At just 14 years old, Liam Payne made his first appearance on the British television show The X Factor in 2008. His X Factor journey was temporarily halted when he was cut at the third stage of the competition. Simon Cowell, the creator of The X Factor, sat down with Payne and his mother and invited him to come back after he finished UK secondary school in two years.
Payne returned to The X Factor in 2010. He sang Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River”, astounding the judges and securing his spot in boot camp. Upon deciding who would advance to the third stage, Payne was placed in a band with Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik. The boys placed third and were signed onto Cowell’s record label. The next five years cemented One Direction as one of the most-loved boy bands of all time.
In December 2015, One Direction announced an 18-month hiatus and the boys subsequently split and pursued solo lives and careers. On March 25, 2017, Payne became a father. He released the extremely successful “Strip That Down” (feat. Quavo) two months later and his EP The First Time, in August 2018. His first solo album was released on December 9, 2019, and included collaborations with many popular artists such as Zedd and J. Balvin. His most recent release was “Teardrops” on March 1, 2024.
On October 16, 2024, Payne fell to his death from the third-story balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His room was found in a state of disarray with broken furniture and trash littering the floor. Multiple substances were found and reports from Police and hotel employees allude to Payne being under the influence upon his death. Sources remain unsure as to whether Payne’s fall was an accident or suicide.
Here is what we do know: Following the split of One Direction, Payne opened up about his struggles with mental health and addiction. “The day the band ended, I was like, ‘Thank the Lord.’ I know a lot of people are going to be mad at me for saying that, but I needed to stop or it would kill me,” Payne said on The Diary of a CEO podcast in 2021 regarding the anxiety and suicidal thoughts he suffered from during One Direction. Payne recalled that “because of how big [the band] got,” the easiest way to secure the boys on tour was for them to remain alone in their hotel rooms, which came with minibars. “At a certain point, I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to have a party for one and that just seemed to carry on for many years in my life,” Payne said.
In July 2023, Payne posted a short video on YouTube following his 100-day stay at a rehab facility in Louisiana: “It was tough to read some of the stuff online. I think thick skin is quite fake. No matter what you read it still hurts, and like I said, a lot of it was warranted and just people trying to protect the people they are fans of and the people they love and care about, so it’s absolutely fine,” he had said. The video was in response to the singer’s appearance on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast on March 31, 2022, where Payne revealed his initial wariness of joining One Direction and comments on the band’s origins. Payne received massive bouts of hate from fans of One Direction and their solo music, especially for this comment in particular: “From what I’ve heard, part of the reason One Direction was made was because of Simon’s promise to me, ‘in two years, I’ll make this work for you.’ So he kind of started with my face and worked around the rest of them.” In response, fans belittled his importance in One Direction and his success as a solo artist.
The death of Liam Payne reawakened the controversy regarding the exploitation of young artists by the music industry. Former judge on The X Factor Sharon Osbourne shared a statement on Instagram alluding to the complicity of the industry with his death: “Where was the industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner?” Former contestant and close friend of Payne, Katie Waissel, took a more direct approach: “This industry has treated talent like commodities (…) we need only look at Simon Cowell’s recent interview with Steven Bartlett [The Diary of a Ceo], where he admits his greatest regret was not owning the band’s name. The real regret should be the failure to prioritize the emotional and physical welfare of the artists who put their trust in these institutions.” Waissel emphasizes the industry’s focus on profits over the mental well-being of their artists. Cowell’s exploitation of One Direction will go down in history, but that is a story for another day. Today is Liam’s. Rest in peace Payno, you will be missed.
