Liam Payne ‘struggled’ with post-One Direction fame, was ‘envious’ of bandmates’s solo success

Liam Payne longed for a new direction before his tragic death.

“Liam struggled with finding his path as a solo artist,” a music insider tells Page Six exclusively. “As overwhelming as One Direction’s fame could be at times, he hoped to replicate aspects of it on his own, which was unattainable, frankly.”

One Direction formed in 2010 on “The X Factor” and quickly became one of the bestselling boy bands of all time, with hit singles including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Best Song Ever” and “Story of My Life.”

Four of the group’s five albums shot to the top of the Billboard 200, and they sold out stadiums across the globe on tour.

Liam Payne “struggled with finding his path as a solo artist,” a music insider tells Page Six. GC Images Payne was a member of One Direction (pictured in 2013) from 2010 to 2016. WireImage

After One Direction broke up in 2016, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Payne all pursued solo careers to varying degrees of success — as did Zayn Malik, who quit the band in 2015.

Styles has been the most prosperous of the bunch, winning three Grammy Awards, including album of the year for “Harry’s House” in 2023.

“Liam was really proud of the boys and all their accomplishments after the split,” our source says, “but he was definitely envious, too. It was hard not to compare himself to them.”

Unlike Malik and Styles, Payne never had a solo track reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His biggest hit was his 2017 debut single, “Strip That Down,” which peaked at No. 10.

Zayn Malik, pictured in 2024, was the first member to go solo after quitting the group in 2015. Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images Harry Styles, seen here in 2022, has won three Grammys on his own. Getty Images for ABA Our source says Payne, shown above in 2017, was “envious” of his former bandmates’s success. Redferns

Payne was also the least fruitful of the quintet, releasing only one album under his name, 2019’s “LP1,” which critics panned.

He most recently dropped a song titled “Teardrops” in March but reportedly shelved his sophomore record shortly before his death.

“Liam had been doing really well on his second album, but now it’s completely on pause,” a source told the Sun on Oct. 8. “Liam is telling people now he has no idea if it’ll ever be released.”

It is unclear whether his family or record label plans to put out the music posthumously.

One Direction (pictured in 2013) broke up in 2016 after becoming one of the bestselling boy bands of all time. WireImage Payne, shown here in 2013, released only one solo album. Christopher Polk

Payne died Wednesday after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.

Shortly before, the hotel’s manager made an emergency call to report a guest who appeared “high and drunk” and had been acting erratically.

The results of the pop star’s autopsy have yet to be released, but a preliminary report stated that he suffered internal and external bleeding and fractured his skull.

Over the years, Payne spoke candidly about his issues with addiction and mental health.

Payne, pictured in 2019, died Wednesday after falling from his hotel balcony. WireImage Niall Horan, Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, shown above with Payne in 2010, have yet to react to the news. WireImage

A source told Page Six exclusively Wednesday that the “Night Changes” crooner “had been cycling through periods of ruinous behavior” in the final years of his life.

“He was open about his struggles but tried to downplay them at times,” the insider shared. “His demons were much worse than he let on.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988.