Looking back, it’s remarkable to think that any of the five original members of One Direction would go on to achieve the levels of fame they have today. Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson were just 16 to 18 years old when they decided to try out for the British talent show, The X-Factor.
Though their initial auditions didn’t stand out and boys were cut from the solo competition early on, they were later brought back to form a group in a different category — and the rest, as they say, is history.
“They’re the cutest boy band ever,” Nicole Scherzinger, guest judge on The X-Factor, said when placing the band members together. “The little girls are going to love them.” And love them, we did! One Direction skyrocketed to unprecedented fame. Although they didn’t win the X-Factor, they certainly captured the public’s love along the way.
One Direction became one of the best-selling boybands in just five years together. They embarked on four world tours — two of them in all stadiums — and even traveled with a portable recording booth so they could continue working on new albums while on the road. They released perfume lines, toothbrushes, and a documentary concert film. Wherever the boys went, fans showed up in droves to catch a glimpse of them.
Liam Payne was just 31 years old when he tragically died after a fall from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Autopsy reports found that he had a mix of cocaine, crack, and ‘pink cocaine’ (typically a mix of MDMA, ketamine, and methamphetamine) in his body at the time of his death. Following his death, there’s been a resurgence of One Direction fever, with all of their albums reentering the UK Top 40. However, with this renewed focus on One Direction — and Payne in particular — there’s also been a deeper examination of what led to his tragic passing.
Calling the One Direction boys overworked is an understatement. Releasing five albums in five years, combined with a relentless touring schedule, created an environment ripe for addiction and mental health struggles. Payne was open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol, which began while he was still in the band as a way to cope with the overwhelming pressures of fame. “You’ve got no control over your life,” Payne said about his time in the band during a 2019 Table Manners podcast interview. “That’s why I lost control of everything.”
Childhood stardom has long been scrutinized in popular culture, even before Payne’s death. Earlier this year, former Nickelodeon stars revealed the toxic environments behind the scenes of children’s TV shows, including harassment and abuse, in the five-part documentary series Quiet on Set. Demi Lovato also released her documentary, Child Star, in September, where she and other former child actors discussed the challenges of working in the industry, from early exposure to drugs and alcohol to the lack of mental health support on set.
In light of Payne’s death, the real question is: is it ever right to turn a child into a megastar?
Some child stars have emerged unscathed. Payne’s former bandmates seem to be doing well, and many celebrities, like Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande, have transitioned from teenage fame to a relatively smooth adulthood. But for every success story, there’s a failure — Amanda Bynes, River Phoenix, Britney Spears… the list goes on. The entertainment industry for teenagers has a body count, and without proper regulations or protections, the outcomes can be devastating.
Another factor in Payne’s downfall is the decline of his solo career. After reaching record-breaking heights with One Direction, that success didn’t carry over to his solo music. While his former bandmates have found their niches (and in Styles’ case, even surpassed the success of the band), Payne struggled to find his footing. Reports suggest he was dropped by his record label just days before his death, after failing to recover the financial losses from his debut album. This creative struggle can’t be overlooked as a contributing factor, especially considering the extreme lifestyle he was thrust into at such a young age. Developmentally, full maturity isn’t reached until the mid to late twenties, and Payne was only 17 when he joined One Direction, having auditioned for the first time at 14.
Liam Payne’s death is a tragedy. The loss of another young life in such a preventable way raises valid concerns about the necessity of the child entertainment industry. Had more care been given to the members of One Direction — or any young star — during their rise to fame, Payne might still be here. Yet, the chances of the industry limiting its exploitation of teenagers remain slim. If there’s money to be made from the destruction of a young life, why stop?