The thing about boy bands is quite obvious, right? Their voices, the eyes, those damn smiles, and of course the charm. Liam Payne ticked all the boxes.
If you grew up listening to boy bands, you would have definitely heard 'One Direction' -- a household name ever since five boys got together after 'The X Factor' in 2010.
Although Payne joined as a solo contestant, the judges decided to pair him with the other four -- Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan. And that, my friends, was the birth of a phenomenal band that stole as well as broke many young teenagers' hearts.
The boys didn't actually win 'The X Factor' that year, but came third behind Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson in a final watched by 17 million people.
But Simon Cowell knew a good thing when he saw it. He signed them to his label and waited nine months to release their debut single -- 'What Makes You Beautiful'. Thank you Simon!
The song was an instant pop classic that went straight to number one -- the first of four UK chart-toppers over the next four years. Even today, thousands scream and shout out their lungs to the lyrics during karaoke nights. I just did last week, and so many youngsters, especially the ladies, had joined me. It was followed by their many other famous numbers like 'Night Changes' -- a song that will never be the same now.
As time went on, Payne discovered that he also had a talent for songwriting, with writing credits on half of the band's final two albums for songs like 'History', 'Steal My Girl' and 'Story Of My Life.'
When the band decided to break up and go their separate ways, fans were devastated. They always hoped that the boys would reunite some day. However, with Payne's tragic death, that day is not arriving anymore. Perhaps, in his honour, the other four may get back together. That's probably a far-fetched dream, but it's one we'd love to wake up to unlike today's nightmare.
Tributes and condolences are pouring in from around the world. 'The X Factor' said they are 'heartbroken', adding that Payne would leave a 'lasting legacy'.
Another famous boy band 'The Backstreet Boys' also tweeted, saying, “Words can not express the emotions we are collectively feeling right now, and it seems like the rest of the world is in the same boat.”
Ronnie Wood of legendary rock band 'The Rolling Stones' said he is “shocked and saddened” upon hearing the news. Along with his post on X, he shared a performance of 'One Direction' on 'The X Factor'.
What's heart-wrenching is that Payne's last social media post was itself a tribute post featuring a throwback picture. In May, he shared a nostalgic photo with his former bandmates, in what has now become his final post on Instagram. The post was a tribute to the late American documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.
The throwback picture features Payne, Horan, Tomlinson, Styles and Malik, alongside Spurlock. Sharing the photo, Payne wrote, "Rest in peace Morgan Spurlock it was a pleasure working with you."