Liam Payne Played New Tracks for AJ McLean Before His Death, Says They're 'Beautiful'

AJ McLean is opening up about the last moments he shared with Liam Payne before the former One Direction star's tragic death in October 2024.

Speaking ahead of the Netflix premiere of "Building the Band," McLean revealed Payne had shared unreleased songs with him—and called the music "beautiful."

"He sent me an unreleased body of work to get my opinion on it," McLean said in a recent interview with Today.

"I thought it was a great body of work. And I hope that the world and that the fans get to hear it somewhere down the road. It's beautiful, beautiful music."

The Backstreet Boys singer and Payne formed a close bond while filming "Building the Band," a new music competition series where Payne served as a judge.

According to NME, McLean, who hosts the show, said they spent long days together—up to 14 hours at a time—getting to know each other.

"He lit up any room he walked into... he was just so well spoken, very supportive, rigorously honest, in a compassionate way," McLean shared. "He always spoke from the heart."

In March 2024, just months before his passing, Liam Payne released his final track, "Teardrops," marking an emotional close to his music career.

The emotional track, co-written with JC Chasez of NSYNC, was meant for his upcoming second solo album.

Liam Payne's Last Project Set to Stream After Tragic Death

Payne described the project as a deeply personal one, saying, "This album literally is that whole last year for me... it was a snapshot of that day."

Sadly, Payne died at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024.

His death was ruled accidental, with reports stating he suffered internal and external injuries.

Since then, several planned music releases—including a collaboration with Sam Pounds titled "Do No Wrong"—have been postponed, RollingStone said.

Liam Payne's last appearance on screen will be in the Netflix series "Building the Band," which is scheduled to debut on July 9.

Liam Payne is set to take on a judging role in"Building the Band," joining fellow artists Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland on the panel.

The series is set to premiere in three installments, with episodes scheduled to stream on July 9, 16, and also 23.

Liam Payne's sister, Ruth Gibbins, recently shared her pride in his performance on the show through a heartfelt Instagram post, expressing how much she has always believed in his talent.

She added, "I'm heartbroken he never got to see how great he is in this show."

Tags

Liam Payne, AJ McLean