Liam Payne, former member of One Route, dies at 31 : NPR

Liam Payne, a singer who rose to fame as a member of the chart-topping boy band One Route, has died whereas in Buenos Aires, in line with an announcement from native officers. He was 31.

Argentina’s Nationwide Prison and Correctional Prosecutor’s Workplace No. 16 issued an announcement to NPR in Spanish saying that Payne died on Wednesday from accidents sustained after falling from the third story window of Casa Sur Resort within the Palermo neighborhood of the Argentine capital. It states police had been dispatched after receiving an emergency name about “a visitor below the affect of medicine or alcohol who had destroyed a number of the objects of the room.” Once they arrived, Payne had already fallen, police and medical personnel say. 

Officers say they’re nonetheless talking to witnesses who had been with Payne within the hours main as much as the autumn and are persevering with to analyze the occasions that led to his demise. NPR reached out to representatives for Payne however has not obtained a response.

Throughout 5 albums launched within the 2010s, One Route grew to become a worldwide phenomenon. Sustained by singles like “Dwell Whereas We’re Younger” and “Greatest Tune Ever,” the quintet charted a course from actuality present runners-up to full-on teen fixation.

Payne was born in 1993 in Wolverhampton, England. He first auditioned for The X Issue UK in 2008 however was not chosen to maneuver ahead by decide Simon Cowell. He returned in 2010.

“I do assume Simon did the proper factor and I wasn’t prepared,” he stated as he launched himself to the judges onstage. “Now I’m 16, and I’m again and I’m prepared to present it one other shot.”

He then launched into a canopy of Michael Buble’s rendition of “Cry Me A River.” His second try at coming into the fact TV contest earned him roaring applause, however Payne was nearly eradicated in subsequent rounds. As a substitute of being despatched dwelling, he was chosen to kind a bunch with 4 different boys who additionally wouldn’t be transferring ahead in solo classes: Niall Horan, Harry Kinds, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. Kinds steered a reputation and it caught.

On the flip of the millennium, the boy band stood on the heart of the pop zeitgeist, however a decade later, when Payne and his bandmates emerged from the fact competitors, the format had misplaced a lot of its luster. One Route caught on nearly instantly within the U.Okay. and the U.S., with the group’s basic rock-influenced debut single “What Makes You Stunning,” respiration new life into mannequin.

With 2014’s 4, the boy band made historical past as the primary group to have its first 4 albums — all launched between 2012 and 2014 — go to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In 2014 in addition they had the best grossing tour of the yr, which grew to become one of many highest grossing exhibits of all-time. The band amassed a faithful following throughout its run and helped to open the door for different worldwide acts that might observe, like BTS.

After Malik left the group in 2015, One Route launched one ultimate album, Made within the A.M., as a quartet earlier than occurring an indefinite hiatus in 2016. When the group later received the Video of the 12 months award on the 2017 Brit Awards for his or her track “Historical past,” Payne was the one member in attendance. Standing alongside Cowell he stated, “The sheer devotion that our followers have proven on-line for that is completely superb. We’ve been taking a little bit of time engaged on our solo materials, however One Route is who we’re and it’s who we all the time might be.”

Because the members break up off to pursue solo careers, Payne was the third to make his debut: The album, LP1, was launched in 2019 and spawned a handful of common singles, together with “Strip That Down” with the Migos frontman Quavo and “For You” with English singer Rita Ora. It was his solely album; in 2023, Payne revealed to Rolling Stone that he was engaged on a follow-up, and he launched the only, “Teardrops” in March.

In a video posted to his YouTube web page in 2023, Payne opened up about his battle with alcoholism and his sobriety and detailed his resolution to affix a remedy program in Louisiana, the place he spent a number of months. “Ever since then, I’ve simply been attempting to get to know this new man,” he stated, signaling himself.

Payne is survived by a 7-year-old son, his dad and mom and two sisters.

Sheldon Pearce contributed reporting to this story.