One Direction Graduate Liam Payne Has Achieved the Impossible: Turning Viral Fame Into an Enduring Career

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ONE DIRECTION GRADUATE LIAM PAYNE HAS ACHIEVED THE IMPOSSIBLE: TURNING VIRAL FAME INTO AN ENDURING CAREER. SURE, HE’S TALENTED, HARD WORKING AND EXTREMELY AMICABLE. BUT THE TRUE SECRET TO HIS SUCCESS? BEING WILLING TO EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN

BY SCOTT HENDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG WILLIAMS

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Delivered with a hint of defiance, it’s a sentiment that applies whether you happen to be a popstar or a product manager. “I’ve got a lot of things wrong in my time, but they were also the moments that I’ve learned the most about myself,” Payne adds. “The moments to do with fear, patience, intelligence, all those different things.” The truth is, Payne has lived his life in fast forward, cramming youthful missteps, naïve blunders and redemptive wisdom into one dizzying decade in the crucible of pop-culture stardom, a vortex that generally chews up and spits out young men. Instead he’s emerged, if not fully formed, then certainly as a man acutely aware of who he is. He’s as unsure as the rest of us what happens next – there aren’t many five-year plans in pop stardom – but you’d be hard-pressed to find a guy hen we arrive more ready to seize his potential and make in springtime London to meet with singer his mark. And that’s an enviable position Liam Payne, he’s at the centre of a heaving to be in, whatever direction you want life team of staff, fussing around a small hotel to take you. room in the heart of the city. It’s a small whirlwind overlooking a comparatively BOY BAND BLUES peaceful Hyde Park. At the height of their success, One Direction Amongst all the drama, Payne remains achieved the impossible, inducing Sixties- “IF YOU “IF ARE YOU WHAT ARE YOUWHAT THINK YOU THINK unruffled. He’s alert, aware of every person style hysteria in an era deemed too atomised and conversation in the room, yet oddly at for such levels of superstardom. A five-piece YOU ARE,YOU THEN ARE, YOU THEN DON’T YOU DON’T Wease with the lunacy ensuing, greeting me boy band, manufactured on TV’s X-Factor with a traditional British bro-shake. by none other than Simon Cowell, with HAVEHAVE TO PROVE TO PROVE ANYTHING ANYTHING” ” His calm under pressure is perhaps a universal appeal. The mop-top haircuts, product of his adolescent stint as one-fifth cheesy grins and wholesome values echoed of the world’s biggest boy band, One Direction, boy bands of decades past, with an updated an experience in which an ability to find your millennial twist. equilibrium amid chaos was an essential To fully grasp the band’s gigantic survival skill. pop-cultural footprint consider this: One What’s immediately apparent is that Direction are the only band in history Payne is a surprisingly self-aware and largely to have their first four albums debut at egoless 25-year- old, no mean feat for a man Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a who’s helped sell over 50 million albums in feat not even The Beatles managed in the past decade. their heyday. “You’re kind of known sometimes as, ‘the “It literally was the perfect storm,” guy from that band’, which is not really where remembers Payne. “There were so you want to be at a certain point,” Payne says many scenarios that had to fall into within minutes of our first meeting. It’s a line for that to happen. It’s not refreshing show of vulnerability so early on, something that can easily be recreated setting the tone for a poignant, sometimes or probably ever will be because of the emotionally raw two-day encounter with the way the Internet was kicking off, the star. “If you are what you think you are, then way The X Factor kicked off. I just you don’t have to fucking prove anything.” think it was just dumb luck.”

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in fitness. He’s energetic and you get the sense my head I was still a 14 year-old cross country says. “Man, just fucking be a man about it his next workout is never far from his mind. runner who was fucking on top of the table.” but do it gently.” Even as we shoot on The Beaumont’s suddenly And although it seems Payne may have At the same time his fitness journey wet rooftop, he jumps at the chance to squeeze simply traded one addiction for another, isn’t solely about pursuing emotional in a few triceps dips on a flimsy railing. It’s there’s no denying the positive effects his growth. Payne is keen to increase his an odd look, the former boy-band star dressed commitment to movement has had on him. strength, offering inspiration to fellow in a beautifully tailored Hugo Boss suit, the “I run every morning at the moment,” “lanky lads”. contrast perhaps symbolic of the crossroads he says, showing off pictures from this “My biggest problem training wise Payne now finds himself at. morning’s run on his phone. “I’ve been has always been trying to bulk up,” he The less than optimal workout gear getting up and doing a before sunrise sort of says. “Bulking up is super hard and my notwithstanding, Payne credits his newfound thing, whereas before I would have been out of metabolism is just so quick and I’m fondness for fitness for keeping him on the bed at 11 and smoking cigarettes.” always on the go, so fitting food in has straight and narrow. Surprisingly for a man of his age, Payne’s always been quite hard.” “For me, working out was one of the things workout motivation remains relatively pure, Currently eating over 12,000 kJ a “I REALLY“I REALLY STRUGGLE STRUGGLE TO TO . . that I really wanted to tick off the list ’cause I free of any vanity and at odds with the current day in pursuit of size, no doubt spurred always saw myself as that sort of sporty active gym-bro culture. on by his latest workout partner, Mark SAY SAY.NO.NO BECAUSE BECAUSE I DON’T I DON’T . . person and I actually wasn’t,” he says. “I was “I think it’s just having a gentler approach Wahlberg, Payne needs to maintain this smoking tons of cigarettes and drinking to things and not thinking that everything high-energy intake and a systematic LIKE LIKE TO TO LET LET PEOPLE PEOPLE DOWN DOWN” ” alcohol. It was the complete opposite but in has to be brawn, muscle and testosterone,” he recovery plan to sustain his vigorous

Prior to meeting Payne I’d been given where it just got a little bit toxic.” strict instructions not to ask any One It’s the only time in my two days with Direction-related questions. As it turns out Payne that the mood darkens. The sentiment Payne freely offers up details of his decade echoes around the empty room for a moment, in the eye of the boyband storm. Indeed, he’s Payne’s eyes glazing over as he’s transported happy to share, almost as a cautionary tale. back to those riotous days. Did he ever feel in “It’s difficult when you have the level control during those times? “No. Never.” of fame that we had in the band,” he says. “I still struggle with it now,” he adds. “I “There have been a lot of people in trouble really struggle to say no because I don’t like to with mental health that aren’t really getting let people down. It’s in my nature.” the help that they need and I think that’s a If there’s anything Payne hopes his fans bit of a problem in our industry. It’s the same take away from his time in fame’s spin cycle, shit that happens to everyone, that’s been it’s to embrace your past for what it is and happening since the 70’s. You know what the grow from it. That way, at least, you ensure traps are and if you are lucky enough, like me, the only direction in which you can head to be able to get out of that scenario and back is forward. into a sense of normality, then you know it’s a bit different.” PAYNE AND GAIN Payne was only 14 when One Direction As if to remind us that we are in fact in blew up. Forced to grow and mature under the UK, on my second day with Payne the the magnifying glass of the global media, his spring weather gives way to frosty winds adolescence quickly became click-bait fodder and constant light drizzle. It doesn’t seem and, despite the companionship of fellow to bother anyone in Payne’s camp. Today is band members, he remembers his 1D days as the singer’s turn in front of the camera and a lonely time, punctuated by alcohol abuse. he wears the dreary London day as well as “When you’re doing hundreds and his perfectly-tailored suit. hundreds of [concerts] and it’s the same 22 After much negotiation, we manage songs at the same time every single day, even to get onto the rooftop of The Beaumont if you’re not happy, you’ve got to go out there,” Hotel, giving Payne a chance to survey he says. “It’s almost like putting the Disney his turf. It’s the most at ease I’ve seen costume on before you step up on stage and him in our time together, the rain underneath the Disney costume I was pissed seemingly washing away the last traces quite a lot of the time because there was of his boyish nervousness. no other way to get your head around what For all his self-discovery and was going on. I mean it was fun. We had an reflection, Payne seems to have found absolute blast but there were certain parts of it solace from the trials of pop stardom

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EVERYTHING FALLS INTO PLACE “ EVERYTHING FALLS INTO PLACE THE MOMENT YOU PUT YOUR “ THE MOMENT YOU PUT YOUR . BODY THROUGH STRESS BODY THROUGH STRESS . perfect bridge between the old new. the the and between bridge perfect found the they’ve Payne, generation.a new In to appeal hoping to brand the and of style man a as himself solidify to looking Payne with alot of sense, makes giant fashion the with The from. partnership benefit could stars pop many self-awareness and vulnerability worldwide, there’s yet girls of teenage a millions to him endeared that humour and energy youthful the He maintains man. and boy somewhere between caught is Payne It’s clear circumstances. of his duality the on it’s Hugo not reflect Boss house to hard fashion for photo shoots and German stylists with meetings to Payne Iaccompany As place.” into fall to starts just everything like it’s abit of stress, through body you put your where yourself bit to of time little that have “The moment place. right the in you mind his keeps that therapy the Payne’s sanctuary, out.” and in yourself get to mission fucking day,” single every icehave baths he “It’s says. a it doesn’t And schedule. come easy. “I training FIND YOUR BEARINGS FIND what you think you want to be as adad.” as be to you want you think what agenerous dollop of and street appeal cred to the table. table. the to cred Hard as it may be, fitness has become become has fitness it be, may as Hard have to slowly make changes to become become to changes slowly to have make says, acknowledging the headlines that that headlines the acknowledging says, The singer certainly brings edgy edgy brings The certainly singer accompany his domestic situation with with domestic situation his accompany same person when baby’s You person your same born. at approach we Cole,ex-wife as Cheryl his mate’s photography studio. “Since mate’s “Since his studio. photography Payne says. “You still wake up as the the up as wake “You says. Payne still happens Everything knows? fuck the .who moving. then and my breakup five years earlier in my life. I should Ishould my life. in earlier years five “I haven’t really managed to settle,” he to “I haven’t managed really just blame Brexit. It’s Brexit.” Brexit. blame just fucking changes you overnight, but it doesn’t,” you overnight, changes he holdscontinues, as me back from a passing black cab. He has a a He has cab. black apassing from fatherhood. “People are like, it it “Peoplefatherhood. like, are the at hinting perhaps look, cheeky recent rumours of a romance with with of aromance recent rumours daring me to probe further. Idon’t. further. probe me to daring Campbell, Naomi supermodel “I’m agoal,” he .with single Instead the talk turns to to turns talk the Instead

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