Liam Payne dies aged 31

Singer Liam Payne, member of the boyband One Direction, has died at the age of 31. TMZ reported on 16 October that he had died ‘after a fall from his hotel balcony’ in Buenos Aires.

Argentinian police have released a recording of the emergency call made by the hotel’s manager. He describes how a guest had excessively consumed alcohol drugs and broken objects in his room. Notably, hotel employees that knew about the balcony were “afraid he could do something that puts his life at risk”. TMZ reported Payne ‘had been acting erratic in the hotel lobby’ before returning to his room; ‘we do not know if it was intentional or accidental.’

One Direction sky-rocketed to fame shortly after coming third on the X-Factor, signing a deal with Cowell’s record label Syco Records

Payne is best known for his time as a member of hit boyband One Direction. The group was conceived during the 2010 X-Factor series by judges, including Simon Cowell, and consisted of Payne alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson. Payne had originally auditioned as a solo artist and got far in the competition two years before when he was just 14.

One Direction sky-rocketed to fame shortly after coming third on the X-Factor, signing a deal with Cowell’s record label Syco Records. Their hit single, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, debuted at number one in the UK. Their 2011 album, Up All Night, became the first ever debut album from a British act to chart at US number one in its first week.

From 2011-15, One Direction released five albums and went on four tours. Their third album, Midnight Memories, fully introduced the band members as co-writers. Payne is credited (largely alongside Tomlinson) on songs including: ‘Midnight Memories’, ‘Steal My Girl’ (lead single from FOUR), fan-favourite ‘No Control’, and their final single ‘History’, as well as co-writing hits ‘Story of My Life’ and ‘Night Changes’ with all members.

In an interview with Billboard in 2017, Payne revealed “I wasn’t going to do a solo venture. I was just going to go into songwriting and carry on and do that. But then I was like […] I had to do something.”

Payne’s only solo album LP1 was released December 2019 to mixed reviews

Payne was the last to release a solo single. ‘Strip That Down’ (featuring Quavo) debuted in May 2017, reaching number 10 in the US. It has since garnered over one billion streams on Spotify. Payne also collaborated with singer Rita Ora for the 2018 hit ‘For You’ from Fifty Shades Freed. Performing after his death in Osaka, Ora gave an emotional rendition of the duet saying: “I can’t even sing this right now.”

Payne’s only solo album LP1 was released December 2019 to mixed reviews. Metro recently reported that plans for LP2 were ‘said to have been scrapped […] Additionally, it is reported that a planned documentary about Liam’s career has been axed.’

In 2021, Payne spoke to Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO podcast about becoming famous at a young age: “You leave fame the age you entered it […] I still feel like a child in so many ways”. He discussed how such fame had impacted his mental health: “It was really, really, really severe […] I needed to stop [the band] or it would kill me.”

Payne also opened up about his issues with alcohol consumption while touring: “You look back at how long you’ve been drinking and you’re like, ‘Jesus Christ, that’s a long time’. […] It was the only way you could get the frustration out.”

Payne is succeeded by his seven-year-old son Bear, parents Geoff and Karen, and two sisters, Nicola and Ruth

Rebecca Ferguson, a contestant on the same X-Factor series as One Direction, said following his death: ‘I’ve spoken for years about the exploitation and profiteering of young stars and the effects’, ‘if he hadn’t [been on X-Factor] I believe he would be alive today […] it has finally taken its first victim.’ Katie Waissel similarly posted: ‘Artists are not commodities […] We need new laws to protect the safety and mental health of all in the industry.’

The Instagram page for One Direction released a joint statement on 17 October saying: ‘We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. […] We will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. […] We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam. Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry’. They have each since posted individual statements.

Payne is succeeded by his seven-year-old son Bear, parents Geoff and Karen, and two sisters, Nicola and Ruth.