Sir Paul McCartney has lavished praise on One Direction, noting the reasons behind their appeal.

The British-Irish pop group have often been compared to the Beatles as a result of the fan fever that constantly encapsulates them.

Speaking to Sky News, McCartney said whilst being dubbed the 'new Beatles' may often be bad luck, acts like One Direction have a lot going for them. He said:

"When you call someone the new Beatles, it can be the kiss of death, because people expect you to live up to what we did, and we did what we did in a particular period of time that is very different to now."

The musician added: "It was easier to be a wild success. But I think these bands are great, I like One Direction. They're young beautiful boys and that’s the big attraction. But they can sing, they make good records. That's what I can see in common. Girls love them."

McCartney meanwhile released his latest album 'New' on Monday (October 14) in the UK.

It's his first effort since 2012's 'Kisses on the Bottom', which primarily consisted of covers.