Savan Kotecha, the songwriter behind some of One Direction's biggest singles, has slammed The Piano Guys for covering 'What Makes You Beautiful' at President Donald Trump's Inaugural Ball.

He sent Billboard a statement about the fact that The Piano Guys were "absolutely NOT given permission" to cover the song and explained:

"I wrote 'What Makes You Beautiful' for my wife. To me the song is about love, joy, and acceptance. The fact that it was used to celebrate a man who stands for divisiveness and bigotry breaks my heart. I am the son of immigrants. My children are biracial. A ‘Trump America’ makes me worried for their future."

Kotecha added: "I’m sure there is nothing I can do about the use of the song at the inauguration now, but i felt I needed to express my disappointment."

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Watch footage of The Piano Guys performing their cover of the song below: