If you keep up with current events, then you probably have heard about the death of Liam Payne. Some may not know who he was or what he did. I think that to know who he was, we need to go back to where it all began: One Direction.

You may not know what One Direction is, but I guarantee that you have heard their music before. If you have been in any department store, especially in the 2010s, you most likely heard one of their songs over the radio. To understand who they were, you need to know how they started.

The Beginning:

One Direction all started on a show called The X Factor, a singing competition show where the boys, named Harry, Niall, Zayne, Liam, and Louis, placed third. Soon after, they signed with Simon Cowell’s record label Syco Records. They released their debut album Up All Night in 2011. The album produced hit singles like “What Makes You Beautiful” and “One Thing.” It peaked at number two on the UK albums chart and became the UK’s fastest selling album of 2011.

Further Success:

In 2012, Take Me Home was released. It topped the charts in over 35 countries, and they became the first group to top the Billboard 200 chart. It contained singles like “Live While Your Young” and “Kiss You.” They also released a cover of “One Way or Another.”

Midnight Memories:

The group’s third studio album Midnight Memories. It produced singles like “Story of My Life” and “Best Song Ever.” It peaked at number one of the US Billboard 200 and made One Direction the first group in history to have their first three albums debut at the top spot. It became the best selling album of 2013, despite the fact it was released five weeks before the end of the year.

Releasing Four to becoming four:

Four was released in November of 2014. The singles of the album were “Steal My Girl” and “Night Changes,” which received platinum status. It debuted at the number one spot in eighteen countries, and the band became the first group to have their first four albums debut at number one. Four months later, Zayn announced that he was leaving the group to stay out of the spotlight. Rumors of a rift between Zayn and the other were swirling, but he denied that there were any problems.

Made in the A.M.:

Their fifth and final album, Made in the A.M., was released in 2015. The main single was “Drag Me Down.” There was no announcement made about the album but it still topped the charts in many countries.

Breakup:

In August 2015, the group announced that they would be on hiatus in 2016 to pursue individual projects. Harry Styles claimed that they had been discussing it since 2014. In January of 2016, it was announced that the hiatus would be permanent after it was reported that they did not renew their contracts. By 2017, all members had embarked on their solo careers.

Tragedy Strikes:

Liam Payne died on October 16, 2024, by falling off of a balcony in Argentina. Many fans started to mourn, and the remaining members released a statement asking for privacy.

One Direction has had an impact on many and even with losing a key member, they will continue to do so.