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 show 'The X Factor' in 2010, the band achieved immense popularity and commercial success. Before joining One Direction, Payne had auditioned for 'The X Factor' twice as a solo artist. One Direction ultimately placed third on the show but went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
2008: First X Factor Audition
In 2008, Liam Payne first appeared as a solo auditionee on The X Factor.
2010: Return to The X Factor and Formation of One Direction
In 2010, Liam Payne returned to The X Factor and was grouped with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik to form One Direction, finishing in third place.
2010: Joining One Direction
In 2010, Liam Payne was invited to join One Direction on The X Factor.
January 2011: Signing with Syco Entertainment
In January 2011, One Direction signed with Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment.
2012: Take Me Home Album Release
In 2012, One Direction released the album Take Me Home, which debuted at number one in the UK.
2013: Fundraising for Trekstock
In 2013, Liam Payne's campaign with Trekstock raised $784,198.
2013: Charity Work with Comic Relief
In 2013, One Direction raised over £2 million for Comic Relief.
2013: Midnight Memories Album Release
In 2013, One Direction released the album Midnight Memories, which was the world's best-selling album of the year.
August 2014: Creation of Hampton Music Limited
In August 2014, Liam Payne created Hampton Music Limited, a publishing company for his solo projects.
2014: Four Album Release
In 2014, One Direction released the album Four, which made them the only group in Billboard 200 history to have their first four albums debut at number one.
March 2015: Taking Over Vocals
Following Zayn Malik's departure in March 2015, Liam Payne took over the bulk of Malik's vocals in One Direction.
2015: Co-writing Hometown's Single
In 2015, Liam Payne co-wrote the Irish band Hometown's single "The Night We Met."
2015: Additional Fundraising for Trekstock
In 2015, Liam Payne raised an additional $211,237 during his campaign with Trekstock.
2015: Musical Collaborations and Inspirations
In 2015, Liam Payne shared that the two tracks he was most proud of were "Better Than Words" and "What a Feeling."
2015: Action 1D Campaign
In 2015, Liam Payne, along with One Direction, partnered with Action/2015 to launch the Action 1D campaign to raise awareness of global issues.
October 2016: Signing with Republic Records
In October 2016, Liam Payne signed a recording contract with Republic Records.
2016: One Direction Hiatus
In 2016, One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus after completing promotional activities related to Made in the A.M.
May 2017: Release of "Strip That Down"
On May 19, 2017, Liam Payne released his debut solo single "Strip That Down," featuring Quavo.
2017: Debut Solo Single
In 2017, Liam Payne released his debut solo single "Strip That Down."
January 2018: Collaboration with Rita Ora on "For You"
In January 2018, Liam Payne collaborated with Rita Ora on "For You," which was released as a single from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack.
March 2018: Performance at Global Village in Dubai
On March 30, 2018, Liam Payne performed at Global Village in Dubai, in front of more than 100,000 people.
April 2018: Release of "Familiar" with J Balvin
In April 2018, Liam Payne released "Familiar" with J Balvin.
August 2018: Release of First Time EP
On August 24, 2018, Liam Payne released his first extended play, First Time, which featured a collaboration with French Montana.
September 2018: Delay of Debut Album Release
In September 2018, Liam Payne delayed the release of his debut album to continue working on it.
October 2018: Release of "Polaroid" with Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella
On October 5, 2018, Liam Payne collaborated with Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella on the single "Polaroid".
2018: Gogglebox appearance for Stand Up to Cancer
In 2018, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson filmed an episode of Gogglebox in support of Stand Up to Cancer.
May 2019: Pro-Choice Statement
In May 2019, Liam Payne expressed his pro-choice stance amidst anti-abortion legislation in Alabama.
May 2019: Hugo Boss Brand Ambassador
In May 2019, Liam Payne was named the first global brand ambassador for Hugo Boss.
September 2019: Release of "Stack It Up"
On September 18, 2019, Liam Payne released the song "Stack It Up," featuring A Boogie wit da Hoodie.
October 2019: Announcement of LP1 Release Date
In October 2019, Liam Payne announced that his debut album, LP1, would be released on December 6, 2019, and he released "All I Want (For Christmas)" as the sixth single from the album.
December 2019: Release of LP1 Album
In December 2019, Liam Payne released his debut album LP1.
January 2020: Hugo Now Fragrance Campaign
In January 2020, Liam Payne starred in the Hugo Boss fragrance campaign for Hugo Now.
April 2020: YouTube Series and Midnight Single Release
In April 2020, Liam Payne began a weekly YouTube series and released the single "Midnight" with Alesso.
May 2020: Support for Black Lives Matter
In May 2020, Liam Payne voiced his support for the Black Lives Matter movement, encouraging fans to educate themselves and donate, and attended London protests.
May 2020: Second Hugo x Liam Payne Collection Launched
In May 2020, Liam Payne's second capsule collection with Hugo Boss was launched.
July 2020: First Hugo x Liam Payne Collection Revealed
In July 2020, The first Hugo x Liam Payne capsule collection was revealed during Berlin Fashion Week.
October 2020: Release of "Naughty List"
On October 30, 2020, Liam Payne released "Naughty List", a Christmas single featuring Dixie D'Amelio.
2020: Donation to the Trussell Trust
In 2020, Liam Payne became a donor to the Trussell Trust, funding over 360,000 meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating his commitment to food security.
June 2021: NFT Collection
In June 2021, Liam Payne launched an NFT digital artwork collection, entitled "Lonely Bug".
August 2021: Release of Sunshine
In August 2021, Liam Payne released the single "Sunshine", featured in the film Ron's Gone Wrong.
January 2022: PaynoETH Twitter Account Dedicated to NFTs
On January 25, 2022, Liam Payne created the @PaynoETH Twitter account solely to cover NFTs.
2022: Participation 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 Latin America tour was postponed after he was hospitalized with a kidney infection in August.
2023: Return to UNICEF's Soccer Aid
In 2023, Liam Payne returned to participate in UNICEF's Soccer Aid event.
March 2024: Release of Teardrops
On March 1, 2024, Liam Payne released his single "Teardrops."
October 2024: Teardrops Chart Debut
In October 2024, following Liam Payne's death, the single "Teardrops" debuted at number 85 on the UK Singles Chart.
October 2024: Announcement of Featured Artist Role
On October 28, 2024, Liam Payne was announced to be the featured artist on Sam Pound's single "Do No Wrong".
November 2024: Delay of Single Release
In November 2024, Sam Pounds delayed the single featuring Liam Payne, feeling that it was not yet time.
