One Direction’s Liam Payne helped break boy band mould to achieve global stardom

Liam Payne reinvented the concept of the boy band with the rest of One Direction to become global pop stars.

The British singer-songwriter rose to fame after being put together with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson on The X Factor in 2010.

The group released five studio albums and won seven Brit Awards, including for their 2012 debut hit What Makes You Beautiful, to the track History from their last album in 2015, released months after Malik left the group.

The band attempted to continue without Malik after he announced he wanted “some private time out of the spotlight” in March 2015, but they went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

Their last televised performance together was in December 2015, despite years of reunion rumours.

Payne’s journey to stardom began in 2008 when, at the age of 14, he first auditioned for The X Factor and was told by judge Simon Cowell to return two years later.

At 16, he initially auditioned as a solo act but was given a second chance to form what became one of the talent show’s biggest success stories – One Direction.

Despite winning over audiences around the world, One Direction came third in the competition behind Rebecca Ferguson and winner Matt Cardle.

In footage of the moment the band was formed, judge Nicole Scherzinger pointed out that Payne “actually may be the leader”.

He went on to co-write songs on all of One Direction’s albums.

In 2020, the band celebrated their 10-year anniversary.

Payne marked the milestone sharing a screenshot of a text message he sent to his father on the day he joined One Direction, which read: “I’m in a boyband.”

He continued: “What a journey… I had no idea what we were in for when I sent this text to my dad years ago at this exact time the band was formed.

“Thanks to everyone that’s supported us over the years and thanks to the boys for sharing this with me.”