Pop

16 Oct 2024

Liam Payne’s Billboard Chart Highlights, Solo & With One Direction

Liam Payne, who segued from One Direction star to successful soloist, died Wednesday (Oct. 16) at age 31. According to police, Payne died after falling from a third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

After forming in 2010 on the U.K. version of The X Factor, One Direction — Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik (who left the group in 2015), Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson — became one of the most prominent forces on the Billboard charts in the 2010s, with Payne subsequently forging his own chart-topping solo career.

One Direction boasts four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200: Up All Night and Take Me Home, both in 2012; Midnight Memories (2013); and FOUR (2014). Made in the A.M., the most recent album by the group, which went on hiatus in 2016, reached No. 2 in 2015.

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The act tallied six top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100: “What Makes You Beautiful” (No. 4, 2012); “Live While We’re Young” (No. 3, 2012); “Best Song Ever” (No. 2, 2013); “Story of My Life” (No. 6, 2013); “Drag Me Down” (No. 3, 2015); and “Perfect” (No. 10, 2015).

One Direction crowned Billboard’s 2014 year-end Top Artists chart. The group also placed at No. 5 for 2015, No. 8 for 2013 and No. 10 for 2012. The act has drawn 15.4 billion in radio audience for its songs and 11.8 billion on-demand U.S. song streams, according to Luminate. It has sold 30.3 million song downloads and 8.3 million albums in the U.S.

According to Billboard Boxscore, One Direction grossed $583.6 million on tour and sold 7.1 million tickets. Its Where We Are Tour finished atop the 2014 year-end Top Tours chart, with a gross of $290.2 million and 3.4 million in ticket sales.

Payne quickly translated One Direction’s massive and loyal fanbase support to solo stardom. His debut entry on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo, reigned for two weeks in October 2017.

Notably, after One Direction tallied four Pop Airplay top 10s, reaching a No. 3 best with “What Makes You Beautiful,” Payne became the group’s third member, in short order, to hit No. 1 — directly supplanting Niall Horan’s “Slow Hands”; Zayn first led solo with “Pillowtalk” in May 2016. Styles has scored four solo leaders on the list (in 2020-22).

“Strip That Down” also hit No. 10 on the Hot 100.

Payne added four more Pop Airplay entries as a soloist: “Get Low,” with Zedd (No. 23, 2017); “Bedroom Floor” (No. 35, 2017); “For You (Fifty Shades Freed),” with Rita Ora (No. 37, 2018); and “Familiar,” with J Balvin (No. 25, 2018).

Payne’s debut solo album, LP1, topped Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart in December 2019.

As a soloist, Payne garnered 3 billion in radio audience for his songs and 897 million on-demand U.S. song streams. His solo catalog also includes 125,000 song download sales in the U.S.

—Additional reporting by Trevor Anderson and Eric Frankenberg

16 Oct 2024

Liam Payne Helped Unlock One Direction’s Potential

Liam Payne’s voice opens the debut One Direction single, his face the first to receive a close-up in its music video. After five teenage boys are shown horsing around on a Malibu beach for a few seconds, the shot dissolves into Liam’s perfect coif, his unbuttoned shirt, his disarming smile. He turns to the side in the middle of the opening line — partially to re-establish his smolder, but also to cast aside any doubts. “You’re insecure,” Liam sings, waves crashing behind the 17-year-old singer, his eyes readjusting to meet the world. “Don’t know what for.”

“What Makes You Beautiful” helped One Direction, a boy band from the U.K. that formed on The X Factor, start off a smash upon its 2011 release, as a brilliant pop debut with pinpoint melodies, power-pop production and immediate flashes of personality from its five members. Yet while Harry Styles stuck the landing on the stripped-down bridge, Zayn Malik oozed emotion in the second verse, and Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson showcased their respective charms in slow-motion music video shots, Liam’s opening verse adopted an ultra-confident stance that was crucial to the song’s tone.

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His voice was sturdy, and deep beyond his years — “Being the way that you are is enou-u-ugh,” he sang with utmost certainty, as the final syllable quietly echoes upward to set up his 1D bandmates with higher registers. The opening verse is not the flashiest part of the song, but its subtle delivery helped unlock what was to follow. It’s what made Liam indispensable; it’s what he would do in One Direction for years to come.

Payne died on Wednesday (Oct. 16) at the age of 31, a tragic loss for anyone who felt connected to the rocket ship of One Direction’s global stardom and invested in Liam as an integral part of that whirlwind of success. Over the course of the group’s five studio albums, One Direction’s sound congealed to create some of the most satisfying popular music of the 2010s — from the plucky pop of debut album Up All Night to the arena-rock riffs of Midnight Memories to the sun-kissed sing-alongs of Made in the A.M. — as their international popularity exploded. And within that sonic evolution, Liam turned himself into the group’s jack of all trades, a gracious utility player who could sing high when needed, complement his bandmates, and uncork a lead vocal full of verve and power.

There are plenty of instances of Liam commanding the spotlight in a One Direction hit, from “Best Song Ever” to “Steal My Girl” to “History,” and as the group graduated to the biggest venues on the planet, he demonstrated an ability to perform to enormous crowds while maintaining an assuredness and affability that made every stadium show seem downright intimate. The culture that 1D created over their run prioritized inclusion, and never talked down to their younger fans; Liam was a key part of reimagining the longstanding boy band model as a more global, social media-savvy and ultimately more accessible pop phenomenon.

And as the group’s members started gearing up for solo careers beyond One Direction, Liam became a more prolific co-writer, and contributed to some of the group’s strongest late-period material. After co-writing songs like “Story of My Life,” “Diana,” “Little Black Dress” and “Right Now” on 2013’s Midnight Memories, Liam helped mold One Direction’s most complete album, 2014’s Four, with credits on top-notch songs like “Fireproof,” “Clouds,” “Fool’s Gold” and “No Control,” among others. After co-writing six songs on 2015’s Made in the A.M., Liam had established himself as a creative presence in the studio — which would help guide him as he ventured into post-1D work in the late 2010s, on his own for the first time since entering The X Factor and then being grouped with four other teen boys.

“To be honest with you, I wasn’t going to do a solo venture,” Liam told Billboard in 2017, ahead of the release of his debut solo single, the rhythmic pop song “Strip That Down” with Quavo. “I was just going to go into songwriting and carry on and do that. But then I was like, ‘You’ve been trying to do this since you were 14 years old. You would be ridiculously stupid to turn down the option to have a deal.’” And Liam delivered on that deal: “Strip That Down” reached the top 10 of the Hot 100 and became a top 40 radio staple for months on end.

Liam kept collaborating with other pop personalities (Zedd, J Balvin, Rita Ora) while exploring hip-hop, R&B and dance music; his 2019 debut, LP1, was supposed to receive a follow-up in the near future, following the release of the single “Teardrops” earlier this year. As we remember Liam following his tragic death, we must also reflect on a musical journey that was cut far too short, with questions about what he would have continued pursuing as a solo artist, as well as any further collaboration with his One Direction mates, now left unanswered.

Yet in the same way those opening six words of “What Makes You Beautiful” still echo in our brains more than a decade after they rolled off of Liam’s tongue, One Direction’s impact on modern popular music cannot be forgotten — and Liam’s role in creating that seismic shift was indispensable. In ways large and small, he helped chart the course of a quintet that took over the world, a team player who was instrumental to the group’s foundation. One Direction’s music was always going to live on and reach future generations, but upon this sad occasion, Liam’s place within that music should be celebrated.

16 Oct 2024

Alessia Cara Calls Out TMZ for Posting Liam Payne Death Photos

Alessia Cara has taken to social media to slam TMZ‘s unethical decision to share portions of graphic photos of Liam Payne‘s body following his death on Wednesday (Oct. 16).

First reported by TMZ and confirmed by CNN, the 31-year-old One Direction singer died after suffering a fatal fall from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to Argentinian police. TMZ‘s original post featured cropped photos of Payne’s body, showing his arm and waist, which were identifiable by his tattoos. “TMZ obtained a photo showing Liam’s body on a wooden deck at the hotel with tables and chairs nearby,” the story read. “We’re not showing the whole body, but you can clearly see his tattoo — a clock on his left forearm, and a scorpion on his abdomen.”

Shortly after, Cara took to X to tag the outlet and write, “ur gross.”

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The photos have since been removed from the post, with the story now reading, “TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam’s body.”

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.”

16 Oct 2024

Liam Payne’s Final Hours Captured in Seemingly Ordinary Snapchat Posts

Musicians and fans alike are mourning the tragic and untimely death of Liam Payne on Wednesday (Oct. 15), but in the hours leading up to his passing, the superstar was actively sharing on social media what looked like a beautiful and fun vacation.

An hour before news of his death broke, Payne was sharing now-deleted Snapchat Stories from his trip to Buenos Aires with his girlfriend, influencer Kate Cassidy. “Lovely day in Argentina,” he said in a selfie-style video from the hotel breakfast table, looking relaxed and happy as he playfully called out Kate for leaving a hat on the table. “Children,” he jokingly muttered in the clip.

“It’s a lovely day here in Argentina,” he continued, showing a gorgeous view of a grassy backyard, palm trees and blue skies. “This is the breakfast table. Just enjoying coffee and breakfast even though it’s 1 p.m.”

Kate then chimes in, “Literally, we sleep in every day until at least 12. We’re such losers!” Payne’s final Snapchat Story was a mirror selfie posing alongside his girlfriend, both wearing swimsuits. Kate has yet to publicly share a statement on Payne’s death. The couple began dating in October 2022.

First reported by TMZ and confirmed by CNN, Payne died after suffering a fatal fall from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to Argentinian police. He was 31 years old. The artist was best known as a key member of British boy band One Direction, which also included Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.

16 Oct 2024

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.

16 Oct 2024

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.

“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.

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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.

16 Oct 2024

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.

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16 Oct 2024

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.

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.

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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.

16 Oct 2024

Ariana Grande Ready to Petition Disney World If Tower of Terror Ever Closes Down, Bowen Yang Says

Ariana Grande isn’t letting the Tower of Terror go down without a fight.

On the latest episode of the Las Culturistas podcast — which featured Mariah Carey as a guest — host Bowen Yang revealed that his good friend and Wicked co-star has plans in place if Disney World ever closes down the iconic ride at its resort in Orlando, Florida. “You and Ariana Grande have the same feeling about Tower of Terror,” the comedian began after Mimi said that the haunted hotel-themed exhibit was “truly a classic.”

“She has written an entire Notes app statement, a petition basically, to Disney that she has saved,” Yang continued of Grande. “She is like, ‘If you do anything to Tower of Terror in Orlando…’”

“There will be a revolt,” finished co-host Matt Rogers.

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Though Disney hasn’t indicated that Orlando’s Tower of Terror is in any danger of closing, the same ride at the company’s Los Angeles amusement park was shuttered in January 2017 and soon replaced with a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction. Just a couple months before that, Grande rode the Disneyland Tower of Terror with her mom, frequent collaborator Victoria Monét, then-boyfriend Mac Miller and more friends, as captured in photos posted online.

Elsewhere in the Las Culturistas episode, Yang recalled hanging out with Ari the day of the 2024 Grammys, where Carey presented Miley Cyrus with best pop solo performance for “Flowers.” “[Grande] was telling me — at the time, it was not official — she was like, ‘Mariah’s gonna be on the “Yes, And?” remix,’” the Saturday Night Live cast member shared. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s going to be such a gag.’”

“I just remember it being such a nice moment where everyone in the room was so happy for you,” Yang continued of watching the Grammys with Grande as Cyrus fangirled over Carey.

“It really was a nice moment, even all the history we have with the Grammys,” Carey added pointedly, laughing.

Listen to Yang and Rogers talk about Grande with Carey below.

16 Oct 2024

Nick Jonas Runs Offstage in Prague After Laser Points at Him

Nick Jonas had a scary moment while performing with the Jonas Brothers at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic, on Tuesday night (Oct. 15).

In videos circulating social media, Jonas is seen sitting at the piano, where he was about to perform “A Little Bit Longer.” He then abruptly runs off the stage and down the venue aisle while making a “time out” sign with his hands. According to Variety, the show was paused for a few minutes due to the a “prohibited laser pointer” but the trio continued performing shortly after.

Billboard has reached out to Jonas’ reps for more information.

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The safety of concerts has been a concern in recent years. Just a few months ago, in August, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stop in Vienna, Austria, was canceled after a terrorist threat. At the time, Barracuda Music, the concert promoters for the Austrian shows said, “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.”

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Bebe Rexha, Lil Nas X and Kelsea Ballerini are among the slew of artists who have had their shows interrupted by various objects being thrown at them onstage including, respectively, a phone, a sex toy and bracelet. Ava Max was also slapped by a fan who rushed the stage, and another concertgoer threw their mother’s ashes onto the stage during P!nk’s performance at BST Hyde Park in London.

In September 2023, Jonas himself dodged was looked like bracelets being thrown at the stage in Sacramento, Calif. At one point, he looks at the fan throwing the objects and shakes his head, telling them repeatedly to “stop” before he continued performing.