With all the rumors about One Direction's next album, fans can add one more possible songwriter to the record: Ed Sheeran. Sheeran is friends with 1D and has written songs for the boys in the past, but wasn't asked for the band's last album.

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"I got called into Simon Cowell's room at Britain's Got Talent," Sheeran explained to Digital Spy. "There was some sort of political thing on the last record as to why I didn't get asked and he was explaining that. He basically just said, 'We need some songs,' so I'm seeing him next week." Sheeran memorably wrote One Direction's hit Little Things.

Sheeran said that he expected Cowell to be "this towering presence of fear" but that he was actually a "nice guy."

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"What I like about him is that he is very business savvy," Sheeran continued about Cowell. "He's straight to the point. There's no beating around the bush. I don't like it when people beat around the bush."

Sheeran is currently busy promoting his own album X, which comes out on June 23. Meanwhile, One Direction is on their Where We Are Tour overseas. The boys' next concert stop is Paris, but Harry Styles and Liam Payne made some time to party in London. The two were seen at The Vineyard for a Modern Management party last night before going to France for their concert on June 20. One Direction hits North America in early August.

Tags: One Direction ed sheeran