The news of former One Direction member Liam Payne passing away at the tender age of 31 has shocked the world to its core. It felt like Liam had so much more to give, and ultimately, it feels like an absolute waste of a life.
Whilst Liam was known and loved by many for his warm, down-to-earth personality, the last few years didn’t seem quite as kind to him, and it felt like he became a little lost along the way. His solo career was a rocky ride with some success but seemingly didn’t capture the public’s attention like some of his ex-bandmates.
He was widely ridiculed online for interviews in which he seemed to trip himself up, often bizarrely sporting various accents and also claiming (somewhat arrogantly) to have outsold his bandmates combined.
Still, Liam was someone’s brother, son, father, and friend, and the circumstances are absolutely tragic. His One Direction bandmates individually credited Liam for being a core member of the group, a great songwriter, and an excellent singer.
Indeed, Liam was always one of the strongest vocalists in One Direction. From his first audition on The X Factor, crooning Fly Me To The Moon with a lovely tone and a slight twang of an American accent, to his solo work, his baritone vocals felt perfectly suited to whatever he put his name to—pop, indie pop, EDM, and R&B.
Here, we celebrate Liam’s short but varied solo career with five of our favourite Liam Payne solo tracks.
Slow
Produced by a team responsible for many pop hits, this pop/trap hybrid is about a relationship that Liam wants to revive, though it is doomed. Originally recorded in 2016, this was eventually released in 2018 on Liam’s debut solo EP, First Time.
Polaroid
Liam’s voice was a perfect match for dance-pop. On this Jonas Blue track, Liam’s smooth vocals really shine over the EDM instrumentation. It’s easy to dismiss EDM from this era as disposable, but this remains a great song with tight harmonies, lovely vocals by both Liam and Lennon Stella, and a fierce chorus that perfectly utilises Liam’s falsetto vocals.
Get Low
Again, reinforcing the fact that he suited dance-pop and EDM perfectly, this collaboration with German EDM producer Zedd utilises a tropical house vibe not too dissimilar to what Drake became renowned for around a similar time but with extra electronic elements. Summery, moody, and sultry, this remains a great song.
Sunshine
An underrated bop from the 2021 children’s film Ron’s Gone Wrong. A lot of Liam’s discography felt reminiscent of Justin Timberlake, and this song is no exception. With a similar flavour to Timberlake’s Can’t Stop The Feeling, this disco-pop flavoured song is abundant with brass instruments, funky guitars, a slick bass line, and even vocoder vocals, making it reminiscent of classic late 70s/early 80s disco. This song deserved so much better and was without a doubt Liam at his best.
Bedroom Floor
Liam’s best song by a mile. Co-written by none other than Charlie Puth, whose influence is all over this—from its memorable melodies and repetition in the bridges, to the sound effects for the “And every now when my iPhone, iPhone rings” lyric—this electropop banger is smooth, cheeky, and irresistibly catchy. Liam’s smooth vocals and underrated but perfect falsetto vocals are a perfect match for the tropical house-flavoured beats. Perfect pop!
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