Tragedy struck as former One Direction singer Liam Payne has passed away following a fall from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Payne was in Argentina after attending a concert by his former bandmate, Niall Horan. He was 31 years old.
Liam James Payne, originally from Wolverhampton, England, first gained fame by auditioning for the British reality show The X Factor in 2008. He later returned to the show in 2010, where he was assembled with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik to form the globally renowned boy band One Direction. Although the group did not win the competition, they went on to achieve extraordinary success worldwide.
After The X Factor, One Direction signed with Simon Cowell’s label and debuted in September 2011 with their hit single “What Makes You Beautiful.” Speaking about the track, Payne shared, “We always wanted it to be something that people didn’t expect, and it wasn’t what we expected either, so it kind of fitted perfectly.”
This breakout single was part of One Direction’s debut album, Up All Night, released in the United States. Payne contributed as a co-writer to three tracks on the album: “Taken,” “Everything About You,” and “Same Mistakes.”
The band followed up with their second album, Take Me Home, which featured the popular song “Little Things,” co-written by Ed Sheeran. One Direction released three additional albums—Midnight Memories, Four, and Made in the A.M.—before disbanding in 2016 to explore individual careers.
Payne launched his solo career with the release of his debut single, “Strip That Down,” in May 2017, featuring Migos rapper Quavo. This track was part of Payne’s only solo studio album, LP1, released in December 2019. Although his musical output slowed after LP1, he made a comeback in March with the single “Teardrops,” discussing its themes of heartbreak and new beginnings, adding that it signifies a fresh start for him with more to come in 2024.
