Best songs written by Liam Payne for One Direction and in his solo career

Liam Payne, whose voice opened the song “What Makes You Beautiful” and introduced the world to One Direction as an official boyband, is no longer with us. On October 16 2024, the singer passed away after falling from the third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Palermo hotel while intoxicated. The world is still mourning the loss of such a promising young talent, and he will be missed. At barely 31 years of age, Payne has left a lasting legacy through his music, and we will remember him forever. Here are the best songs by Liam Payne across his solo career and One Direction days.

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Best One Direction songs written by Liam Payne

#4YearsOf1D pic.twitter.com/NrVs2p20z4

— One Direction (@onedirection) July 23, 2014

Despite only being active for six years, One Direction swiftly became and remains one of the most successful boybands of all time. Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan auditioned for The X Factor in 2010, and after being initially rejected, The Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger put them in a group, leading the judges to give them another shot as an ensemble. And the rest is history. Despite not winning the show, they won the belief of Simon Cowell, who signed them under his management. The band then went on to achieve global success through music, garnering one of the biggest fandoms musical artists have ever had: Directioners.

One Direction was on top of their game when Zayn decided to leave the group in 2015, citing personal reasons. Next year, after releasing one more album, the rest of the group announced a hiatus to focus on their solo work. Even in their solo days, the members always stayed supportive of each other. All five boys excelled in their solo careers, and ‘The sensible one’ in the group Liam, often affectionately called ‘Daddy Dierctioner’ was no exception. After the news of Liam’s passing broke out, One Direction songs, plus Liam’s solo releases have all begun charting again.

Across 1D’s active years, Liam and Louis have emerged as the members with the most writing credits. Without the covers and parodies, the band’s five albums contained 85 songs in total. And Liam has writing credits for 33 of them. Although all of the band’s members are outstanding vocalists, Payne was also the lead singer on 36 tracks (42 percent). Without any doubt, Liam Payne was and always will be a crucial part of One Direction, and here are the most popular songs he wrote for the band.

Same Mistakes — Up All Night

In 2011, One Direction released their debut album, Up All Night. The record label trusted the more seasoned hitmakers to write the songs for the guys’ debut; however, all of the boys share writing credits on one of the album’s most emotionally poignant songs, “Same Mistakes”. Thematically, the song differs significantly from the album’s other cheerful and energetic tunes. The song is about two people who don’t want to end their relationship but continue to make the same mistakes while expecting different results.

Best lyrics: “And we take, take, take it for granted that we’ll be the same / But we’re making all the same mistakes / Yeah, yeah, that’s what crazy is / When it’s broke and you say there’s nothing to fix / And you pray, pray, pray that everything will be okay / While you’re making all the same mistakes.”

Last First Kiss — Take Me Home

“Last First Kiss” is one of the most romantic tracks from 1D’s second studio album Take Me Home. Along with five other songwriters, Liam, Louis, and Zayn share writing credits for the song. One of the most underrated tracks of the album, it’s a sweet, romantic proposal to be someone’s last love, instead of the first.

Best lyrics: “Girl, what would you do? / Would you wanna stay / If I were to say/ I wanna be last, yeah / Baby, let me be your, let me be your last first kiss.”

Story of My Life — Midnight Memories

Midnight Memories is one of the best albums of the band and “Story of My Life” easily takes the crown as its best song. With it being the band’s third album, Midnight Memories featured more of the boys’ own compositions, making the songs more personal for both the artists and the fans. All five of them are credited for writing the “Story of My Life”, a track that marries sad and contemplative lyrics with an uplifting melody, creating a heavenly listening experience. The sound of the lads’ voices mixed together is pure bliss. Without a doubt, it is one of One Direction’s best and most popular songs to date. The song also comes with an emotional music video, which is certain to bring tears to one’s eyes if watched today.

Best lyrics: “Told me in the morning she don’t feel the same about us in her bones / It seems to me that when I die these words will be written on my stone / And I’ll be gone, gone tonight, the ground beneath my feet is open wide / The way that I’ve been holding on too tight, with nothing in between.”

Right Now — Midnight Memories

“Right Now” is a song about missing someone and reflecting on the memories you had together. After so many years away from home, the lads used this song to express their homesickness and nostalgia. This one was written by Liam, Louis, and Harry in collaboration with three other writers. It’s a touching song accompanied by a stunning melody and fantastic vocals, the notes of which the boys do not miss even during the live performances.

Best lyrics: “Right now / I wish you were here with me (Oh-ooh) / ‘Cause right now / Everything is new to me (Oh-ooh) / You know I can’t fight the feeling / And every night I feel it.”

Title Track — Midnight Memories

“Midnight Memories” is the album’s title track, full of chaos, restless energy, and heavy beats. The song was written by Louis and Liam with some assistance, and based on its totally unhinged lyrics, it appears to be about their experiences. Sung by Niall, the bridge takes the song to a whole other level. Funnily enough, the song was originally written about KFC and chicken! The infectious melody makes it difficult not to sing along, and the accompanying music video is as entertaining as the song itself. Who can forget the five guys on the streets of London at midnight, bouncing from grandmother’s scooter to a police boat, creating memories?

Best lyrics: “Five foot something with the skinny jeans / Don’t look back, baby, follow me / I don’t know where I’m going but I’m finding my way / Same old sh–t but a different day.”

Steal My Girl — FOUR

“Steal My Girl” is a song that any Directioner will relate to as it discusses the possibility of rivals taking the group’s girlfriends away from them and why they are important. So, it’s a song that Directioners believe was written about them. It may seem a little ‘delulu’, but it also makes you feel giddy if you are a fan.

Best lyrics: “Everybody wants to steal my girl / Everybody wants to take her love away / Couple billion in the whole wide world / Well, find another one ’cause she belongs to me.”

Fool’s Gold — FOUR

This is a criminally underrated song in the 1D discography. If you haven’t heard “Fool’s Gold” yet, you are missing out. The song is the gold standard, with the entire group helping to write it. The song is about loving someone who does not care as much as you do, but you still love them anyway. Even though it’s a heartbreak song, the soothing melody makes you feel calm every time you listen to it.

Best lyrics: “And yes, I let you use me from the day that we first met / But I’m not done yet / Falling for you, fool’s gold.”

Fireproof — FOUR

“Fireproof” is the type of song that will gradually move up your playlist. It’s not emotionally charged, it’s not poetic, and it doesn’t include insane vocals, but it works. Written by LiLo (Liam and Louis), it is sweet and simple, like chocolate — a classic. It’s the final song in 1D’s discography that features Zayn’s signature falsetto. This is the smooth-rock groove essential that we can’t enough of. From the relaxing and flowing vocals and exquisite harmonies to the ending guitar riff, this song is almost perfect.

Best lyrics: “It’s been so long, it’s been so long, maybe we’re fireproof / ‘Cause nobody saves me, baby, the way you do / I think I’m gonna win this time / Riding on the wind, and I won’t give up.”

Night Changes — FOUR

Even non-Directioners know this song by heart. This song was written by all five members, along with a few more collaborators. It’s also the band’s last single featuring Zayn before he left the band to embark on his solo journey. The song is about passing time and growing up while remaining the same for that one person. It’s difficult to put into words how the track makes you feel. It’s quite sweet and heartfelt, like a wonderful promise. The profound words in the song reflect how the boys have matured over time.

Best lyrics: “We’re only getting older, baby / and I’ve been thinking about you lately / Does it ever drive you crazy / just how fast the night changes? Everything that you’ve ever dreamed of / disappearing when you wake up / but there’s nothing to be afraid of / Even when the night changes, it will never change me and you.”

History — Made in the A.M.

Unfortunately, Made in the A.M. is the band’s last album and the only one without Zayn. But nonetheless, it’s a great album. “History”, which is their last single together, talks about their relationship as a band, though many fans think the song is about Zayn. The hit duo — Payno (Liam) and Tommo (Louis) co-wrote the song. The bittersweet lyrics of the song mixed with a catchy tune created one of the best anthems for the band.

Best lyrics: “‘Cause the truth is out, I realize / That without you here, life is just a lie / This is not the end, this is not the end / We can make it, you know it, you know / You and me got a whole lot of history (oh) / We could be the greatest team that the world has ever seen / You and me got a whole lot of history (oh) / So don’t let it go, we can make some more / We can live forever.”

Best Liam Payne solo songs

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Liam Payne (@liampayne)

Payne’s prolific songwriting is also evident through his solo songs. In 2019, he released his debut solo album, LP1, and had been preparing to release his second album. On March 1 2024, he released the first single off his next album, “Teardrops”.

According to DailyMail, Payne had been dropped by his record label Universal Music a few days before his death. Multiple sources have confirmed that he had completed his second album and a documentary on his struggles, but both were shelved. Reports also suggest that they discovered an incomplete diary-style record in his hotel, with lyrics indicating serious troubles and struggles. Now, the posthumous release of his works is looking uncertain. Additionally, Payne was also shooting a reality show, Building the Band, for Netflix before his accident.

Unfortunately, in the eight years after his time with One Direction, Payne released only one EP and one studio album. Many people believe that Payne’s solo career was not particularly successful. However, the figures show that LP1 sold over 30,000 copies in the UK in its first week, debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, and received over 100 million listens on Spotify within the first month. In no way does that indicate a failing career. In actuality, Payne was struggling to replicate his success with the band as a solo artist. Unfortunately, the chance has now been lost forever.

Let’s look at some of the best songs that Liam has released in his solo days.

Strip That Down ft Quavo

“Strip That Down” is Liam’s debut single as a solo artist. The song featured American rapper Quavo and it was written in collaboration with Ed Sheeran. It was quite the departure from his 1D days, as the track dealt with more adult themes. Essentially a club anthem/dance track, it reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The three-time platinum song is the highest-charting song of his solo career.

“Strip That Down” was first released in 2017 as a standalone single; it was then added to Payne’s 2019 album LP1.

Best lyrics: “One Coke and Bacardi (Sippin’ lightly) / When I walk inside the party (Girls on me) / F1-type Ferrari (Six gear speed) / Girl, I love it when your body (Grinds on me, baby) / Oh yeah, oh.”

For You (With Rita Ora)

In 2018, Payno worked with British singer-songwriter Rita Ora on the song “For You” for The Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack. Liam and Rita also starred in the music video for the song. Both the singers’ emotive vocals were a perfect fit for the song. The track debuted at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart, marking Liam’s second entry as a soloist.

Best lyrics: “Skin to skin / Breathe me in / Feeling your kiss on me / Lips are made of ecstasy / I’ll be yours for a thousand lives.”

Familiar (With J Balvin)

In 2018, Liam partnered with Colombian musician J Balvin to release the song “Familiar”. Payne incorporated Latin-pop themes into the pop dance score. The bilingual (English-Spanish) song conveys the singer’s passion and attraction to a girl. The song also entered the Top 20 on the UK charts.

Best lyrics: “Your waistline, the bassline (bass) / In real life, don’t want it on FaceTime / ‘Cause great minds, they think just the same (hey, yeah) / You shake like vibrato / A model or some kind of bottle / Well, pour up ’cause I want a taste.”

Bedroom Floor

Pitched to Liam in 2017, “Bedroom Floor” was written by Charlie Puth, and delves into the topic of a complex relationship. Liam’s vocal superiority is clear in the track.

Best lyrics: “Baby, why you always act like you don’t want me? / Don’t make me bring up your dirty laundry / We always on and off until you’re on me.”

Stack It Up ft A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie

Another urban pop song with blended R&B and hip-hop elements, “Stack It Up” was co-written by Ed Sheeran, and features vocals from American rapper Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. It’s a motivational track that encourages listeners to work hard to reach their goals.

Best lyrics: “Tried to be a better guy / But that weren’t enough to satisfy / I got dreams for you and I / I got money on my mind.”

Get Low (With Zedd)

“Get Low” features Zedd, a German DJ. Released in 2017, the song is another uplifting collaboration between Liam and Zedd that combines his sensual voice with the dance-pop style. It peaked in the top 20 of Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs list.

Best lyrics: “As beautiful as you are, I wanna light up your dark / Maybe you don’t believe in me / It’s hard to know what you see in me / Don’t be quick to say no, my chest is your pillow / Come out of the shadows, I know that you’re fragile.”

Midnight (feat. Liam Payne)

A song by Swedish DJ and record producer Alesso, “Midnight” features the vocals of Liam Payne. The song was first released in 2020, before being added to LP1 as a bonus track. It’s a hopeful song with emotional lyrics.

Best lyrics: “Time enjoyed wasted’s not wasted time / So stay ’til the morning, stay for a while / I just wanna lay here and fall into midnight / And fall right into you.”

Teardrops

Departing from the club and dance theme of his debut solo, Liam released the first single of his unreleased sophomore album. Co-written by Payne, “Teardrops” talks about a person who’s struggling and hurting the other person in the relationship but doesn’t quite understand how he can change. The song is emotional and poignant and one of the rawest works by Payne ever.

Best lyrics: “All we do is break and bend / I’m struggling to see the sunrise lately / Really wish that I could mend / All the little things that make you crazy / Checking all my friends, tryna to see what I did last night / Lately, I’m hating on myself ’cause I hate it when I make you cry.”

(Main and featured image: Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images via AFP)

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