brett, it has been way too long!

Get in here! And get back inside. All right, let's go.

# Drew looks at me... #

So, Brett, you're Taylor's vocal coach.

How did you guys first meet?

She walked in the studio, first day,

and she had her first big hit, the Tim McGraw song.

And was getting ready to work on a second record.

And came in, sat down and said,

"Here's what I need to work on."

She was so decisive about what she needed.

# And she's got everything that I have to live without. #

What were your lessons like with Taylor?

It was drilling her voice.

It's a workout.

It's un... It's not uncommon for people to sweat

while sitting down, just doing the vocal exercises,

cos they're so intense. And her focus...

When I start playing the scale...

She is immediately on it.

# Drew walks by me... #

So, how has it been for you to see one of your students

-turn into this global megastar?

-It's been thrilling.

That she's still really the same person.

Yeah, her swagger just keeps getting just a little deeper

and her presence starts to glow out that little bit,

but to me, she glowed from the first time I met her.

You can't argue with one of the best vocal coaches in the business.

Have two perfectly pitched

Ambo points for working your voice

so hard, T Swizz.

# I keep singing Don't know why I do. #

Taylor's singing lessons keep her at the top of the charts.

# Tell me, girl, if every time... #

But what makes my boys, One Direction, so successful?

The answer is simple - their fans.

Cue the Directioners.

Oh, no way, it's One Direction!

SHE SCREAMS

# And let me kiss you. #

One Direction have some of the most dedicated fans around.

They go wild for the five heartthrobs.

Have two Ambo points for creating

a fandom frenzy wherever you go.

However, some Directioners can take things a little too far.

Fun story, actually.

When the boys were on tour in Australia, great place,

one megafan climbed over Liam Payne's balcony

and stole his actual underwear!

Now, look, I wasn't there,

but I know Australia and I'm pretty sure it went down

a little something like this...

"Hi, my name's Liam Payne and I'm from, er...

"What band am I in? I forget.

"No, I don't. I'm from the biggest band in the world - One Direction.

"Anyways, I was going to have a bit of a nap. I might just leave

"my lucky underwear there. What could possibly go wrong?"

SHE MAKES SNORING NOISES

"Where's One Direction? I know they're round here somewhere.

"If I could just... Ah!

"Check it out! It's Liam Payne from One Direction.

"Crikey, he's, like, right there.

"Oh, no! You little beauty. Take a look at these,

"they're his lucky grundies. Oh, I'll pocket those.

"Thank you very much."

SHE SCREAMS FOR BOTH DOLLS

"You'll never catch me alive!

"Aaaaah..."

"Uh, that's OK cos I'm Liam Payne.

"I'm from One Direction and we're, like the biggest band in the world.

"I can afford millions of underwear

"cos I'm megarich!"

SHE IMITATES LAUGHS AND SNORES

Shh! Hush!

Look, I'm not 100% sure that that's what happened,

but it's a good story. Shh.

# Yeah, yeah, yeah. #

Have two Ambo points for being

so popular that even your pants

are in demand.

But how has all this hard work affected their sales?

# Yeah, yeah, yeah

# Yeah, yeah

# And let me kiss you! #

In the UK, 1D have sold

nearly three million albums

and over five million in the USA.

Pretty amazing.

Have two Ambo points.

# Sing halleluiah... #

Taylor has already sold around 1.3 million albums in the UK,

but she is streaking ahead in the USA,

with album sales of over 22 million.

I'll say it again, 22 million.

That has got to be three Ambo points

to Taylor.

That's Round 2 down, let's take a look at the scores.

One Direction and Taylor Swift

are astronomically successful.

And at this stage of the competition,

One Direction are just in front. It's all to play for in Round 3.

Round 3 - Pop style.

This round is all about our celebrities' lives -

clothes, cars pets or whatever else they choose to splash their cash on.

First up, Taylor.

# All I know is... #

To get the low down on T Swizzle's style, I'm going to chat

to my fashion guru, Ashton Michael.

# Everything has changed. #

OK, Ashton, let's talk Taylor Swift.

What can you tell us about her style?

Everyone knows, country is a little bit more on the tame side,

not so fashion forward.

However, I think throughout her progress of...her career,

she's become more of the glamour girl.

She's not so much the trend girl, she's more of a beautiful,

sophisticated girl.

# And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies. #

OK, Ashton, I think I've got my Taylor Swift hair and I've

definitely got the voice, but help me out with the rest of my look.

-What do I need to do?

-Get a beautiful sequin dress.

A beautiful sequin dress? Doable.

That's three glittery Ambo points

for having a classy, elegant style.

So, that's Taylor's lovely style.

# The story of my life... #

But what about the boys?

# To keep her warm... #

I'm back in London to get the goss

from X Factor stylist Frank Strachan.

Now, Frank, One Direction are one of the biggest bands in the world.

Tell me about their style.

I think their styling to them is...

As a band, is important,

but it's very, very clever cos it's very subtle.

Yeah, they're not into glitzy, sequin onesies, are they?

No. They look like real lads, like real people.

And I think that's been a really important thing for how

they've become so successful.

All right, Frank, I want to look like One Direction.

Give me your top three tips.

I think the first thing... The boys always, from the beginning,

wore really good chinos, skinny chinos.

-OK, tip two.

-Tip two, I think,

like, biker jackets, leather biker jackets.

You can layer it up with hoodies, with polo shirts underneath.

You've got yours on today.

And the last one is probably their hair. Their hair is super important.

Before them, guys didn't really have all that big, floppy-over hair

It's more like you've got to comb it over,

do a little bit of this, always touch it.

You've got nothing to work with.

That's one fashion-conscious

Ambo point for breaking

the style mould. Good on you, boys!

# The story of my life. #

We all know that Taylor Swift and One Direction like to look good,

who doesn't? But they also love to give a little back.

# I knew you were trouble when you walked in

# So shame on me... #

This is the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville,

near where Taylor grew up,

and it has a very special place in her heart.

So special, in fact, that she donated a whopping £2.4 million

so they could open an education centre.

That is super generous.

Have three Ambo points

for an awesome generous style.

But Taylor's not the only charitable one.

# One way or another

# I'm gonna find ya

# I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha... #

One Direction released this single in 2013 for Comic Relief

and donated all of the proceeds to the charity.

Again, brilliant work on the charity front.

I'm gonna give ya, give ya, give ya three Ambo points for that.

# One way or another! #

And this noble note takes us to the end of Round 3.

Well, guys, it's the end of Pop Slam and it has been epic.

But we've still got this bad boy to give away.

Who has won the Ambo? Will it be Taylor Swift or One Direction?

Let's look back at what we've learnt.

We've seen two of the biggest names in the history of pop music

go head-to-head.

One Direction and Taylor Swift are both outstandingly successful

and, let's face it, some of the coolest people on the planet.

This Pop Slam could go either way.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's the moment we've all been waiting for.

The points have been counted and independently verified, by me,

and the winner of the Ambo is...

It's Taylor Swift!

Guys, I am so sorry, you know how I feel about the band.

But, oh, get in here! Congratulations!

Let's see some of you in action.

# Ooh-ooh

# 22... #

Hello, am I speaking to Taylor Swift?

Oh, her mum. Yes, it's just Amberley from Pop Slam, she's won an award.

Yeah, from the BBC.

Yeah, it's a big deal.

Yeah, you should go get her.

OK.

I can hear her coming, she's wearing high heels.

I can actually hear her walking. She's on her way.

Hi, Taylor, it's Amberley.

# I gotta have you! #