Liam Payne reflected on forming One Direction in his final TV appearance before his death.
Netflix released the trailer for their upcoming series Building the Band on Tuesday, June 24, which showed Payne helping create the next big music group as a guest judge alongside Kelly Rowland. The competition show, which premieres July 9, also features Nicole Scherzinger as a judge and mentor and AJ McLean as the host.
“You got a lot of work to do vocally,” Payne is seen telling one group. “I need to feel that connection between you guys.”
In another clip, Payne used his experience in the music industry to offer advice about being in a boy band, adding, “To have these bands put together is not normal, we were put together that way.”
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Payne’s insight came after his time in One Direction with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. One Direction was formed on the U.K. edition of The X Factor in 2010. The boy band went on to release five studio albums from 2011 to 2015. Following Malik’s 2015 exit from the group, the remaining members went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 and pursued solo careers.
Over the years, the former band members showed support for each other’s individual projects but didn’t officially reunite in public as a group ahead of Payne’s death in October 2024 at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” the remaining members of One Direction said in an October 2024 statement. “But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Styles, 31, Malik, 32, Horan, 31, and Tomlinson, 33, reunited at Payne’s private funeral in Amersham, England, in November 2024.
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“[Liam’s death] was a wake-up call for all of them. Prior, they kept in touch sporadically but didn’t have close friendships at all,” a source told Us Weekly in December 2024. “They’re all still mourning but are checking in on each other and feel closer than they have in years. It brought them back together.”
Before his tragic death, Payne filmed Building the Band, which follows 50 singers as they form six bands sight unseen and compete for the top spot. Similar to Love Is Blind, the contestants can’t physically see each other, so they rely on the sound of their voices to become a cohesive band.
“If everybody’s fighting to be heard,” Scherzinger, 46, noted in the sneak peek, “then no one’s gonna shine.”
Rowland, 44, weighed in as well, saying, “When y’all were blending, y’all were blending. … We might be looking at the winner right here.”
The first four episodes of Building the Band premiere on Netflix July 9. New episodes drop the following two weeks on Wednesdays.
