Liam Payne‘s first posthumous song will reportedly be released later this week – find out more below.
- READ MORE: Liam Payne 1993-2024: One Direction star who helped spark a pop phenomenon
The solo artist and former One Direction member died on October 16 following a fatal fall from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Argentine prosecutor’s office has revealed that the 31-year-old’s cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding.
Now, Grammy-winning producer and singer Sam Pounds – who had been in the studio with Payne prior to his untimely and tragic death – has taken to social media to announce the upcoming release of a song they had been working on together.
Pounds wrote: “I pray that this will be a blessing to the world like Liam has always dreamed. I pray angels will comfort you all everyday while listening. I pray that this song will be a blessing to Ruth, Bear, and the entire family. I pray that this song eclipses the negative echoes. I pray supernatural positive healing power will embrace each and every one of you… With love let’s all BE the blessing.”
An image shared by Pounds of the song’s – titled ‘Do No Wrong’ – cover art includes a release date of November 1. The song will be available in three forms: the original, a live mix and an a cappella version.
Sam Pounds https://t.co/wWn3SNOs9t
I pray that this will be a blessing to the world like Liam has always dreamed. I pray angels will comfort you all everyday while listening. I pray that this song will be a blessing to Ruth, Bear, and the entire family. I pray that this song… pic.twitter.com/nX0e9qcNon
— Sam Pounds (@iamsampounds) October 28, 2024
When news of Payne’s death broke, Sam Pounds paid tribute to his late collaborator on social media, sharing several videos of them hanging out, and Payne recording his vocals for the song.
Last week, Pounds shared a snippet of them in the studio listening to the song together. In his caption, Pounds revealed that Payne had wanted Chris Brown to feature on the track with them.
Last week, it was revealed that Payne reportedly had pink cocaine and several other substances in his system at the time of his fatal balcony fall. Sources told ABC News that results of a partial autopsy showed he had “pink cocaine” – a drug typically made up of a mix of substances including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and others – as well as cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in his system. It has also been reported that the Buenos Aires police department have raided the CasaSur hotel in search of further evidence.
Payne’s death has triggered conversations about putting more protections in place for young artists, with songwriter Guy Chambers calling on the music industry to stop putting minors in boybands following his passing. Payne was 14 when he first auditioned for the X Factor, and 16 when he became a member of One Direction during the show’s 10th season.
Elsewhere, Sharon Osbourne also accused the music industry of “letting down” Payne, writing in an Instagram post: “Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.”
Bruce Springsteen has also said that the music industry puts “enormous pressures on young people” in the wake of Payne’s death, while Victoria Canal shared that, as an artist who feels “desperate” to achieve the success that Payne once had, feels duped by “the promise of what ‘success’ in this industry is.”
A new petition has since been launched, calling for a new law to safeguard the mental well-being of artists in the music industry. The petition has surpassed over 100,000 signatures.
