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Photo montage of Liam Payne in the studio with producer Sam Pounds and Liam Payne out and about in Los Angeles in June 2024.
Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images/Instagram/Sam Pounds

Liam Payne’s first posthumous single is thrown an unexpected curveball days after being announced

Are they really releasing new music already?

Not three weeks after Liam Payne‘s death, Sam Pounds, a music producer and friend of the late singer, promised to release a song the two had been working on together.

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Backlash from Payne’s fandom and a lack of backing from the bereaved family of the former One Direction member, however, derailed his plans. The song, titled “Do No Wrong” and co-written by Payne’s sister Ruth Gibbins, was meant to hit streaming platforms on Friday, Nov. 1.

Pounds, who collaborated with Payne regularly, initially shared the news in a since-deleted X post, saying he hoped the song would be “a blessing to the world like Liam has always dreamed.” Though some were moved by the prospect of hearing previously unreleased music from the young artist, opinions soon shifted when a fan account claimed to have been informed that the Payne family was not supporting the release.

“We find it absolutely disgusting to see someone trying to get profit off his passing and claiming to do it as a tribute,” the moderator behind the X page said. “The release of this song without the consent and support of his family is highly insensitive,” a similar account also commented.

The producer was quick to react, pulling the song until further notice. “I’m deciding to hold ‘Do No Wrong’ and leave those liberties up to all family members,” Pounds said, adding that, though they all love the song, he wants the Payne family to be able to “mourn in peace and in prayer.” “We will all wait,” he promised.

In an Instagram post, he also shared screen captures of conversations he had had with Payne back in March 2023 about the track. “Bro this is so big. Wtf,” the late singer gushed after Pounds sent him a finished, polished version. The Afrobeat-infused R&B song can still be heard at the end of the video below. “I can make a lifetime out of just one night like there’s nothing, just us two,” Payne sings in the second verse.

Sam Pounds said the release would be ‘100 percent independent’

On his Instagram page — beneath a behind-the-scenes video of the making of “Do No Wrong” intended for Chris Brown in the hopes of a feature — the producer claimed that the only people who would profit from the release would be Payne’s sister and co-writer Gibbins, the late singer, and himself. He later added that he wished the proceeds would go to a charity of the family’s choosing.

“This is a 100 percent independent release. The writers of this composition are Ruth Gibbins, Liam Payne and Sam Pounds. And these are the only individuals being compensated for all work. Truly a friends and family release like music should be.”

A day after Payne’s death, the producer, who has also worked with the likes of Jamie Foxx and Wiz Khalifa, shared a collection of memories of their time together, including the former One Direction member in the recording booth and at dinner, as well as some of his artwork. The cover for “Do No Wrong” featured a dripping angel and a broken heart and was inspired by Payne’s own drawings, Pounds claimed.

Payne was reportedly dropped by his label days before he died

The topic of Payne’s music may be extra sensitive for some given the trajectory of his career before his passing. According to The Daily Mail, the 31-year-old singer was let go from his record label, Universal Music, days before he died in Argentina. The company had already put the release of his second album on hold before that final decision. Despite the incredible success of his debut solo single “Strip That Down,” in 2017, Payne’s first album, released in 2019 and titled LP1, was a commercial letdown.

Payne’s last musical release in life was the R&B single “Teardrops” in March 2024, then meant as the lead single for a second album. It was his first song in three years. “Liam’s advance was massive and he didn’t recoup [it]. [He] was on the wrong path musically,” a source told The Daily Mail. The same outlet also reported that the musician’s PR resigned in early October after his ex-fiancé Maya Henry issued a cease-and-desist order against him.

Payne died on Oct. 16 after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Palermo, Argentina. He’s survived by his father Geoff, his mother Karen, his sisters Ruth and Nicola, and his 7-year-old son Bear. He was 31 years old.


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Author
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Francisca Tinoco
Francisca is a pop culture enthusiast and film expert. Her Bachelor's Degree in Communication Sciences from Nova University in Portugal and Master's Degree in Film Studies from Oxford Brookes University in the UK have allowed her to combine her love for writing with her love for the movies. She has been a freelance writer and content creator for five years, working in both the English and Portuguese languages for various platforms, including WGTC.