Liam Payne

Liam Payne was an English singer and songwriter best known as a member of One Direction and for his later solo releases. Born in Wolverhampton on August 29, 1993, he first auditioned for the British television competition *The X Factor* in 2008, when he was 14. He returned in 2010. Although he did not advance as a solo contestant, the judges placed him in a group with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. Named One Direction, they finished third in the competition.

One Direction released its debut single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” in 2011. The group went on to make five studio albums: *Up All Night*, *Take Me Home*, *Midnight Memories*, *Four* and *Made in the A.M.* Payne sang on the records and received songwriting credits on numerous tracks, including “Story of My Life” and “Night Changes.” The band also appeared in the 2013 concert documentary *One Direction: This Is Us*. Malik left in 2015, and the remaining four members began a hiatus after their final performances that year.

Payne launched his solo recording career with “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo, in 2017. Co-written with Ed Sheeran, the song reached number three on the UK singles chart and number ten on the US *Billboard* Hot 100. Its R&B-influenced sound marked a departure from much of One Direction’s pop-rock catalogue. He followed it with singles including “Bedroom Floor” and “Familiar,” a collaboration with Colombian singer J Balvin.

In 2018, Payne and Rita Ora released “For You” for the soundtrack of the film *Fifty Shades Freed*. That year he also appeared with Lennon Stella on producer Jonas Blue’s single “Polaroid.” His debut solo album, *LP1*, arrived in December 2019. It brought together earlier releases and new material, including “Stack It Up,” featuring A Boogie wit da Hoodie. His later releases included the 2024 single “Teardrops.”

Payne had a son, Bear, with singer Cheryl, born in 2017. On October 16, 2024, Payne died aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His career had spanned two distinct public roles: a member of one of the defining pop groups of the 2010s and a solo artist who pursued collaborations across pop, R&B and Latin music.