Remembering Liam Payne of 1D: Songs he wrote that may surprise you

Rewinding to the days before One Direction was a global pop sensation, longtime fans might recall goofy video diaries that inspired plenty of inside jokes, silly dance moves and Liam Payne being the de facto leader of the group who did the majority of the singing.
Once fondly known among 1D fans as the reliable “Daddy Direction,” Liam’s talent as a singer has been undeniable since he arrived on “The X-Factor” in 2010 as a 16-year-old with a Justin Bieber haircut looking for a second chance at fame. Liam wowed the judges with a cover of Michael Bublé’s version of “Cry Me A River” and was eventually grouped with Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles to make One Direction.
As 1D went on to make five back-to-back albums that dominated sales and created a global fandom, the members grew more comfortable as songwriters. But it was Liam and Louis who wrote the most, especially on later albums “Four” and “Made in the A.M.”
‘Completely devastated’:One Direction members share joint statement on Liam Payne death
Liam died Oct. 16 in Argentina at age 31 in a tragic fall from a hotel balcony. As longtime fans like me remember his singing and swagger, we can’t forget his songwriting. Without it, we may not have Top 10 hits like “Story of My Life” or fan-favorites like “Through the Dark.”
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Post-1D, Liam released an EP, a studio album and some club bangers, including his 2017 track with Quavo, “Strip That Down,” and his collaboration with Zedd, “Get Low.” But One Direction is how most fans were introduced to Liam, aka Payno, and the avenue where he produced most of his music.
As a tribute to his work in the group, here are some of the most notable songs Liam co-wrote for One Direction from one fan’s perspective.
Liam Payne’s death:One Direction member found after balcony fall in Argentina
Though the record label let hitmakers take the helm on most of the band’s debut album, all of “the boys” (as fans fondly called them) got writing credits on Track 11. “Same Mistakes” seemed inspired by the adage “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” and applied it to a relationship that was on the rocks.
Best lyrics: “That’s what crazy is/ When it’s broke and you say there’s nothing to fix.”
Harry Styles’ mom,Charlie Puth, more pay tribute to Liam Payne: ‘Just a boy’
Performances from their Take Me Home Tour shows, included in their 2013 concert film/documentary “This Is Us,” are so vivid in my mind whenever I listen back to 1D’s sophomore album it’s as if I were among the screaming fans in 2013.
Though “Last First Kiss” (Liam, Louis and Zayn share writing credits with five others) didn’t make the film’s final cut, one of my favorite scenes is a criminally underrated clip of them playing around in rehearsals with a reggae-style version of the song, which somehow no one thought to release as a recorded track, left in the film as an afterthought.
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.”
“Midnight Memories” was the turning point where One Direction really got personal, and the guys’ fingerprints are all over their third album. They were young men and officially household names.
The second single from 1D’s third album, “Story of My Life” was a complete 180 from their “Best Song Ever” single — and honestly more on-theme with the ethos of “Midnight Memories.”
As I recall, the track had fans gushing about how deep 1D was getting in their self-proclaimed rockier album. Tumblr was flooded with GIFs from the “SOML” music video, which had the boys looking back at their childhoods and recreating family photos with siblings, parents and grandparents.
Best lyrics: “I leave my heart open/ But it stays right here empty for days.”
Liam Payne’s death isespecially difficult for Gen Z and millennials. It’s OK to grieve.
Zayn’s mind-blowing vocals on “Right Now” are the No. 1 characteristic that makes Track 9 off “Midnight Memories” one of my most-listened-to songs. Seriously, listen to that man effortlessly reach any and every note in one of their live performances on the Where We Are Tour.
Liam Payne was openabout addiction. What he told USA TODAY about alcohol, One Direction
In the album, they delved into homesickness on “Don’t Forget Where You Belong” as well as “Right Now,” in which Niall and Harry sing, “We won’t be going home for so long, for so long.” Per the lyrics, the boys experienced a bittersweet feeling as they had everything they could ask for on the road, but there were also people from their personal lives whom they missed.
Best lyrics: “Right now/ I wish you were here with me/ ‘Cause right now/ Everything is new to me.”
One Direction opting to perform their Mumford and Sons-esque track “Through the Dark” on “Saturday Night Live” in 2013 was a pleasant surprise. Liam kicks off the song, which is about supporting a loved one experiencing hardship. Payne also performed the song solo with his more mature, velvety smooth vocals in his 2021 livestreamed concert series, “The LP Show.”
Of “Midnight Memories,” former USA TODAY reporter Brian Mansfield wrote in 2013, “One Direction still appears to be developing, with some members — notably, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne — emerging as solid songwriters.” He also noted “Through the Dark” was one of the must-download tracks off the album (back before most people were streaming their music, of course).
Best lyrics: “I wish that I could take you to the start/ I’d never let you fall and break your heart/ And if you wanna cry or fall apart/ I’ll be there to hold ya.”
In 2014, 1D dropped what would end up being their last album with Zayn and his signature falsetto. The “Four” era kicked off in grand fashion with the guitar-led “Fireproof,” a free-download song that won over even my most 1D-ambivalent friends who said: “This is One Direction?”
Honestly, one of my most-played songs to this day (above “Right Now,” even).
Best lyrics: “I think I’m gonna win this time/ I roll, and I roll, ’til I change my luck.”
“No Control,” which features writing credits for the mighty duo that was Louis and Liam (aka Tommo and Payno), had sexual innuendo (“Waking up/ Beside you I’m a loaded gun”) that had fans tittering in 2014. It was also a particular favorite for “Louis girls” who were excited to see the eldest in the band finally take over a chorus after being sidelined for years as a singer.
However, the song took on a life of its own in 2015 when the boys sang it on “The Late Late Show’s” “Carpool Karaoke” (before it became its own series), silly choreography and all.
Best lyrics: “Powerless, and I don’t care it’s obvious/ I just can’t get enough of you/ The pedal’s down, my eyes are closed, no control.”
Another track that features writing credits for all five members — as well as trusty collaborators Jamie Scott, Julian Bunetta and John Ryan — “Night Changes” was 1D’s last single that featured Zayn. It also features a hauntingly beautiful falsetto delivered by Liam before the bridge, which simply must be heard in its pure acoustic form.
“Night Changes” is like a more mature version of 2012’s “Live While We’re Young.” With a theme about living in the moment while falling in love, the single muses about the ephemeral nature of life’s moments. Clearly, the concept resonates as “Night Changes” is the band’s most-listened song on Spotify, even over “Story of My Life” and “What Makes You Beautiful.”
Plus, there’s a fun first-person point of view music video that had fans swooning over the thought of actually going on a date with a member of One Direction.
Best lyrics: “Goin’ out tonight, changes into something red/ Her mother doesn’t like that kind of dress/ Reminds her of the missing piece of innocence she lost.”
Unfortunately, we’ve made it to 1D’s last album — and their first sans Zayn.
Tommo and Payno teamed up with three other writers to create “What a Feeling,” a Fleetwood Mac-inspired groove that was a sleeper hit for many Directioners. One of Liam’s self-professed favorites off the album, he performed it during his “LP Show.”
Best lyrics: “With no way out and a long way down/ Everybody needs someone around.”
Liam, Niall, Harry, Louis and the music label powers-that-be chose violence when they closed the standard version of their last album with “History,” a campfire song about becoming “the greatest team that the world has ever seen.” Fans held on to the boy band’s ask — “So don’t let me go/ We can live forever” — long after the 2016 “break” turned into a clear disbanding.
I dare you to watch their music video, filled with archival footage of the band over their five years of stardom, or their final “X-Factor” performance, and not get at least a little teary-eyed.
Best lyrics: “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 lotta history.”