One Direction Make Britney Spears 'Swoon' On 'X Factor'

One Direction fans went crazy, crazy, crazy for Thursday night's episode of "X Factor" when the boy band opened the show with their new single "Live While We're Young." While the group only took third place in the U.K. version of the singing competition back in 2010, their performance gave the top 13 (now 12) a glimpse into what their futures could hold.

"It just proves the point that you can enter one of these shows, and even though you didn't win, you can have a big career afterwards," Simon Cowell told after the taping. "I think they're good examples for the other contestants, you know what the show can do for people."

"X Factor" mentor Britney Spears was also impressed by Harry, Liam, Louis, Niall and Zayn. "They swooned me," she said. "I loved them. I thought they were amazing. I was like 'yeah!' "

During the guys' second performance, the show took viewers for a trip down memory lane with a retrospective of One Direction's time on the show that led into their smash hit "Little Things."

"It was so nice to come here, perform two songs," said Liam Payne. "We had a great time, so we're really happy."

But according to 1D, it really does not matter what stage they are performing since they get the same love all around the globe.

"The amazing thing about our fans is the fact that wherever we go in the world they're always kind of the same. They're always so passionate. They're always screaming, super loud, always want to be involved in the performance and we bounce off them," Zayn Malik explained. "We get a good vibe off them, and that's what makes our performance."

What did you think about One Direction on Thursday night's "X Factor"? Let us know in the comments below!