Career Timeline of Liam Payne: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Liam Payne built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Liam Payne is an English singer and songwriter best known as a member of the globally successful boy band One Direction. Formed on the British television series The X Factor in 2010, where Payne auditioned as a solo artist, One Direction achieved international fame and became one of the best-selling boy bands. Payne's career began with his X Factor auditions, leading to his inclusion in the group alongside Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson. The band secured third place on the show and went on to achieve significant commercial success.
2008: First 'The X Factor' Audition
In 2008, Liam Payne auditioned for the British television series 'The X Factor' as a solo artist.
2008: First Audition for The X Factor
In 2008, at the age of 14, Liam Payne auditioned for the fifth series of The X Factor, reaching the judges' houses stage but was ultimately cut.
2010: Second 'The X Factor' Audition and Formation of One Direction
In 2010, Liam Payne auditioned again for 'The X Factor', leading to the formation of One Direction.
2010: Return to The X Factor and Formation of One Direction
In 2010, Liam Payne returned to The X Factor, leading to the formation of the boy band One Direction.
January 2011: Signing with Syco Entertainment
In January 2011, One Direction signed with Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment, marking a significant step in their career.
2012: Release of Take Me Home Album
In 2012, One Direction released their album 'Take Me Home', which went on to debut at number one in the UK.
2013: Campaign with Trekstock raises $784,198
In 2013, Liam Payne's campaign with Trekstock, a youth cancer charity, raised $784,198.
2013: Release of Midnight Memories Album
In 2013, One Direction released their album 'Midnight Memories', which was the world's best-selling album of that year.
2013: Comic Relief Support
In 2013, One Direction supported Comic Relief, raising over £2 million through a charity single and volunteering in Ghana.
August 2014: Creation of Hampton Music Limited
In August 2014, Liam Payne created Hampton Music Limited, a publishing company for his solo projects, and became its director.
2014: Release of Four Album
In 2014, One Direction released their album 'Four', achieving a record by having their first four albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
March 2015: Taking Over Vocals after Zayn Malik's Departure
In March 2015, following Zayn Malik's departure from One Direction, Liam Payne took on the responsibility of handling the bulk of Malik's vocals in the band.
2015: Started Working on Solo Material
In 2015, Liam Payne began working on solo material, which marked the early stages of his transition to a solo career.
2015: Co-writing "The Night We Met"
In 2015, Liam Payne co-wrote the Irish band Hometown's single "The Night We Met".
2015: Co-writing Contributions
In 2015, Liam Payne told Entertainment Weekly that the two tracks he was most proud of co-writing were "Better Than Words" and "What a Feeling".
2015: Campaign with Trekstock raises an additional $211,237
In 2015, Liam Payne's campaign with Trekstock raised an additional $211,237. That year, he was also named an ambassador of Sustainable Development Goals and helped promote 'The Youth Zone' in Wolverhampton.
2015: Partnered with Action/2015
In 2015, One Direction, including Liam Payne, partnered with Action/2015 to launch the "Action 1D" campaign, raising awareness about global issues.
October 2016: Signing with Republic Records
In October 2016, Liam Payne signed a recording contract with Republic Records, solidifying his path as a solo artist.
2016: One Direction's Indefinite Hiatus
In 2016, One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus after promotional activities for their album 'Made in the A.M.'
2016: One Direction Hiatus and Solo Career
In 2016, following One Direction's hiatus, Liam Payne signed with Republic Records and began pursuing a solo career.
May 2017: Release of "Strip That Down"
In May 2017, Liam Payne released his debut solo single, "Strip That Down", featuring Quavo, which was a commercial success.
2017: Release of Debut Solo Single "Strip That Down"
In 2017, Liam Payne released his debut solo single, "Strip That Down", which achieved significant chart success.
January 2018: Collaboration with Rita Ora on "For You"
In January 2018, Liam Payne collaborated with Rita Ora on the song "For You" for the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack.
March 2018: Performance at Global Village 2018 in Dubai
On March 30, 2018, Liam Payne performed at Global Village 2018 in Dubai, playing for more than 100,000 people.
April 2018: Release of "Familiar" with J Balvin
In April 2018, Liam Payne released "Familiar" with J Balvin, which peaked at number 14 in the United Kingdom.
August 2018: Release of First Time EP
In August 2018, Liam Payne released his first extended play, First Time, featuring a collaboration with French Montana.
September 2018: Delayed Album Release
In September 2018, Liam Payne delayed the release of his debut album to continue working on it, initially scheduled for release on the 14th.
October 2018: Release of "Polaroid"
In October 2018, Liam Payne collaborated with Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella on the single "Polaroid", which was released on October 5, 2018.
2018: Charity ball and Gogglebox episode
In 2018, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson co-hosted a charity ball in honour of Believe in Magic, donating over £5 million collectively. Also in 2018, they filmed an episode of Gogglebox in support of Stand Up to Cancer.
May 2019: Global Brand Ambassador for Hugo Boss
In May 2019, Liam Payne was named the first global brand ambassador for the German brand Hugo Boss.
September 2019: Release of "Stack It Up"
On September 18, 2019, Liam Payne released the song "Stack It Up", featuring American rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie.
October 2019: LP1 Album Announcement
In October 2019, Liam Payne announced that his debut album, LP1, would be released on December 6, 2019, also releasing "All I Want (For Christmas)" as a single from the album on October 25.
December 2019: Release of LP1
In December 2019, Liam Payne released his debut solo album, LP1.
January 2020: Starred in Hugo Boss Fragrance Campaign
In January 2020, Liam Payne starred in the Hugo Boss fragrance campaign for their perfume Hugo Now.
April 2020: Started a weekly Youtube series and released 'Midnight'
In April 2020, Liam Payne began a weekly YouTube series and released the single "Midnight".
May 2020: Second Capsule Collection with Hugo Boss
In May 2020, Liam Payne's second capsule collection with Hugo Boss, mainly consisting of men's wardrobes including polo shirts, T-shirts, and sneakers, was launched.
July 2020: First Hugo x Liam Payne Capsule Collection Revealed
In July 2020, The first Hugo x Liam Payne capsule collection was revealed during Berlin Fashion Week.
October 2020: Released Midnight Hour and Naughty List
In October 2020, Liam Payne released 'Midnight Hour', a collaborative EP with Alesso and also released "Naughty List", a Christmas single featuring Dixie D'Amelio.
2020: Donor to the Trussell Trust
In 2020, Liam Payne became a donor to the Trussell Trust, funding more than 360,000 meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also donated £80,000 and volunteered at Euston Food Bank and Food for All.
June 2021: Launched NFT digital artwork collection
In June 2021, Liam Payne launched a non-fungible token (NFT) digital artwork collection, entitled "Lonely Bug".
August 2021: Release of "Sunshine"
In August 2021, Liam Payne released the single "Sunshine", which was featured in the film Ron's Gone Wrong.
January 2022: Dedicated Twitter account to NFTs
On January 25, 2022, Liam Payne dedicated a separate Twitter account @PaynoETH solely to cover the subject of NFTs.
June 2022: Interview with Logan Paul
On June 1, 2022, Liam Payne was interviewed by Logan Paul for his podcast series while intoxicated, discussing One Direction's origins and his relationship with Zayn Malik. He later clarified his remarks on Malik and apologised.
2022: Participated in UNICEF's Soccer Aid
In 2022, Liam Payne captained the English team in UNICEF's Soccer Aid.
May 2023: Announcement of Second Album
In May 2023, Liam Payne announced that he was working on his second album.
September 2023: Postponement of Latin America Tour
In September 2023, Liam Payne's first solo tour, scheduled in Latin America, was postponed due to his hospitalization with a kidney infection in August 2023.
2023: Participated in UNICEF's Soccer Aid
In 2023, Liam Payne returned for UNICEF's Soccer Aid event.
March 2024: Release of "Teardrops"
On March 1, 2024, Liam Payne released the single "Teardrops", co-written with JC Chasez, marking his return to music.
October 2024: Teardrops Debuts on UK singles chart and Sam Pounds announces collaboration.
In October 2024, following Liam Payne's death, his track "Teardrops" debuted on the UK singles chart. Also in October 2024, Sam Pounds announced a collaboration with Payne on the single "Do No Wrong".
October 2024: Travels to Argentina
In early October 2024, Liam Payne and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy travelled to Argentina to renew his United States O visa and to attend Niall Horan's 'The Show: Live on Tour' concert at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires.
November 2024: Delayed release of "Do No Wrong"
On October 29, 2024, Sam Pounds delayed the release of the single "Do No Wrong", featuring Liam Payne, originally planned for November 1, 2024.
June 2025: Guest Judge on Netflix's Building the Band
In June 2025, it was announced that Liam Payne acted as a guest judge on Netflix's music competition series Building the Band.
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