Liam Payne, whose voice opened One Direction's debut single ‘What Makes You Beautiful,’ made the band an overnight global sensation and shaped its meteoric rise in the years to come. While other former members, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles, added their personal touches to the song, Liam Payne's distinctive vocals set the tone for the group's success.
Payne's last single was 'Teardrop', which was released in March 2024.
Liam Payne, 31, tragically died on Wednesday, October 16, after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The One Direction band went into a hiatus in 2016, a year after Zayn Malik's departure from the band in 2015.
Mint takes a look at a look at some of the most memorable tracks that shot Liam Payne to fame.
What Makes You Beautiful: One Direction burst onto the pop scene in 2011 with this catchy debut single. Liam Payne's famous opening line from the song, “You're insecure, don't know what for,” became instantly recognisable, cementing his voice as a key part of the band's identity.
Night Changes was released in 2014 as the second single from One Direction's fourth studio album ‘Four’. Developing on the themes of songs like ‘Live while we’re young,' the ballad revolves around how quickly life can change.
For You: In 2018, Liam Payne collaborated with Rita Ora to create this energetic pop hit, which featured in the Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan starrer film Fifty Shades Freed.
Drag Me Down: It was One Direction's first single since Zayn Malik's departure in 2015.
Strip That Down: Liam Payne's 2017 debut solo single, featuring American rapper Quavo, was a bold move into R&B and hip-hop influences.
All I Want (for Christmas): Released in 2019 by Capital Records, this holiday song showcased Payne's softer emotional side.
Midnight: Liam Payne collaborated with DJ Alesso on this dance track which was released as a single on 8 April 2020.
Polaroid: This collaboration with English DJ Jonas Blue and Canadian singer Lennon Stella quickly became a summer favourite and was released by Virgin EMI Records.
First time was released on August 24, 2018, by Capitol Records and was a collaboration of Liam Payne and French Montana on this EP track.
Get Low: Liam Payne teamed up with Zedd in 2017 for this dance-pop track which became a staple of summer playlists.
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