Fans were left shocked on Thursday morning when news of Liam Payne’s death made headlines.
Payne was one of the biggest stars of the 2010s, rising to fame as one of the five members of One Direction.
The band went their separate ways in 2015, which Payne later described as a “scary” decision, but a necessary one.
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“I needed to stop, definitely,” Payne said in a 2019 interview with People. “It would have killed me. One hundred percent.”
After leaving the band, Payne went on to have a successful solo career of his own.
In 2016, he confirmed rumours he was dating former The X Factor UK host, Cheryl. They announced their pregnancy in November 2016 and welcomed their baby boy, Bear, in March 2017.
”I’m incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it’s a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far,” Payne captioned a post announcing the birth on Instagram.
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While Payne was busy starting his family, other members of One Direction had kicked of their solo careers and begun releasing music. And despite the huge changes in his personal life, Payne wasn’t that far behind.
On May 19 2017, Payne delighted fans with the release of his first single as a solo artist titled Strip That Down.
The song reached number two here in Australia, number three in the UK, and cracked the number 10 spot on the US Billboard hot 100 chart.
In a radio interview on the day of the release, Payne shared that Strip That Down wasn’t a teaser of what was to come on the rest of the album, sharing that he’d created a “diverse” mix of songs.
“It’s very eclectic. It’s more like my playlist album; my favourite playlist of songs that I have made over the past year,” he said.
“So some slow jams, there’s a couple of dance songs on there, with some R&B stuff. So there’s a lot – it’s a lot of different stuff.”
His second single, Bedroom Floor, came just months later on October 24, 2017.
In an appearance on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, Payne revealed that Bedroom Floor was intended to be the original single, so it only made sense that after Strip That Down was released, it would be the next to follow.
“[Me and Cheryl] both like that song and it’s been her favourite from the start,” he shared.
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Not long after the release, Cheryl and Payne separated, maintaining a good relationship as they co-parented their son.
As the months passed, fans eagerly awaited the release of his debut album, meanwhile finding joy in the collaborations Payne featured on including For You with Rita Ora and Familiar with J Balvin.
LP1 was finally released to fans on December 6, 2019. It was a hit among fans, however peaked at number 17 on the UK charts and 111 in the US.
In May 2023, Payne announced he was working on his second studio album.
The singer – who had openly struggled with mental health and addiction – appeared in a short interview with iFL TV ahead of a boxing match in London, sharing that he had been sober for “over 100 days”.
“I feel amazing, I feel really, really good, and the support from the fans and everything has been really, really good. I’m super happy,” he shared before going on to announce his career plans.
“I’ve been making an album for a change, which is quite fun,” he said. “It’s been good, I’m excited to bring it out, and I definitely want to tour this time, which is unusual.”
He shared that for a long time he’d been unsure about touring as he felt he was “over it” after his time in One Direction.
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”But I’m really excited to get back out on the road and go and see all the fans ,” he added. “It’s gonna be fun.”
He announced tour dates beginning in September 2023, however was forced to postpone when he was hospitalised with a kidney infection.
He made his return to music with the release of his single Teardrops on March 1 2024, however his second studio album was never released.
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