Remembering Liam Payne and His Enduring Mark in the Music Industry

By Gianna Sibal October 17, 2024

One Direction has left an indelible mark on pop culture and Gen Z like no other. Today, we celebrate Liam Payne

Five boys thrown together on the X-Factor have become global chart-toppers and remained one of the biggest boy bands in the world—even if one member left, the foursome has been on hiatus since 2016, and even if, just this morning, news of one member passed. They took the world by storm and captured the hearts of millions all over the world—ultimately and significantly impacting popular music and a generation that grew up with them—directioners, still to this day. And the role of Liam Payne in that is indispensable.

One Direction’s debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” begins with Liam’s voice. In 2011, you heard “You’re insecure, don’t know what for,” everywhere. Subsequently, a lot of their other tracks have him as a song-starter, his tender (and now, nostalgia-packed) voice shaping their outstanding pop smashes featuring power-pop production, catchy melodies, and instant personality bursts from the band’s five members.

Liam was not only crucial to the band’s sound, he was crucial to making the sound. He penned “Diana,” “Fireproof,” “Fool’s Gold,” “Home,” “Last First Kiss,” “Spaces,” and a lot more with the other members, then delivered them in full vulnerability and possibility. “Better Than Words,” the track that closed the band’s third album Midnight Memories, Liam had a thought: “What if the rest of the song was just lyrics from other songs?” The song would then become a fan-favorite live-show staple.

Liam created and entertained, and, to many directioners, soothed. With his plaid shirts, the curly hair, and the arrow tattoo on the back of his arm, he was a source of comfort, a real performer and musician that made every stadium performance feel intimate despite the venue size.

He played a significant role in redefining the traditional boy band paradigm as a more global, social media-savvy, and ultimately more accessible pop sensation. The culture that 1D established during their tenure placed a high value on inclusivity and never spoke down to their younger fans.

After Zayn Malik’s departure from the band, Made in the AM became the last album before the “hiatus.” But they provided an assurance, still, for the fans—a sentiment in the album-closer History: “Baby don’t you know, baby don’t you know? We can live forever.”

The members went on to explore their solo ventures separate from the band. Liam’s work outside of One Direction, LP1, was expected to receive a follow-up in the near future, following the release of his single “Teardrops”. Following his tragic death, we remember Liam and his cut-too-short musical journey—we don’t know what he would have pursued further as a solo artist, and whether he would have continued to work—and be reunited—with his One Direction members.