Liam Payne suffered a huge blow just days before his tragic death – he was dropped by his record label Universal Music, the Mail can reveal.

 

Originally signed to Sony as part of One Direction, Liam penned a deal with Capitol Records, a label owned by Universal, in July 2016 when he launched his solo career at just 22 years old.

 

Liam was said to have been ‘thrilled’ when he signed to Capitol in what was understood to have been a very lucrative deal.

 

The label is a subsidiary of Universal, but in the company’s recent reshuffle he came under the main label.

 

This evening, Universal Music Group posted an image of Liam Payne on Instagram saying they were ‘devastated’ about his death.

 

 

 

 

 

Payne had been staying in Argentina over the last weeks and was pictured engaging with fans

 

 

The Universal Music Group tribute read: ‘We are devastated by the tragic passing of Liam Payne.

 

‘His legacy will live on through his music and the countless fans he inspired and who adored him.

 

‘We send our deepest condolences to Liam’s family and loved ones.’

 

Capitol Records reposted the statement as well.

 

Multiple sources have confirmed to MailOnline that the singer was axed by the record label.

 

A source said: ‘Liam’s advance was massive and he didn’t recoup [it].

 

‘Out of all of the One Direction boys, Liam was on the wrong path musically.’

 

It is understood that the release of his second album was put on hold prior to Universal dropping him.

 

Meanwhile, it can also be revealed that Liam’s PR resigned earlier this month, which left him without any publicity representation.

 

The resignation came as Liam’s ex-fiancé Maya Henry began legal proceedings against the singer after accusing him of repeatedly contacting her.

 

One source said: ‘It is like all of Liam’s music career that he had built up since he went solo eight years ago was crumbling, there was very little left for him.

 

‘It must have absolutely devastated him.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a joint statement last night signed from ‘Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry’, they said they were ‘completely devastated’.

 

‘In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,’ they said.

 

‘But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.

 

‘The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.

 

‘We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.’

 

Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik all later released separate tributes.

 

Styles wrote on Instagram that he was ‘truly devastated’ and will ‘miss him always’.

 

‘His greatest joy was making other people happy and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.

 

‘Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious.

 

‘He was warm, supportive and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.

 

Louis Tomlinson said he was ‘really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye’ in a separate tribute to Payne 

 

 

 

 

‘My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew him and loved him, as I did.’

 

Tomlinson said in a separate emotional tribute that he was ‘really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye’.

 

He posted a picture on his Instagram page of the two of them on stage with Payne lovingly putting his arm over Tomlinson’s shoulder.

 

Tomlinson said he would be an uncle to Payne’s son Bear if he ‘ever needs me’ and ‘tell him stories of how amazing his dad was’.

 

‘I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life,’ he wrote.

 

‘I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.

 

‘I wish I got chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.

 

‘Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X.’

 

Malik said he had been talking out loud to Payne ‘hoping you can hear me’.

 

In his own heart wrenching tribute, he said he had ‘lost a brother when you left us’.

 

‘And I can’t explain you you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly,’ he wrote.

 

‘I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever. There is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated. I hope that wherevere you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are.

 

‘Love you bro.’

 

Liam’s solo career came off the back of global stardom that began with ITV talent show, The X Factor.

 

He first auditioned for the show in 2008 at the age of 14 singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, with judge Simon Cowell telling him to return to the ITV talent show two years later.

 

Liam impressed the judges in 2010 singing Michael Buble‘s rendition of Cry Me A River before he was put with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage of the competition – the group which later became One Direction.

 

In 2012, the boy band won their first Brit Award for best British single for their debut track What Makes You Beautiful, before picking up the Brit global success award a year later.

 

They also won Brit Awards in 2014 and 2015 for best British video for Best Song Ever and You & I respectively.

 

After Malik left the band, the quartet won best artist video for Drag Me Down in 2016. They picked up the same award a year later for History.

 

Launching his solo career after One Direction split up in January 2016, Payne released his first single Strip That Down featuring Quavo  just over a year later in June 2017.

 

The single charted at number three while his second single was Get Low, which peaked at 26.

 

His third single, Bedroom Floor, went to number 21.

 

He then teamed up with singer Rita Ora for a hit, For You, which was the soundtrack to Fifty Shades Freed in 2018 and that was more successful – making it to number eight in the charts.

 

Then came Familiar with Colombian superstar J Balvin, which went to 14.

 

He also released an album, LP1, which went to number 17 in December 2019.

 

Liam was managed by music industry veteran Steve Finan, the husband of Olympic heptathlete Denise Lewis.

 

In August last year, Payne postponed his scheduled tour of South America after suffering from a ‘serious kidney infection’.

 

He said the infection was something ‘I wouldn’t wish on anyone’ and he had been instructed by doctors to ‘rest and recover’.

 

 

 

 

 

In the same month, Payne was announced as a judge on a new Netflix show alongside former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland and The Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger.

 

Yesterday Ora, 33, fought back tears while on stage in Japan as she performed For You at a concert just 12 hours after news broke of the One Direction star’s death.

 

Ora visibly struggled to finish the pair’s duet as images of the pair flashed up on screen.

 

In heartbreaking footage posted online, the singer, 33, was seen at one point holding her head in her hands as she turned away from the crowd and looked up to sky before saying ‘I can’t even sing this right now’.

 

Payne was understood to be close friends with Ora, who was a judge on The X Factor in 2015, and even moved into her luxury £3.25million west London penthouse in 2021 with his ex-fiancée Maya Henry.

 

Posting to social media after the show, Ora wrote: ‘I’m devastated. He had the kindest soul, I will never forget.

 

‘I loved working with him so much – he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage. This tragic news breaks my heart.

 

‘Sending all my love and prayers to his family and loved ones. Our song For You takes on a whole new meaning for me now. R.I.P’

 

The 31-year-old star plunged 45ft from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina’s capital yesterday, before medics confirmed his death.

 

Payne had arrived in South America with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy on September 30, staying in Argentina for two weeks after only planning to spend ‘five days’ there.

 

 

During their extended trip, Payne was reunited with Niall Horan after going to watch his former bandmate perform at the Movistar Arena, Buenos Aires, on October 2.

 

On October 12, Ms Cassidy, 25, returned home to Florida after saying ‘I just need to go home’ in a TikTok video, with Payne staying behind and checking into the £230-a-night Casa Sur hotel alone.

 

Just 48 hours before his death, on October 14, it emerged that Payne’s ex-fiancée, Ms Maya Henry, had started legal proceedings against Payne, accusing him of obsessively contacting her and ‘weaponising’ his fans against her.

 

 

 

 

Two days later, Payne posted several social media videos, including one where he jokingly called his girlfriend a ‘loser’ for going home.

 

Hours later, police were called to the hotel following reports of an ‘aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol’.

 

Shortly afterwards, workers heard a loud sound in the hotel’s courtyard before the Wolverhampton-born singer’s body was discovered just after 5pm local time.

 

Shocked fans gathered outside after police cordoned off the area with forensic investigators seen entering and exiting in white protective suits and blue gloves.

 

The star was said to have been ‘acting erratically in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop’ before he ‘had to be carried back to his room’, according to local media.

 

Universal Music Group no longer lists Liam as one of their artists.

 

Capitol Records still looks after other Horan, 31, as well as Katy Perry and Lewis Capaldi.

 

Universal has been contacted for comment.