One Direction has made a big splash in the U.S. and Canada with the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for a UK act in close to 14 years!

‘What Makes You Beautiful’ entered the chart this week at #28.

“Beautiful” sold 132,000 downloads in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, starting at No. 12 on the Digital Songs chart.

The male quintet earns the highest new-Brit Hot 100 launch since the Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” entered at No. 13 on the chart dated March 28, 1998.

The last U.K. group to see its first U.S. single start higher was the Spice Girls, when “Wannabe” landed at No. 11 on Jan. 25, 1997. “Wannabe” vaulted to No. 1 four weeks later, spending four straight weeks at the top of the tally.

The boys just won their first Brit Award for best British single for “What Makes You Beautiful.” (The category is one of three Brit Awards determined by a public vote.)

Source Billboard.com