Liam Payne, who became a global phenomenon as a member of One Direction, died this past week after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Payne built a pretty impressive career before passing away at the age of 31, and we’re here to help you reflect on some of his defining moments.
The X Factor
Payne was just 14 when he auditioned for The X Factor for the first time in 2008 and blew the judges away with a powerful rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon”. He was eventually eliminated, but the judge Simon Cowell encouraged him to return two years later.
He made it further the second time around and advanced in a “Group” category after forming a boy band alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik.
One Direction
Following their appearance on The X Factor, One Direction became a true sensation and they signed a record deal with Cowell’s Syco Entertainment. With 70 million records sold worldwide across five studio albums, they went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands in history before parting ways in 2016.
Solo Career
Following One Direction’s hiatus, Payne started working on solo music and released his debut solo single “Strip That Down” ft. Quavo just a year later. It served as an interlude for his debut solo album LP1 from 2019, which also featured collaborations with Rita Ora, Zedd, and J Balvin.
