Liam Payne: His Life in One Direction & Beyond in Photos

After a 14-year career in music that began with the formation of One Direction in 2010 and continued with a successful solo run, Liam Payne has died at age 31. The pop singer/songwriter died after falling from a third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, local police confirmed to CNN.

Before his untimely death, the star made a name for himself in pop music, beginning as one-fifth of the wildly popular British boy band One Direction, which was pieced together in 2010 from the five individual members auditioning for the U.K. version of The X Factor singing competition. In fact, Payne had previously auditioned for the show in 2008, when he was just 14 years old. The judges passed on him, but Simon Cowell encouraged him to return to the show in two years, setting up his eventual 1D future.

One Direction would become one of the most successful pop vocal groups of all time, scoring four sold-out world tours, four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and six Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits.

Payne came out of the gate swinging for his solo debut, enlisting Migos rapper Quavo for his lone solo Hot 100 top 10 “Strip That Down,” which peaked at No. 10 in September 2017. It was one of four Hot 100-charting solo songs for Payne.

Following the news of Payne’s death, celebrities including his “Get Low” collaborator Zedd and Paris Hilton mourned the loss of their friend. “RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real… absolutely heartbreaking …,” Zedd wrote on X alongside a broken-heart emoji, while Hilton tweeted, “So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing … Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. RIP my friend.”

To relive happier times for Payne, find photos from his life and career below, from his days in One Direction to his time as an adult pop star.

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Liam Payne’s Death Leaves Music World ‘Speechless’: Zedd, Paris Hilton & More React

News of Liam Payne‘s death has left the world stunned, with fans and music industry peers alike quickly flooding the internet with posts mourning the 31-year-old former One Direction star after news of his passing came to light Wednesday (Oct. 16).

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Liam Payne

Liam Payne, Pop Singer-Songwriter & Former One Direction Star, Dead at 31

First reported by TMZ and confirmed by CNN, Payne died Wednesday evening after suffering a fatal fall from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to Argentinian police. Based on Snapchats Payne posted as recent as an hour before his death was first reported, the musician was there on a trip with his girlfriend, influencer Kate Cassidy.

In the first moments after the news broke, the overall feeling experienced by people online was shock. “I can’t believe Liam Payne is really dead like what the f–k,” one fan wrote on X. “I know celebrities die all the time but it just hits so much harder bc that’s like the first major celeb of our generation who we grew up with.”

“why does it feel like we entered into another alternate universe…like wdym liam payne is dead,” tweeted another fan.

Meanwhile, Payne’s peers in the entertainment industry also spoke out. “So upsetting to hear the news of @LiamPayne passing😢 Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones. 🙏 RIP my friend🥺,” tweeted Paris Hilton, while the former boy bander’s “Get Low” collaborator, Zedd, posted: “RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real… absolutely heartbreaking …”

“damn this liam payne news got me speechless… looked up to 1D so much during the wdw days,” wrote singer Corbyn Besson.

Payne leaves behind a 7-year-old child, Bear, whom he shared with British singer Cheryl. His music career extended beyond One Direction, with the singer dropping solo music — including Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Strip That Down” with Quavo — after the band dissolved in 2016.

See reactions to Liam Payne’s death below.

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5 Influencer Tips From Domelipa, Kunno, Mario Bautista & More at 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week

The 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week welcomed Domelipa, Mario Bautista, Marko, Sophia Talamas, and Yeri Mua for a conversation about the synergies between content creation and music. 

Moderated by Mexican influencer Kunno, the five speakers shared essential tips for those social media personalities who want to transition into a music artist. Read the best quotes from each below.

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Maria Becerra and Thalía during Billboard Latin Music Week Day 3 Panels at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 16, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Best Photos from the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week

Building a Fan Base

“That approach from the beginning with my followers opened the door for me. That closeness with my fan base is was what opened doors for me, especially in music. When I released my song ‘Chupon,’ people fell in love with Yeri Mua the singer. I feel that music today, no matter what, has to be linked to social media.” — YERI MUA

Finding a Balance

“Si no fuera por el apoyo de mi familia y mi equipo, no sabría donde estaría. Tienes que saber escoger prioridades. Todo es balancear a como puedas. Yo estudié música desde chiquita, pero nunca pensé que era posible ser artista, y gracias a las redes, que empecé a hacer videos y crear una audiencia leal, pude llegar ahí.” — SOPHIA TALAMAS

Being True To Yourself

“If people follow you for the reason they followed you, you can’t just make the change suddenly. If I had only made music, it would have been much more complicated because people follow me for being Dome the TikToker, not for being a Dome singer. You have to adapt them but keep doing what they liked in the beginning.” — DOMELIPA

Dealing with Haters

“The hate issue is part of the business and you have to live with it. You have to accept it because you can’t escape it. It’s very important that you have someone in your team who can help you with your mental health. It works for music and for people in the public eye who are reading social media 24 hours a day.” — MARKO

Counting Your Blessings

“The pandemic made me reflect on what was happening in my music. I felt confused, I didn’t know what was going to happen and suddenly everything stopped. I felt anguish about work and responsibilities, but talking to my psychologist, he asked me: ‘is everyone in your family okay’? It changed the way I see life. We don’t see beautiful things, the simple fact of getting up and seeing that our loved ones are still alive. That changed the course of my life forever. I want to make music with good messages that have feeling and connection.” — MARIO BAUTISTA

Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.

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Rihanna Songwriter Reveals Hidden Pattern in ‘SOS’ Lyrics You Won’t Be Able to Unhear

Rihanna‘s “SOS” is one of the defining songs of the mid-2000s, but as it turns out, the track actually got a huge lift from the 1980s.

In a new clip posted Tuesday from a recent interview with Behind the Wall, songwriter Evan “Kidd” Bogart — who composed the song’s lyrics with Edward Cobb and Jonathan Rotem — revealed an Easter egg hidden in the 2006 hit’s second verse that he says has gone unnoticed by listeners for nearly 20 years.

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This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 2006, ‘SOS’ Became Rihanna’s First Hot 100…

“I had no idea what I was doing,” he recalled to host Daniel Wall. “The whole second verse of that song is ’80s song titles strung together as sentences, because I thought it would be super clever.”

Bogart went on to outline exactly how each lyric corresponds to a song title, starting with “Take on me, ah-hah,” a reference to 1985 smash “Take On Me” by — wait for it — the band A-ha. Rih then sings “I could just die up in your arms tonight” on the track, which matches up with Cutting Crew’s 1986 banger “(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight,” followed by “I melt with you,” which doubles as the word-for-word title of Modern English’s 1982 track.

Other song titles featured in the verse include 1985’s “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears, 1986’s “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by Kim Wilde and 1987’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson. Observe as Rih sings on “SOS”: “You got me head over heels/ Boy, you keep me hanging on, the way you make me feel.”

As Bogart also pointed out, many of those hidden songs were Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits — another fitting detail considering “SOS” earned Rihanna her very first of 14 total No. 1s (so far) on the chart: “Take On Me,” “(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight” and “The Way You Make Me Feel” all reached the chart’s summit.

Watch Bogart break down the second verse of “SOS” below.

@danielswall

Replying to @N A N Z Why Rihanna’s First #1 Song Has a Secret In our conversation with Evan ‘Kidd’ Bogart, he reveals the surprising secret behind one of the biggest songs he wrote for Rihanna years ago—a detail no one ever noticed. Here’s a clip from our full conversation @kiddbogart @Rihanna #singer #songwriter #rihanna #sos #hitsong #80smusic #songwriting #demo #viralsong #popmusic #musicproducer #singing #secret #trendingsong #2000s #lyrics

♬ original sound – Daniel Wall

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Here’s What Chris Brown Had to Say About the Petition Fighting to Ban His South Africa Concerts

Chris Brown has responded to a petition looking to ban him from performing a pair of concerts in South Africa later this year.

A women’s rights advocacy group launched a petition that had nearly 40,000 signatures as of press time on Wednesday (Oct. 16), and C. Breezy hopped into the Women for Change Instagram comments with an unfazed reply to their efforts.

“Can’t wait to come,” Brown wrote with a heart emoji.

The comment was left under a post detailing Women for Change’s battle to stop gender-based violence. “Thanks to @darrencampher.com_ and everyone standing with us. This goes beyond Chris Brown – it’s about standing up for millions of survivors of Gender-Based Violence,” the caption reads. “Join us in demanding accountability, Sign the Petition!”

The embattled R&B superstar’s comment has over 6,000 likes as fans had plenty to say while chiming in to support Brown’s cheeky response. “Tickets are secured, lessss goo,” one excited fan wrote.

Women for Change initially launched the petition on Oct. 2 on Change.org. The BBC reports that South Africa has a long history of abuse and one of the “highest rates of femicide and gender-based violence in the world.”

According to the petition, the group wants the concert’s promoters and South African government to “reconsider” having Brown perform a pair of shows at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium in mid-December.

“When I saw the news that Chris Brown was coming to South Africa, I was shocked and deeply disappointed,” Women for Change executive director Sabina Walter said to the BBC. “The petition was started to send a strong message that we will not tolerate the celebration of individuals with a history of violence against women.”

Walter added: “When someone like Chris Brown is given a platform in a country where GBV is at crisis levels, it sends a damaging message — that fame and power outweigh accountability.”

Even with the backlash, there remains an overwhelming demand for tickets to see Brown at his Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 shows. He reportedly sold out the 94,000-capacity venue in less than two hours, causing show organizers to add a second FNB Stadium date.

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K-Pop Group NMIXX Charms & Surprises With Spanish-Language Song at Latin Music Week 2024

NMIXX made history Wednesday (Oct. 16) at Billboard Latin Music Week, where they became the first K-pop act to participate in the event by being part of the exclusive K-Pop Goes Latin with NMIXX panel on how the Asian genre has exploded in the Latin market and its future in Spanish.

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Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 Guide

The female sextet, composed of Haewon, Kyujin, Sullyoon, BAE, Jiwoo and Lily, exuded charm onstage as they spoke — through a Korean interpreter, in English and some Spanish — about their taste for Latin music, their desire to participate in Latin American festivals such as Viña del Mar in Chile or Presidente in the Dominican Republic, and their desire to collaborate with stars like Rosalía, J Balvin, Gloria Estefan or Danna.

“I really like Rosalía’s music. That’s why it would be great to collaborate together someday, please, please!,” one of the members said sweetly in Spanish, drawing loud applause from the audience.

During the conversation moderated by Billboard deputy editor Lyndsey Havens, they said that last year they were at Kamp Fest in Mexico and were “very impressed” by the “passion and hospitality” they received from their fans in the Aztec country. They also noted that they have found a great cultural affinity between K-pop and Latin music, and that they are studying Spanish to continue expanding their relationship with their fans in the region and even record in Spanish.

They premiered a fragment of a Spanish version of their song “Soñar,” which they sang a cappella. And in a lovely surprise, they also performed the chorus of Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” with a beautiful arrangement of harmonies.

NMIXX made its explosive entry into the K-pop scene in February 2022 and has been making waves globally ever since. In March 2023, their debut EP, expérgo, earned them their first entry on the Billboard 200 chart (No. 122). His third single, A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream, surpassed one million copies sold. And his second EP, Fe3O4: BREAK, released in January 2024, cemented his growing dominance in the industry by reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. The EP also debuted at No. 2 on World Albums and No. 171 on the Billboard 200.

Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.

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Liam Payne, Pop Singer-Songwriter & Former One Direction Star, Dead at 31

Liam Payne, the former One Direction star who eventually blossomed into a successful solo career, has died, according to CNN. He was 31 years old.

According to police, he died after falling from a third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This story is developing.

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7 Memorable Quotes From Alejandro Sanz at Billboard Latin Music Week 2024

Alejandro Sanz took center stage at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week for an Icon Q&A moderated by Billboard’s Leila Cobo. 

Sanz will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will broadcast Oct. 20 on Telemundo. Below, check out some of the memorable quotes from his one-on-one conversation. 

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Maria Becerra and Thalía during Billboard Latin Music Week Day 3 Panels at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Oct. 16, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Best Photos from the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week

On Timeless Success of “Corazón Partio”: “There are worse things in the world [than singing the song over and over]. Imagine if they didn’t ask you for any [songs]? I respect my songs a lot. I’ve never complained about a song of mine, much less about that one. I will always be grateful.”

On His Writing Process Today: “I no longer lock myself away for 14 hours a day. It’s nice to share, I like working as a team. When I want to convey something, I look deeper inside. I want to take a bit of history and tension out of the songs. I like that breath of fresh air of working with people who take me to another place.”

On His New Song “Palmeras en el Jardín”: “It’s a story of love and of wanting to change everything in your life so that someone feels comfortable. You thought you were doing a lot by planting palm trees but in the end it wasn’t enough and it turns out that you keep all the palm trees and she is left with her loneliness. That’s what the song is about.

On His Mental Health: “I once wrote something about my mood [on ‘X’] and when I woke up in the morning, I was overwhelmed. It did help. I always wake up in a good mood… everything works for me and I love life. What I felt that day, it wasn’t sadness, no anxiety, it was an emptiness, a hole in my chest, and that’s scary. [I got out] with the help of professionals and you have to do your part.”

On Being Passionate about Music: “You have to want to make music and then people will like it. There is a lot of confusion these days with music. It has to be multicolored, varied. Imagine a city of just one color? The beauty is the colors, the different textures. That is music and that is what I am going to do all my life.”

On His Netflix Documentary: “They think I’m going to tell everything, but no. It’s going to be very interesting. We’re very happy with the team and how we managed to find a path that we all like. You can talk about everything… there’s no fear in talking about things as they are. It’s important that everything has a lesson and is useful for something.”

On Being A Businessman & Artist: “Being a businessman, being a composer and a musician don’t go together. To be a businessman you have to be a bit of a bastard or a bit witty. I admire artists who can do it, but I can’t do it myself.”

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Zach Bryan Tells Bruce Springsteen He Doesn’t Want to Be Considered ‘A Country Musician’

Last year, Zach Bryan saw two of his songs spend weeks atop Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, including the 20-week chart-topper “I Remember Everything” with Kacey Musgraves and the six-week No. 1 “Something in the Orange” (which also reached the top 20 on the Country Airplay chart). Earlier this year, he also won his first Grammy, in the best country duo/group performance category for the Musgraves collaboration.

But during a recent interview with one of his musical heroes, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen, Bryan opened up about why he doesn’t want to be considered “a country musician.”

“Everyone calls me it,” Bryan told Springsteen as part of Rolling Stone‘s Musicians on Musicians series. “I want to be a songwriter, and you’re quintessentially a songwriter. No one calls Bruce Springsteen — hate to use your name in front of you — but no one calls Bruce Springsteen a freaking rock musician, which you are one, but you’re also an indie musician, you’re also a country musician. You’re all these things encapsulated in one man. And that’s what songwriting is.”

Springsteen said that Bryan has been “connected to the country genre,” but also noted that after attending one of Bryan’s shows, he saw “so much — and I don’t want to call it rock — just energy in your performance. You bust all those different genre boundaries down.”

“That’s why you’re a hero to me, because no one’s ever come up to you and said you were in any sort of lane,” Bryan responded. “When I first started making music, I told Stefan and Danny, my managers, I was like, ‘I want to be in a lane where, when people look back, they can listen to my music and it’s supremely whatever you were doing.’ You were the only person in my head that has ever done that.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Bryan opened up about his own battle with imposter syndrome. Springsteen asked Bryan when he first considered himself “a serious songwriter.”

“I still don’t!” Bryan responded, saying, “To this day I have really bad impostor syndrome. But I had a lot of friends in the Navy, and we’d go out to the bars and we’d always have these times, and I’d go back to my barracks room and I’d sing about it. I never had anything else to express myself. You work so much you never really have time to talk about these things. So I’d go home and I would write, and I never in a million years thought I would become a songwriter because I never thought I had the talent. And that’s not a humble thing, it’s just I never in a million years thought I would be sitting here with you. Because we would hear your songs, and they’re beautiful and poetic and genius. When I play [my songs], I’m like, ‘There’s no way people enjoy these like they would enjoy a Dylan song or a Springsteen song or anything like that.’”

Springsteen also spoke candidly of his own feelings about songwriting, saying, “Songwriting’s hard. And I don’t think I felt really comfortable with the idea that I was writing good songs till I was about 22 or 23, when I was coming up with the songs for my first record, a record called Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., which came out in 1973.”

Springsteen also complimented several of Bryan’s songs, particularly “Revival” and “Open the Gate,” noting that they are “songs you’re gonna be singing till you are as old as me.”

Springsteen released his latest album, Only the Strong Survive, in 2022, while Bryan released his latest project, The Great American Bar Scene, in July.

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Halsey Says Fiancé Avan Jogia Has Been ‘Instrumental’ to Her ‘Healing’ Journey

Halsey is sharing how much her fiancé Avan Jogia has helped her grow.

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Halsey and Avan Jogia

A Timeline of Halsey & Avan Jogia’s Relationship

In a new cover interview with Rolling Stone UK, the “Ego” star opened up about meeting the actor in Europe. “I’d said no more f—ing entertainers,” she joked. “I’m gonna find someone and it’s either gonna be the most beautiful paediatric nurse you’ve ever seen in your life or a guy who works in accounting and then when I met Avan, I was like, ‘F—. I’m screwed.’”

They continued, “I don’t know where I’d be without him. He’s been instrumental in my healing, my recovery, my self-concept. Not just from being sick, but I was still grappling with postpartum depression. I didn’t know how to be a person separate from being a mum. I didn’t feel very autonomous in my body. But he really made me want to try because I liked him so much. It motivated me to work on myself at a time when I desperately needed to.”

Halsey and Jogia made their relationship Instagram official in late 2023, with the “Closer” star sharing snaps with the actor showing off their glamorous, leathery looks. Later that month, they celebrated Halloween as a couple, with the singer going as a sea monstress and the Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City star dressing up as a sailor. In April, Halsey and Jogia made their red carpet debut at the premiere of Dev Patel’s Monkey Man. Since then, they’ve had a few outings together, including red carpets and sports games.

In September 2024, Halsey confirmed that they were engaged to the Victorious actor.  Pop Base posted a photo of Halsey with the actor-singer, writing that the star said that “she hopes to marry boyfriend Avan Jogia.” She then quote-tweeted the post and corrected Jogia’s title. “***fiancé Avan Jogia,” they wrote.

Prior to dating Jogia, Halsey split from her estranged husband Alev Aydin — with whom she shares a young son named Ender — in April 2023. Jogia was previously linked to Australian actress Cleopatra Coleman.

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