The song was composed by Kristoffer Fogelmark, Kristian Lundin, Albin Nedler, Savan Kotecha, Shellback and its producers, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub.

The track became the group's sixth top-ten hit in Ireland and the United Kingdom while attaining top-forty positions in both Belgian territories (Flanders and Wallonia), as well as in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

The clip depicts the band shooting various scenes via a green screen, which include sequences reminiscent of iconic music videos of songs such as the Beach Boys' "Surfer Girl", Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" and Rammstein's "Mein Land".

"Kiss You" was written by Kristoffer Fogelmark, Kristian Lundin, Albin Nedler, Savan Kotecha, Shellback, and its producers, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub.

[1] Falk, Kotecha, and Yacoub had collaboratively composed One Direction's previous hit singles, "What Makes You Beautiful", "One Thing", and "Live While We're Young".

[2] In April 2012, The Independent reported that Simon Cowell, the group's manager, had challenged prominent songwriters to compete for space on One Direction's second album.

Both Rolling Stone's Jon Dolan, who praised its effectiveness, and Chris Payne of Billboard, who appreciated the melody, described "Kiss You" as one of the album's highlights.

[22][23] On the week ending 18 November 2012, "Kiss You" debuted at number 90 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 due to digital download sales from its parent album.

[5] The single ultimately peaked at number 46 on the Hot 100 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 25 April 2013, denoting shipments of 500,000 copies.

[43] Shot by November 2012, the music video was characterised, in several MTV News interviews, as "bigger than anything we've done before" by Zayn Malik, as "a lot of hard work" by Payne, as "pure stupidity" by Louis Tomlinson, and as "I wouldn't say [it's] comedy, it's all tongue-in-cheek" by Arnell.

[4][43][44] Premiering worldwide on Vevo on 7 January 2013, the music video depicts the band shooting different scenes via a green screen, dressed as sailors, surfers, skiers and jailers.

[citation needed] "Kiss You" was included in the set list of the group's 3 December 2012 sold-out show at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

[52] One Direction delivered a performance of "Kiss You", in front of a video game-themed set, on the final of the ninth series of The X Factor UK on 10 December 2012.

[53] Considering One Direction the "franchise's biggest success story", an editor for The Huffington Post opined that the boy band's prominent presence on both the US and UK versions of The X Factor seemed fitting.