Liam Payne: his life in One Direction and beyond in photos

After a 14-year career in music that began with the formation of One Direction in 2010 and continued with a successful solo career, Liam Payne has died aged 31. The pop singer and songwriter died after falling from a third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, local police confirmed to CNN.

Before his untimely death, the star made a name for himself in pop music, starting out as one-fifth of the popular British band One Direction, which formed in 2010 from the five individual members who auditioned for the British version of The x factor singing contest In fact, Payne had already auditioned for the show in 2008, when she was only 14 years old. The judges ignored him, but Simon Cowell encouraged him to return to the show in two years, setting up his eventual future in 1D.

One Direction would become one of the most successful pop vocal groups of all time, achieving four sold-out world tours, four number one albums on the Billboard 200, and six top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Payne came out of the gate swinging for his solo debut, enlisting Migos rapper Quavo for his only solo Hot 100 top 10 hit, “Strip That Down,” which peaked at No. 10 in September 2017. It was one of the four singles on the Hot 100 charts. songs for Payne.

Following the news of Payne's death, celebrities including his “Get Low” collaborator Zedd and Paris Hilton mourned the loss of their friend. “RIP Liam… I can't believe this is real… absolutely heartbreaking…” Zedd wrote in X along with a broken heart emoji, while Hilton tweeted: “So sad to hear the news of @'s passing LiamPayne… Sending love and condolences to his family and loved ones RIP my friend.”

To relive happier times for Payne, find photos of her life and career below, from her days in One Direction to her time as an adult pop star.