Chart News: 1D’s Fireproof downloaded 1.1m times in 24 hours

When One Direction announced the title and release date of their fourth album, FOUR (due Nov. 17 on SYCO/Columbia Records), they did so with a twist. To celebrate the occasion on Monday, the pop group gifted their fans with a free download song, "Fireproof," from the upcoming album. The catch? It was only available for 24 hours, and only from OneDirectionMusic.com.

One Direction Reveal New Album ‘Four,’ Release Free Song

Columbia says that 1.1 million downloads of "Fireproof" — which is not the lead single from FOUR — were generated in the 24-hour span, worldwide. It’s unusual for an A-list act to give away a track in this way, so there are few comparables. That said, it’s worth noting that industry sources say a typical free single of the week in the U.S. iTunes Store generates around 300,000 downloads, on average.