Liam Payne Faced Devastating Career Loss Days Ahead of His Death: 'He Was On the Wrong Path Musically'

Liam Payne was said to have been let go by his record label, Universal Music just days before his tragic death.

A source revealed to the Daily Mail that the record label decided to part with the former One Direction member due to the lackluster performance of his solo endeavors.

"Liam's advance was massive and he didn't recoup [it]," according to the source. "Out of all of the One Direction boys, Liam was on the wrong path musically."

Payne inked a deal with Capitol Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music, in 2016, a year after 1D's announcement of a hiatus.

In addition, Payne's public relations team stepped down in October, as per the Daily Mail's report.

According to the source, "It is like all of Liam's music career that he had built up since he went solo eight years ago was crumbling, there was very little left for him."

"It must have absolutely devastated him," they added

Another insider told The UK Sun that Payne hadn't recovered after parting ways with his manager, Roger.

In an October 8, 2024 report, the outlet's insider revealed, "His former manager Roger stepped back earlier this year. He was a steady hand for Liam and he appears to be struggling without his guidance."

"Things have started to seem slightly erratic, with plans being made before they are cancelled last minute," they went on.

Payne released his first solo album, "LP1," under the Republic label in 2019.

In March 2024, the singer, who rose to fame after winning 3rd place on "The X Factor" with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, announced his latest song "Teardrops," a lively pop tune filled with catchy beats and a powerful chorus that featured his impressive falsetto range.

"Teardrops" served as Payne's first release following his 2021 song "Sunshine," featured on the soundtrack of the movie "Ron's Gone Wrong."

In a press release at the time of the song's release, Payne expressed his excitement and mentioned that the song is a "start of a new beginning." The British singer also hinted at a series of upcoming music releases scheduled for 2024.

"Teardrops" has accumulated over 3 million streams in the United States, as reported by Luminate. Despite this success, the song was not on the Hot 100 chart.

Apart from an acoustic rendition of "Teardrops," there has been no other new music from Payne in 2024 as fans eagerly waited news of a follow-up to "LP1."

According to The Sun's source, Payne was making significant progress on his sophomore album, named after his song release, "Teardrops," before abruptly halting the project.

Amid his death, there are uncertainties surrounding the album's release, and even before the tragedy, the outlet's source already expressed uncertainty about its future availability.

Aside from the second album, the outlet's insider also mentioned that a documentary focusing on Payne's challenges of fame from a young age had also been put on hold.

Article originally published on 'Music Times.'

Tags

Liam Payne, One Direction, Celebrity death