British singer Jake Bugg has decided to stand down in his war-of-words with One Direction because he is convinced the "pop feud" is a waste of his time.

The 19-year-old star infuriated the boyband singers and their devoted fans after he criticised them in a recent interview, calling for an end to the group's comparisons to The Beatles.

One Direction members Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson both hit back at Bugg, prompting speculation the feud was contrived as a publicity stunt, but the singer/songwriter is adamant the public falling out wasn't staged, and insists he won't be antagonising his young rivals any further.

He says, "My so-called pop feud?... People are saying it's all made up... But the music industry loves a good rivalry, right?... It started because someone said they're like the Beatles. What the f**k? It's just ridiculous to compare them to the Beatles... It's almost too stupid a comparison to even bother arguing with...

"Anyway, I'm not looking for fights or rivalries, or any of that s**t. I wasn't looking for attention. Someone asked my opinion and I gave it. The time spent arguing could have been better spent writing a song. Or doing anything else, in fact."