Liam Payne Opens Up About His Darkest Moments, Failed Relationships & Entrepreneurship

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Jun 7, 2021

Liam Payne, a singer-songwriter and former One Direction member, shares his journey from teenage fame to solo artistry. He candidly discusses the mental health challenges of sudden fame and the pressures of entrepreneurship. Personal anecdotes reveal his struggles with relationships, self-discovery, and the impact of media misinformation. He reflects on transformative experiences in Alcoholics Anonymous and emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and support systems. Through humor and introspection, Liam dives into the complex balance of identity, creativity, and societal expectations.

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ANECDOTE

Lockdown Workload

Liam Payne discusses his initial lockdown experience, marked by increased work due to remote performances.
He had to learn styling, makeup, and hair, losing his team due to restrictions, and working long hours setting up green screens and recording.

INSIGHT

Unstructured Time

Liam Payne realized that stopping work during lockdown negatively impacted him, leading to unproductive days spent on the sofa.
This period highlighted his need to stay busy and the difficulty of finding activities he enjoyed outside of his structured work routine.

ANECDOTE

Weight Gain and Motivation

Liam Payne gained weight during lockdown due to increased alcohol consumption and poor eating habits.
Seeing himself on TV after the BAFTAs motivated him to start training again, leading to increased self-confidence.

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Liam Payne has been subjected to the intensity of the spotlight from the age of just 14, when he found global fame following his entry in to the X Factor’s seventh series, and the dizzying rise once he exited as one fifth of the group One Direction. The band was cemented as a phenomenon overnight-their success and the surrounding hype was likened to that of a modern-day Beatles at time of their debut single release. They became the first UK group ever to have their debut album reach number one in the United States.

There probably are not many who are better placed than Liam to discuss instantaneous fame and the churning of its 'machine’. Liam has gone from a teen star to a fully-fledged solo artist who has taken ownership of his career in terms of its creative direction and elevated further with a strong signature pop/rnb style and a string of hits both here and abroad. He’s had his music streamed over a total of 2bn times.

However, there is much more to him than the image of simply being a teen heartthrob or sugary popstar. The X Factor may be notorious for churning out ‘instant’ popstars but Liam clearly has a deep appreciation for music and the process behind its production. He studied as a musician prior to the start of his mainstream career and has grown as a gifted songwriter, with 40+ writing and co-writing credits to his name. He has previously said that he is accustomed to writing and recording entire albums in six weeks or less, and his evolution on personal and creative levels has no doubt been accelerated by his exposure.

This conversation today isn’t your normal “reunion chat” we speak about so much in a lot of depth, everything from his relationships, his darkest times and everything in-between. Its open, its honest and its inspiring. During our conversation Liam mentioned it was one of the best chats he’d had in a while and I felt that, I hope you do too.